How to Get Rid of Ice Dams on Your Roof

Updated 2026-10-24 · Sources checked

"I know the ideal solution would be to roof rake or install the electric deicers, but I am past that point and need to remove the ice dams"

A thread author on r/DIY wrote that. Here is what to do now.

Don't climb up to knock the ice off, because falls from a roof with snow or ice are often fatal¹. Rake the snow from the ground, have a roofer you choose take the ice off, and fix the attic, because heat in the attic is what melts the snow that refreezes at the eave². Clearing ice alone is only temporary.

Quick answer:

Rake snow off the eave from the ground, never from a ladder, since using a rake or shovel on a ladder greatly increases the risk of falling¹.
Photograph and list any damage before making any temporary repair³.
If water is getting in, check whether the loss is more than your deductible⁴. Either way, contact your insurance company or a roofer you choose, not one who shows up uninvited⁵.
Have the attic air sealed and insulated, which can help reduce new ice dams⁶.

On this page

Why does the ice keep building up on my roof edge?
How do I get rid of an ice dam, step by step?
If you were told to just rake it, or just fix the attic
Does Dawn dish soap melt ice, or what will melt it right away?
If the roofer can't come today
Does insurance pay for ice dam leaks?

Most of this happens indoors and on the ground.

Why does the ice keep building up on my roof edge?

When the attic is above freezing, snow on the roof melts, runs down to the colder eaves and refreezes². Repeat that for several days and the meltwater turns into solid blocks of ice along the eave. That is the dam.

Behind the dam, ice can back up under the shingles, damaging them and letting water leak to the ceilings and walls below⁷. Inside, that can mean water stains on the ceiling, and it can lead to structural damage and mold growth⁸.

A reply in a roofing thread put the cause this way: "Ice dams are just the visible proof of heat loss,lack of ventilation". The ice is what you see; the warm attic is what feeds it.

Wondering why your house is the one with ice along the edge? Why ice dams form on a roof.

How do I get rid of an ice dam, step by step?

The stages: check how you'll reach it, document, rake the snow, have a pro remove the ice, dry what got wet, then fix the attic.

Stage 1: Check how you will reach it

If you can't reach the eave safely from the ground, don't go up. Working on a roof with snow, ice or wind risks a fall that is often fatal¹.

Can I just knock it off? No: chipping away at the ice can cause further damage to your roof and shingles⁹. Leave that to the roofer you hire.

What if the house is too tall for a ladder? Then the job is a pro's, and you can check the contractor's license with your state or county and ask for proof of insurance¹⁰. One commenter asked the same thing: "How do you do this if your house is really tall? Like to tall to even get a ladder to."

What can go wrong: improvising a way up.

Stage 2: Photograph and write down the damage first

Photograph and list the damage before any temporary repair³. One list covers it:

Ceiling stains and drips or leaks on the walls below the eave, since a leaking ice dam can show up as water stains on the ceiling⁸.
Each damaged spot, and each item, before you move or fix it.
Which areas and items got wet and when you dried them, because water-damaged areas and items should be dried within 24-48 hours to prevent mold growth¹¹.

What can go wrong: fixing first and photographing later.

Stage 3: Clear snow from the eave with a rake, from the ground

Use a roof rake to remove the snow instead of getting on the roof⁸. That advice covers snow, not ice that has already formed.

What can go wrong: reaching too far from the ground and pulling at ice that is stuck.

Stage 4: Have the dam removed by a roofer you choose

With your photos done and your deductible in mind, contact your insurance company or a roofer you choose, not one who shows up uninvited⁵. Before hiring, get a second and, if possible, a third opinion and estimate¹². Then don't pay the full amount up front¹³, and, in Wisconsin, for example, never make final payment until you are satisfied and all work is done as specified¹⁴.

Ask the roofer to put the price in writing. You can send this:

Please look at the ice dam on my roof edge and at my attic, and send me a written price for removing the ice. Please also put in writing the price of any hidden damage you find once the work starts, and tell me before you do it. Please tell me how you will take the ice off without damaging my shingles.

If a roofer pushes you to sign today or won't put this in writing, that is an answer too: weigh it against the bids that do.

What can go wrong: a verbal price, and extra work added once the roofer is already up there.

Stage 5: Dry what got wet

Anything that got wet from a leak needs to be dried within 24-48 hours to prevent mold growth¹¹. Note in your list what you dried and when.

Stage 6: Stop it coming back

Sealing air leaks in the attic, combined with attic insulation, can help alleviate the formation of ice dams⁶. The ice you clear this winter isn't the same thing as keeping next winter's from forming.

If you were told to just rake it, or just fix the attic

Both pieces of advice are partly right.

Just rake it. A rake handles the snow on the eave. It does nothing about the attic heat that melts the snow in the first place².
Just fix the attic. Air sealing and insulation can help reduce ice dams⁶, but they do not take off ice already sitting on the eave.

Does Dawn dish soap melt ice, or what will melt it right away?

Skip the kitchen remedies. Rake the snow off the eave from the ground and leave the ice to a roofer you choose: the goal is getting the ice off safely and keeping the meltwater from starting again.

If the roofer can't come today

Finish the photos and the list from stage 2, before any temporary repair³.
Put a bucket under any drip and move belongings out from under the stain.
Keep drying what got wet, within 24-48 hours¹¹.

Is water already running down the wall beside a window? What to do when an ice dam leaks inside.

Does insurance pay for ice dam leaks?

In Connecticut, for example, damage caused by an ice dam on a roof is generally covered, but many policies do not pay for removing the dam¹⁵. In Wisconsin, for example, water coming from the top down, such as ice dam seepage behind drywall, is generally covered by a standard homeowner's policy¹⁶. Wherever you live, ask your insurer or your state's insurance department whether a similar rule applies to you.

Before you file, compare the loss with your deductible: if the loss is lower than the deductible, you probably won't want to go through the claims process⁴. If you're unsure, a written estimate from a roofer you chose yourself helps you decide, because if repairs cost about the same or less than your deductible, filing may not be worth it¹⁷.