Tool · Free
Ice dam risk score
for your home.
Ice dams form when three things stack up: warm attic, clogged gutters, low roof pitch. Answer four questions and we’ll score your risk — and tell you which fix actually moves the needle in the Sioux Falls climate.
Tell us about your home
Risk score
Moderate risk
One or two factors are working against you. Address the worst before next freeze.
The honest version
What we tell every homeowner.
Heat cable manages the symptom — keeps water moving off the eave so ice doesn’t back up under shingles. But heat cable doesn’t fix the cause (warm air leaking into the attic).
Most chronic-ice-dam homes need three things: clean gutters, working soffit ventilation, and proper attic insulation. We can do the first two. Insulation is a roofer or insulation contractor — we’ll tell you who’s good if you ask.
Three causes, ranked
1) Warm attic (50%), 2) Choked ventilation (30%), 3) Clogged gutters (20%). The ranking surprises people — but it's what physics says.
Heat cable doesn't fix the root
It manages flow. Use it on chronic problem rooflines while you plan the real fix.
Sioux Falls specifics
We average 38" of snow and 54 freeze-thaw days a year. Roofs that work in Phoenix don't work here.