Ice Dam Removal in Toronto

Licensed & insured Ontario does not licence this trade at provincial level, so the checks that actually mean something are current liability insurance and a WSIB clearance certificate. Ask the partner to see both — a legitimate one hands them over without being chased.
Know what to ask You are told what actually decides the price, so you can judge a quote.
Someone local You are put through to a technician who works your area, not a call centre in another province.
Calls answered 7 days Someone picks up seven days a week, weekends included.

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An ice dam is not a roof fault, it is a heat fault. It forms because warm air is escaping into the attic and melting snow that refreezes at the cold edge. Removing it without fixing that means doing it again.

Two things override everything else on this page. Do not go up on a roof that is wet, frosted or snow-covered, and do not go up a ladder to chip ice off the eaves — that is the most common way people are seriously hurt around a house in a Toronto winter, and nothing you can do up there beats waiting for someone with the right equipment. And if a ceiling is sagging or bulging, stay out from under it: the water is pooling above the drywall and it comes down all at once.

Signs to look for

A thick ridge of ice along the roof edge, often with icicles behind it
Water staining appearing on a ceiling near an outside wall in winter
Snow melted off part of the roof while the edge stays frozen
Icicles forming repeatedly in the same spot every year

How the work is done

Steam the ice off in channels so meltwater has somewhere to drain
Never chip, pick or salt it, because all three damage the roof
Check the attic for the heat leak that caused it
Tell you what would stop it forming again, which is usually ventilation or air sealing

In Toronto specifically

Toronto's humid continental — long cold winters, humid summers, and a freeze-thaw shoulder season either side climate and its housing stock — Victorian and Edwardian semis through the old city, postwar bungalows and backsplits across Scarborough, North York and Etobicoke, and a downtown core that is almost entirely towers — decide what is worth doing first. Roofing work here falls under the Ontario Building Code, and the City of Toronto handles permits and inspections. Ontario does not licence roofers at provincial level, so the checks worth making are a WSIB clearance certificate and proof of liability cover — both of which a legitimate company will hand over without being chased.

Before the technician arrives

Four things worth doing — and the first one is usually the thing people get wrong.

Do not climb up and chip it. People fall, and picks go through shingles.
Do not throw salt on the roof. It will damage the shingles and the metal, and it will take the finish off whatever is below.
Note whether the same spot dams every winter. A repeat spot is almost always a heat leak from below, not bad luck.
Mention any recent attic or insulation work when you call. It changes where someone looks first.

What the work looks like

Photographs of ice dam removal being carried out, so you know what to expect on the day.

How it works

Three steps, and you decide at the end of them.

1
You call and describe the problem

Tell us what you have noticed and where — the room, the smell, the noise, how long it has been going on. Give us your postal code and we will match you to a licensed company covering your area. There is no form to fill in.
2
A local company takes it from there

They discuss the problem with you directly, arrange a time to inspect, and agree the work and the price with you before anything starts. That conversation is between you and them.
3
You decide whether to go ahead

You are under no obligation. If the quote or the approach is not what you wanted, you are free to say no and call someone else.

Ice Dam Removal — FAQs

Do I actually need Ice Dam Removal done?

An ice dam is not a roof fault, it is a heat fault. It forms because warm air is escaping into the attic and melting snow that refreezes at the cold edge. Removing it without fixing that means doing it again.

What does Ice Dam Removal involve?

Steaming the ice off, which is the only method that does not damage the roof, then looking at why it formed. Chipping at it with an axe is how shingles get destroyed in February.

What makes this different in Toronto?

Toronto's humid continental — long cold winters, humid summers, and a freeze-thaw shoulder season either side climate and its housing stock — Victorian and Edwardian semis through the old city, postwar bungalows and backsplits across Scarborough, North York and Etobicoke, and a downtown core that is almost entirely towers — decide what is worth doing first. Roofing work here falls under the Ontario Building Code, and the City of Toronto handles permits and inspections. Ontario does not licence roofers at provincial level, so the checks worth making are a WSIB clearance certificate and proof of liability cover — both of which a legitimate company will hand over without being chased.

Are the companies licensed and insured?

Yes. We only work with licensed, insured partners in Toronto, and you are welcome to ask to see a licence number on arrival.

What does Ice Dam Removal cost?

It depends on the property, the size of the system and what the inspection finds, so we do not publish a price — a figure quoted on a web page is not one the attending company has agreed to. You get a price before any work starts.

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