A ridge of ice sits along the eave above the gutter
That ridge is the dam itself, and meltwater is pooling behind it. Photograph it from the ground now, because it is the proof of cause and it disappears with the weather.
Source of the water
Mapleton, UT
Our team addresses water entering beneath roof materials, then dries attic insulation, framing, walls, and ceilings affected by the leak.
Signs to look for
If you notice any of these problems, call us before water has more time to spread into nearby materials.
That ridge is the dam itself, and meltwater is pooling behind it. Photograph it from the ground now, because it is the proof of cause and it disappears with the weather.
Icicles mean water is running down a warm roof and freezing at a cold edge. They are the visible symptom of the exact process that causes the leak.
Ice dam water enters over the top plate and drops into the corner. That ceiling perimeter stain is the single most common ice dam symptom.
The wall cavity carries the water down to the first thing that blocks it, which is a window head.
The snow needs to melt before there is any water to leak. A leak that starts when the sun comes out after a snowfall is diagnostic.
Heat escaping into the attic melts snow over the heated part of the house. The edge overhangs unheated space, so the water refreezes there.
What happens
Our team adjusts the work to what got wet, how far the water traveled, and which materials can be saved.
Wet ceiling boxes and can lights mean the circuit gets shut off from a dry location. Nobody stands under a sagging area, and removals overhead are a crew task.
Steam removal is the correct method, and we coordinate a crew that has the equipment. Low pressure steam melts a channel through the ice without stripping the shingles.
A moisture meter runs the full length of every exterior wall in the affected room, not just the stained part.
Baseboard or window casing comes off and small access holes let us read and dry inside the cavity.
Compacted or soaked material at the perimeter comes out in place and gets replaced with a measured R value.
The house stays heated, the wet cavity gets contained, and air movers work into the openings with an Professional dehumidifier on the room.
Talk with our team
Tell us what happened, where the water came from, and what is wet.
What to expect
Here is how we usually handle ice dam leak cleanup near Mapleton, UT.
Ice ridge, icicles, snow depth and which side of the house it is on. Those four answers tell us whether steam removal comes on the first trip.
Your callTake pictures of the eave from the ground while the ice is still there. Move what you can lift from a dry floor and stay out from under any sag.
+5 minutesSealed work area, drying equipment and the steam contact get lined up together. Winter calls come in clusters during a thaw, so we sequence by severity.
+15 minutesWe record the dam, the icicles, the gutter condition and every interior stain with dates. This is a weather loss, and the weather is the evidence.
On arrivalSteam opens channels through the dam so water drains off the roof instead of backing up under the shingles.
First hours on siteReadings run the full exterior wall length, the ceiling perimeter and both sides of every window head. We tape the wet edge so you can see the real footprint.
First hours on siteSwollen window casing, failed board and soaked blown in insulation at the eave are removed and logged. Perimeter gypsum that only met clean meltwater stays where it is and gets dried.
Day 1Understanding the cost
We explain the recommended work and price before you approve the job. These examples show what may change the estimate.
| Common situation | What the estimate may include | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| Steam ice dam removal at the eave, by a specialty crew | National estimate. Commonly billed hourly at roughly $250 to $500 per hour, typically one to three hours, with a minimum charge. | $400 to $1,500 |
| Interior cleanup after one ice dam leak, one room dried in place | National estimate for perimeter ceiling and wall drying with trim removal, no demolition. | $600 to $2,000 |
| Several eaves leaking, multiple rooms with removal and drying | National estimate including wet insulation removal, drywall sections and five to seven drying days. | $3,000 to $9,000 |
| Wet attic or perimeter insulation removal and disposal, per square foot | National estimate for extraction, bagging and disposal of soaked material. | $1.00 to $2.50 |
| Perimeter drywall removal with cavity drying, per square foot | National estimate for removal, disposal and drying of the opened assembly. | $1.50 to $4.00 |
| Attic air sealing and insulation top up, by an insulation contractor | National estimate for sealing attic bypasses and bringing depth back to code. This is the fix, not the cleanup. | $1,200 to $4,000 |
| Heat cable installed at the eave and in the gutter, by a contractor | National estimate for a separate trade, not part of our cleanup work plan. It manages symptoms on a problem eave and adds a power bill each winter. | $600 to $2,500 |
| After hours or overnight dispatch charge | National estimate for nights, weekends and holidays, billed once rather than per hour. | $100 to $400 nationally |
How many eaves are leaking
One dam over one room is a contained job. Three sides of a house during a long thaw is three separate wet areas.
How far the water ran along the wall
Water spreads sideways on the top plate before it drops. A four foot stain frequently means fifteen feet of wet cavity.
Whether the ice has to be removed first
Steam removal is its own contractor visit and is usually billed hourly. It is not optional while water is still backing up.
How much ceiling, wall and trim has to come out
Board that can be dried in place costs a fraction of what removal and rebuild cost. Delaminated board, wet insulation and swollen casing move it into removal work.
Insulation type and depth at the perimeter
Blown in material at the eave has to be extracted rather than lifted out. Replacement is measured by area and by the R value going back.
Cold weather drying days
Air movers run roughly $25 to $40 per unit per day and Professional dehumidifiers roughly $70 to $110 per unit per day.
Why timing matters
Water can keep moving into nearby materials even when the surface looks dry.
One warm afternoon and one cold night is all it takes to make more ice. Each cycle raises the dam and pushes water further under the shingles.
Shingles shed running water, they do not hold standing water. Behind a dam the water sits above every lap and drip edge and simply walks in.
Soaked material at the eave stops insulating, so more heat reaches the roof deck and more snow melts.
Framing at 35 degrees releases moisture very slowly. What looks dry at the surface in March is still wet inside the wall.
Helpful service information
Start with the short explanation. Open a card if you want a little more detail.
Heat leaking from the house warms the roof deck over the living space.
The physics here are simple and they explain everything about where the water shows up. Heat leaking from the house warms the roof deck over the living space.
Ice dams form where heat loss is concentrated, so they come back in the same place until that path is closed.
Recurrence is the part that matters for your money. Ice dams form where heat loss is concentrated, so they come back in the same place until that path is closed.
It enters over the top plate at the outside wall, so the first wet materials are the ceiling perimeter and the top of the wall cavity.
Inside the building, ice dam water behaves unlike any other leak we handle. It enters over the top plate at the outside wall, so the first wet materials are the ceiling perimeter and the top of the wall cavity.
Help near you
Choose your area below, or call (844) 378-1877 and describe what happened.
Common questions
Heat escaping into your attic melts snow on the upper roof. That water runs down and refreezes at the cold overhang, building a ridge of ice.
Nationally, one room dried in place usually runs about $600 to $2,000. Several leaking eaves with removal typically run $3,000 to $9,000.
Usually yes for the interior damage, because it is treated as sudden weather damage. Many carriers also reimburse ice removal as mitigation.
No. Do not chip, hammer, chisel or pressure wash ice on a roof, and do not put a ladder against an icy building.
A roof rake used from the ground is reasonable for pulling snow off the lower roof. Keep it away from overhead power lines and stand clear of what comes down.
Low pressure steam is the correct method and it is what the specialty crews use. It melts channels through the dam without damaging shingles.
The water enters over the top plate and drops into the wall cavity. It runs down the framing until something blocks it, and a window head is the first thing that does.
Talk with our team
Tell us what happened, where the water came from, and what is wet.
Areas we serve
Our team serves homes, businesses, and managed properties in Mapleton, UT and surrounding communities.
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