If you have an ice dam right now and water is entering your home, call (437) 887-2805. AUK Roofers does steam ice dam removal — the only method that won't damage your shingles or void manufacturer warranties — across Toronto and the GTA. Steam removal typically runs $400–$1,200 depending on dam size and access. Same-day response during active leaks. We never chip with axes, shovels, or sharp tools; those break the seal strip on every shingle they touch and create permanent leak paths.
Last reviewed: · By AUK Roofers editorial team
What an ice dam actually is
An ice dam is a ridge of ice that forms at the cold edge of your roof — usually the eave — when warm attic air melts snow on the upper roof and that meltwater refreezes at the unheated overhang. The dam grows over hours and days. Once it's thick enough, meltwater backs up behind it and gets pushed UP under the shingles, where the underlayment is the only thing between it and your attic.
Trigger: attic heat loss melting roof snow above 0°C while eaves stay below freezing
Failure point: water forced laterally and upward under shingle seal strips
Visible signs: thick icicles along eaves, ice ridges 5–30 cm tall, water staining inside near exterior walls
Common interior symptoms: brown ring on ceiling near outer wall, paint bubbling, damp insulation in attic
Steam removal — the only method we use
Steam removal uses low-pressure 200°F+ steam to cut the dam off the shingles cleanly, without damaging the asphalt mat or the granule layer. It's slower than chipping (60–120 minutes for a typical residential dam) but it's the only method that respects the shingle warranty and doesn't create new leak paths.
Low-pressure professional steamer melts ice without impact damage
Channels cut through the dam to restore drainage immediately
No risk to flashings, ridge caps, or shingle seal strips
Crew works from a stable ladder or scaffold — never standing on snow-loaded roof
Cleanup includes removing displaced ice from eavestroughs and downspout openings
What we will not do — and why
Every winter we get calls from homeowners whose previous contractor chipped or shovelled their ice dam off and now they have shingle damage on top of the original problem. We don't use any of these methods:
Mechanical chipping with axes, picks, or hammers — breaks seal strips on every shingle touched
Salt or calcium chloride applied directly to shingles — corrodes flashings, voids most material warranties
Standing on a snow-loaded roof — extreme slip hazard, not insurable
Power-washer 'cold water' removal — drives more water under the existing dam
What to do in the 30 minutes before we arrive
If water is actively entering the home, the damage you can prevent in the next 30 minutes matters more than the dam itself. Do these in order:
Move furniture, electronics, and valuables out of the drip zone
Place buckets or large pots under active drips
If the ceiling is bulging, pierce it in the centre with a screwdriver to release pooled water into a controlled stream — saves a full ceiling collapse
Turn off the affected electrical circuit if water is near fixtures, outlets, or light switches
Take photos of the interior damage from multiple angles — insurance evidence
Do NOT climb on the roof yourself, do NOT chip at the dam from a ladder
Will insurance pay for ice dam damage?
Usually yes if the ice formed during a covered weather event and the resulting water damage was sudden. The grey area is chronic ice damming over multiple winters — that's sometimes denied as a maintenance failure. Documentation makes the difference. We include date-stamped photographs and a written cause assessment with every callout so you have a clean submission for your adjuster.
Sudden ice damming from a specific storm: typically covered
Resulting interior water damage (drywall, insulation, flooring): typically covered
Emergency mitigation costs (the steam removal itself, tarping): often reimbursable — keep receipts
Chronic multi-winter damming: sometimes denied as lack of maintenance
Annual fall inspections build the maintenance record that defeats this denial
Preventing it next winter
Ice dams aren't a roof problem — they're an attic problem. Three upstream fixes prevent them from coming back:
Clear eavestroughs and downspouts in late October (90% of damming traces here)
Upgrade attic insulation to R-50 or R-60 (most GTA homes still sit at R-30 or below)
Balance soffit-to-ridge ventilation so warm air escapes before it melts the snow above
Add ice-and-water shield to vulnerable eaves during your next roof project — we extend it minimum 24" past the warm wall on every install
Common questions.
Direct answers, no filler.
How fast can you actually get here?
Same-day across the GTA during freeze-thaw events, typically within 4–6 hours. During major storm surges we may push to 6–10 hours but you'll get a callback with an exact ETA. Active interior leaks jump the queue.
Is steam removal really worth more than chipping?
Yes — and it's not close. Chipping permanently breaks the seal strip on every shingle the tool touches, creating leak paths that show up the following spring. Steam costs more in the moment and saves thousands in shingle damage repair.
What does steam removal actually cost?
$400 for small, accessible single-eave dams. $700–$900 for typical residential dams. $1,000–$1,200 for large multi-eave dams or three-storey access. Tarp-and-secure adds $400–$650 if water is actively entering. Fixed quote before we start.
Can I just throw salt up there?
Calcium chloride 'ice melt socks' placed across the dam can help in mild cases, but rock salt and direct application damage shingles, eavestroughs, and metal flashings. The socks are a stopgap; they don't address the underlying attic heat loss.
What about heated cables along the eaves?
Heat tape is a permanent band-aid. It works (keeps a melt channel open all winter) but it consumes electricity continuously and addresses the symptom, not the cause. The cause is attic insulation and ventilation; that's what we recommend you fix.
Will removing the dam fix the interior leak?
It stops the source. Drying out the interior is a separate process — open up wet drywall and insulation within 48 hours to prevent mould, document everything for your insurance claim, and schedule the dry-out professionally if the wetted area is more than a few square feet.
Do I have to be home when you remove it?
Preferred but not required. Verbal authorization plus a contactable phone number is enough. We send before-and-after photos to your phone the same day.
Is removing the dam covered by insurance?
Often yes as emergency mitigation — most Ontario policies reimburse reasonable steps to prevent further damage. Keep our invoice and submit it with your claim. Failure to mitigate can actually void coverage on the resulting interior damage, so prompt removal protects you both ways.
Call for same-day removal
Across all 14 GTA service areas. $2M insured. WSIB. 25-year workmanship guarantee.
