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Snow RemovalJanesville, WI
Aluminum roof rake pulling heavy snow off the lower edge of a shingle roof with icicles along the gutter

Ice Dams and Roof Snow in Wisconsin: Causes, Costs, Prevention

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Short answer

Ice dams form when heat from the house melts roof snow and the water refreezes at the cold eaves. Raking the lower roof after heavy snow prevents most of them. Clearing roof snow costs about $200 to $700; steam ice dam removal runs $650 to $2,400, average around $1,200.

Part of Roof Snow and Ice Dam Removal.

How a dam builds

Warm air leaking into the attic heats the roof deck. Snow on the upper roof melts, runs down, and hits the overhang, which sits outside the heated house and stays below freezing. The water freezes there. Each cycle adds to the ridge of ice, and the next round of meltwater pools behind it and finds its way under the shingles and into the ceiling.

Janesville gets 28.6 inches of its 36.6 inches in December, January and February (NOAA normals), and the thaw-and-freeze days in between are when dams grow.

Prevention, in order of cost

  1. Rake the lower three to six feet of roof after each heavy snow, from the ground with a roof rake.
  2. Keep gutters and downspouts clear before winter so meltwater has somewhere to go.
  3. Fix the cause: air-seal and insulate the attic so the roof deck stays cold.

What removal costs

  • Roof snow clearing: $200 to $700 (Housecall Pro, 2026).
  • Ice dam removal: $650 to $2,400, average about $1,200 (Angi); $600 to $1,800 (Fixr).

Steam is the removal method that does not damage shingles. The service is on roof snow and ice dam removal, and every price is on the cost page.

Sources: NOAA NCEI, U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, station Afton - Janesville WWTP (USC00470045); Housecall Pro, snow removal price guide 2026; Angi, ice dam removal cost; Fixr, ice dam removal cost

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Quick answers

How do I know I have an ice dam?

A thick ridge of ice along the eaves, heavy icicles bending the gutter, or water stains on the ceiling or top of an outside wall during a thaw.

Is it safe to chip an ice dam off?

Chipping with a hammer or chisel is how shingles get damaged. Steam melts a channel through the ice without cutting into the roof.

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