Ice Dam Help in Salt Lake City

Tom Hanks, owner, 24/7 Express Handyman Service · Updated September 2026

24/7 Express Handyman Service answers ice-dam calls in Salt Lake City. 32°F is the line that matters for an ice dam, per the University of Minnesota Extension: part of the roof's surface has to stay above freezing while another part stays below it, and heat escaping into the attic is usually what keeps the upper roof that warm. (Dealing with and preventing ice dams — University of Minnesota Extension) 4,225 feet is the elevation of the National Weather Service's official climate station at Salt Lake City International Airport, whose 1991-2020 climate normals record a January average low temperature of 24.2 degrees Fahrenheit and 12.7 inches of average January snowfall, with at least an inch of new snow falling on about 7.6 days in a typical January. (NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Monthly) — Salt Lake City Intl AP, UT)

Do this now

Use a roof rake from the ground to pull snow off the lowest few feet of roof — that's the load feeding the dam.
Never chip at the ice dam itself with a shovel or axe; that tears shingles loose and makes the leak worse.
Put a bucket or towels under any active drip inside and move anything the water would ruin.

Call now

East Bench & Downtown Salt Lake City

(801) 999-0827 Text photos

Answered 24/7 by Tom or his dispatcher.

24/7 Express Handyman Service confirms the address, the zone rate and the dispatch fee before rolling.

An ice dam built up along the eave of a slate roof — Photo: Dmcroof, CC BY-SA 3.0

What 24/7 Express Handyman Service does on site

Clear snow load from the eaves with a roof rake to stop feeding the dam.
Contain and extract any water that has already made it inside.
Tarp or board an opening if shingles have already lifted.

What to have ready when you call

Whether water is actively dripping inside, or just visible on the roof
How long the ice has been built up
Whether the attic has visible frost or wet insulation
The address and access details

What happens next

The dispatcher confirms the address, the zone rate and the dispatch fee, then Tom rolls.
On arrival Tom clears the load feeding the dam and contains any water that already got in.
Photograph the damage before anything is moved and keep every receipt; 24/7 Express Handyman Service provides an itemised invoice your insurer may ask for. The dispatch fee and job cost are paid by you on the day.

In Salt Lake City

Salt Lake City has an estimated 30,000 brick homes built before 1970 that the city classifies as unreinforced masonry construction, and its Fix the Bricks program provides financial assistance to retrofit these older homes against earthquake damage. (Salt Lake City's Fix the Bricks Program — SLC.gov Blog) A pilot 2016 grant of over $700,000 funded the retrofit of 29 Salt Lake City homes, while a 2019 grant of more than $5 million aims to retrofit another 200 homes. (Fix The Bricks! Fortifying Salt Lake City, Utah — FEMA Case Study)

Calls come from around University of Utah, Foothill Drive, Research Park, the benches, up by the U.

Questions people ask

Why do ice dams show up in Salt Lake City specifically?

An ice dam needs snow sitting on the roof, a roof warm enough underneath to melt it, and a cold eave to refreeze it on — exactly the swing between a heated attic and a below-freezing overnight low that the service area sees most winters.

More questions about ice dam causing a leak

Sources

Dealing with and preventing ice dams — University of Minnesota Extension — retrieved 2026-09-22
NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Monthly) — Salt Lake City Intl AP, UT — retrieved 2026-09-19
Salt Lake City's Fix the Bricks Program — SLC.gov Blog — retrieved 2026-09-19
Fix The Bricks! Fortifying Salt Lake City, Utah — FEMA Case Study — retrieved 2026-09-19

All sources