How Much Does Professional Snow and Ice Removal Cost for Your Roof?

If you’re like most homeowners, the thought of climbing onto a slippery ladder in the freezing winter to tackle ice dams or heavy snow drifts sounds like an absolute nightmare. Thankfully, professional roofers specialize in this difficult work. A reliable roofing company is equipped to serve you, whether it’s the middle of a winter blizzard or the blazing heat of summer. They understand the urgency of snow and ice emergencies and are ready to answer the call.

So, how much does it cost to hire a roofing company for professional roof snow and ice removal services?

To get an accurate answer, you first need to determine the urgency: Is this an emergency situation, or are you simply being proactive? The answer to that question will significantly impact the final price you pay for the service.

Let’s start with the most common request we receive: the emergency snow and ice removal call.

If you are requesting emergency services, you should expect to pay a premium. This is because your contractor is often pausing other scheduled work and bumping your job to the front of the line. It may also involve calling in team members outside of regular business hours or pulling them from other tasks. Since you are calling for immediate emergency service, the team is dispatched without the ability to inspect the situation ahead of time. This means two key things for your bill:

1. Expect a minimum trip charge. We commonly see and hear of charges between $300 – $500 to cover the immediate dispatch and travel.
2. Expect the work to be performed on a time and material basis. This means you will be billed a set hourly rate for each worker on site. The total cost is the number of hours worked by all on-site team members multiplied by the emergency hourly rate. This hourly rate for emergency dispatching is typically between $150 – $185 per hour.

Many contractors will offer you the option to set a limit on the total amount you are willing to spend. This is often referred to as a “not to exceed” amount or “spending cap.” Each contractor’s policy will differ, and some may allow you to select the number you are comfortable with.

Based on our history of performing this essential work each winter, most standard residential snow and ice removals typically fall between 4-8 total hours. If we use 6 hours as an average work order, this would mean the final bill would be between $900 to $1,080 for six hours of labor, plus the trip charge, depending on the hourly rate.

For homeowners who are being proactive and are not in need of emergency dispatching, a contractor should be able to come out, inspect the snow load and ice on the roof, and provide a reasonable estimate or quote for the work.

The variables affecting the cost of proactive removal include: the quantity of snow and ice on the roof, the total area that needs clearing, and the pitch/steepness of the roof. A flat roof will generally be less expensive to clear than a two-story steep-pitched roof. Given the wide array of variables, the pricing can be quite broad. If you estimate it would take a two-person team half a day (4 hours) to remove the snow and ice, it would be reasonable to expect your investment to be between $1,100 to $1,500.

The most important recommendation we have to anyone dealing with a built-up snow load or ice dams is, DO NOT attempt to do it yourself. Getting on a ladder or a rooftop is inherently dangerous even when the surfaces are dry. Once you introduce snow and ice to the mix, the situation becomes incredibly hazardous. We strongly recommend hiring a licensed contractor experienced with rooftop snow and ice removal. They will have the correct safety equipment, insurance, and training in place to ensure the job is done effectively and everyone goes home safely.

We are proud to offer professional emergency snow and ice removal services to our clients, 7 days a week, because we understand that snow emergencies don’t stick to a 9-to-5 schedule. If you are experiencing a dangerous build-up of heavy snow, or worse, damaging ice dams, give our team of experts a call. We will dispatch our service team to you right away and get the problem area cleared safely and quickly. Upon completion, you will receive clear invoicing and photos showing all hours worked and all work performed. To schedule your rooftop snow and ice removal, call us now at 586-566-0308. We answer our phones 24/7 to ensure you have the right team solving your problems when you need it most.

I hope this helped clarify what to expect to pay for professional roof snow and ice removal, and as always, I hope you have a Kanga-rific day!

Sincerely,

Bill Burkhardt, Jr

VP of Marketing – Four Seasons Kanga Roof