Ice Dam Removal
in Chicagoland:
Free Photo Check

Ice Dam Removal Near You

Ice dam removal is a winter service from C&N Construction, a roofing contractor based in Hillside with crews working DuPage, Cook, Will, Kane, Lake and Kendall counties. If a dam is sitting on your roof edge, you don't have to figure out the ladder, the ice and the shingles yourself.

The removal is the first half. The second half is checking what the ice did, because water that backed up under shingles can leave damage you won't see until later. Our ice dam prevention guide covers why they form and how to stop the next one.

How a Removal Visit Works

1. Photo check or a call. Send a photo from the ground through the Roof Photo Check, or call (708) 847-5095. We look at the eave, the icicles and any ceiling stain, and say what the photo seems to show.

2. Someone comes out to look. A crew can be out as soon as tomorrow in most cases. They check the roof edge, the gutters and how much ice is there before anything comes off.

3. Removal. The ice comes off safely, without damaging your shingles. No chipping, no hammers and no salt on the roof.

4. Inspection once the ice is gone. With the dam off, we inspect the shingles and underlayment at the eave, the ice barrier, the gutters and the fascia.

5. Photos for the record. You get dated photos of what we found. They're yours to keep for your records or for your carrier.

Safe Removal Versus Dangerous Shortcuts

Most injuries and roof damage come from do-it-yourself removal, not from the dam. A few things to leave alone, and who says so.

Chipping, picking and scraping. Massachusetts state guidance says not to get on your roof or chip away at the ice from the ground, because both are dangerous and could damage the roof. A Michigan township handout says chipping or scraping the shingles will likely lead to shingle damage. NRCA adds that shovels, axes and picks may damage roofing materials.

Salt and ice melt on the shingles. NRCA says some ice melt chemicals may be incompatible with roofing materials and cause damage. The Muskegon Township handout says salt and calcium chloride are very corrosive and can shorten the life of metal gutters, downspouts and flashings. We don't use salt on roofs, and we'd rather you didn't either. That includes salt pucks tossed up onto the eave.

Roof rakes on a bonded dam. A rake pulls snow off the lower roof from the ground and can keep a dam from growing. University of Minnesota Extension notes it may damage the roofing materials, and NRCA says to leave some snow in place and use caution because sliding snow can injure a person below. A rake isn't for breaking up ice already stuck to shingles. If your shingles are old or curling, skip it.

Climbing. Don't climb onto an icy roof or lean a ladder on ice-loaded gutters. Stay on the ground and let a crew work at height.

If Water Is Coming In Tonight

The roof can wait until morning. The inside of the house can't. Here's what helps in the next few hours.

Catch the water. Put a bucket or a tub under the drip. Lay towels or a tarp on the floor under it.

Move what you can. Pull furniture, rugs and valuables out of the way. Stay out from under a ceiling that's bulging or sagging.

Take photos for the record. Photograph the stain or drip, the bucket, any damaged belongings and the eave from the ground. Date-stamped photos help whether you're talking to us or to your carrier.

Keep your receipts. The Illinois Department of Insurance says to take reasonable steps to protect the property from further damage and to keep receipts and photos. It also advises reporting a water claim to your insurer promptly even when you're unsure the policy covers it, and not making large permanent repairs until the insurer has inspected (Illinois Department of Insurance, checked October 22, 2026).

Then call. Reach us at (708) 847-5095 or send a photo. If water is actively coming in, see emergency roof repair too.

Snap the Eave From the Ground

The fastest way to start is a photo. Stand a few steps back from the house on the ground and photograph the eave line, the gutter and any icicles. Inside, photograph any ceiling stain or wet patch on an upper wall.

The Roof Photo Check has a "Winter signs" group for a thick ridge of ice along the eave, heavy icicles, a ceiling water stain and a gutter pulling from the fascia. It says what your photo seems to show and nothing about cause or what your policy pays. The photo stays on your device unless you choose to upload it.

After the Thaw: The Roof Check

Once the ice is gone, the roof deserves a look. Water that sat behind a dam can get under shingle laps and into the underlayment and deck. A roof and damage inspection after removal covers the shingles at the eave, the self-adhered ice barrier under them, the gutters, the fascia and the soffit, and, where it's reachable, the attic side of the roof deck for stains, frost or damp insulation.

If the dam has been there a while, or a ceiling has already stained, book the inspection even when the ice is off and the roof looks fine from the yard. The gutter side matters too, so our gutter storm damage guide shows what a pulled or bent gutter looks like.

Insurance, Plainly

Whether a policy pays for ice dam removal, for the water damage inside, or for roof repairs afterward is a policy question. One national carrier's consumer page says its dwelling coverage may help pay for water damage from an ice dam but that the policy likely won't pay for services to remove the dam, and that terms and limits apply (Allstate, checked October 22, 2026). Yours may read differently.

Check your policy and declarations page, and call your carrier or agent. Your policy sets its own deadline to report a loss. We're roofing contractors, not public adjusters. We inspect, photograph and document the roof, and we meet your adjuster if you want us there. We don't interpret your policy or negotiate your settlement. You file the claim and make the decisions.

Removing It Is Half the Job

A dam that forms once will form again if the heat is still leaking into the attic. The Department of Energy's Building America program lists the lasting fixes as air sealing the ceiling plane, insulating the attic and ventilating the roof. An ice barrier under the shingles at the eave is the backup layer. Several Chicagoland towns state an ice barrier rule in their codes, and we list each one with its source on the ice dam guide and in the roofing permit table.

Ice Dam Removal Across Chicagoland

Free photo checks and ice dam removal across DuPage, Cook, Will, Kane, Lake and Kendall counties. Pick your town for local storm history and recent work.

The Proof, Not the Pitch

15,000+

Roofs Completed

25,400+

Total Projects

621

Google Reviews

2015

Serving IL Since

Illinois roofing license #104.017643. GAF Master Elite (top 2% of contractors nationwide), Haag Certified Inspectors, BBB A+, OSHA certified crews. Work carries a 2-year limited lifetime workmanship warranty plus manufacturer-backed GAF system warranty options. Crews dispatch from the Hillside headquarters and work all of Chicagoland year round. See the work itself, our crews' own photos, on the recent work page.

One Case Study, With the Receipts

On a recent insurance-funded roof, the carrier's first estimate missed 292 linear feet of gutter work. Our documented supplement recovered it: a $2,928 line added to the carrier's own estimate, with photos attached. And when we didn't complete a $13.81 downspout item on another project, the final invoice showed a $13.81 credit. Itemized in both directions, every time. The actual documents are on our billing transparency page.

Chicago Storm Pros is a service of C&N Construction, Inc. (cnroofs.com). Reviews, project counts, certifications, and ratings shown here reflect C&N Construction's work.