Anchorage engineers offer homeowners new guidance on roof snow removal – Alaska's News Source

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – The Municipality of Anchorage has issued new guidance for homeowners when it comes to residential structures saying it’s better to remove the snow from your roof if you are able.
Acting Building Official Ross Noffsinger said there have been no reports of significant structural failures in residential buildings this season, but the possibility grows as snow loads increase.
“Our advice at this point is to consider or start planning to remove some snow from your roof,” Noffsinger said.
It’s a bit of a switch from earlier guidance when city officials said most homeowners didn’t have to worry. Noffsinger said record snow early in the season has had city engineers debating what message they want to send to homeowners.
“Because it’s dangerous and costly to remove the snow,” Noffsinger said. “So when do we cross that threshold where the benefits outweigh the costs? And we kind of think we are at that point.”
Professional roofers say it generally runs between $500 and $1,200 to shovel a residential roof. And some of the companies are backed up for weeks. Noffsinger said homeowners who are trying to decide whether to shovel their roofs should know that older homes may be more susceptible to roof failure than others.
“The newer construction, like say 1990 until now, you know, we are pretty confident that those homes can support 40 pounds per square foot of snow on them,” he said. “But then you start getting back into this older construction that may or may not be compromised from decades of supporting heavy loads. You know, we aren’t so confident.”
In addition to the age of the home, there are other ways to assess the threat of a potential roof collapse. The municipality’s new guidance provides examples of evidence that a roof may be in distress and warrants immediate snow removal: visibly sagging roofs, strange noises such as creaking, popping or cracking coming from the roof or attic area, windows and doors that are sticking which used to slide freely and excessive ice damming.
Noffsinger said ultimately, it’s up to individual homeowners to decide what to do, there is no one right answer for everyone, but added, “if you have the capability or the means to remove the snow it’s probably a good idea to do it.”
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