Give the meltwater somewhere to go.

What’s included

• Self-regulating cable, not constant-wattage
• Zigzag pattern along problem eaves
• Runs through valleys where they meet the eave
• Cable down the gutter and through the downspout
• Clip mounting — no nail holes through the roof
• Coordination with a licensed electrician for the circuit
• Thermostat or controller so it is not running in April
• Walkthrough of what it does and does not do

How we do it

1. Look at where the ice actually formsWe walk the roof and the ground and ask what happened last winter. Cable everywhere is wasted money — cable on the two eaves and one valley that dam every year is the job.
2. Lay out the runZigzag along the eave so the heated band covers the overhang and reaches back past the exterior wall line, then continue into the gutter and all the way down the downspout. A heated eave draining into a frozen gutter accomplishes nothing.
3. Mount without perforating the roofClips attach to the shingle edge and gutter rather than nailing through the roof surface. Every hole in a roof is a future leak, so we do not make any.
4. Power it properly and hand it overCable needs a dedicated GFCI-protected circuit — that part is a licensed electrician’s work, and we coordinate it rather than pretend otherwise. Then we show you the controller and when to use it.

Where heat tape is the right call — and where it is not

We would rather be straight with you than sell cable to everyone who asks.

Heat tape does not fix the cause of ice dams. Dams form because heat leaking into the attic melts snow from underneath, and that meltwater refreezes when it reaches the cold eave. Cable does not stop that. What it does is keep an open drainage channel so the water gets off the roof instead of pooling behind a ridge of ice and backing up under the shingles.

It is the right call when: you have a vaulted ceiling or cathedral roof with no accessible attic to insulate; the same two or three eaves dam every single winter; ice falls onto an entry, walkway or driveway where somebody could get hit; you have a low-slope section or a north-facing valley that never sees sun; or the insulation and air-sealing work is on the list but is not happening this fall.

It is not the right first move when you have an accessible attic and the real problem is six inches of settled insulation, a bath fan venting into the attic, or an unsealed attic hatch. Fixing that is more effective and costs less to run. We will say so if that is what we see.

What drives the price

We quote every property individually rather than publishing a flat rate, because these six things change the number more than anything else. Nothing on your invoice will differ from the written quote.

• Linear feet of cableThe main driver. Eave length, plus the zigzag multiplier, plus gutter and downspout runs.
• Cable typeSelf-regulating costs more up front than constant-wattage and lasts roughly five times as long. We install self-regulating.
• Roof height & pitchTwo-story eaves and steep pitches take longer and need fall protection.
• Valleys & dormersEach valley or dormer that needs covering adds cable and layout time.
• Electrical workA dedicated GFCI circuit near the run. Priced by the electrician, not by us.
• ControllerA thermostat or moisture-sensing controller adds cost up front and cuts what the system costs to run.

Common questions