Elevation, Aspect and Ice: The Fremont County Pattern
Altitude makes the sun stronger and the air colder at the same time. A roof in Lander can be producing meltwater on its south face at midday while the thermometer reads well below freezing.
Volume is the other factor. A Fremont County roof carrying several feet of pack has an enormous reservoir above an overhang that never sees direct sun, and the supply does not run out until spring.
Ice-barrier practice in Fremont County
Design snow loads up here are among the highest in the country, and the membrane and retention details that come with them are not paperwork. On an older Lander cabin neither is likely to be present.
How We Work a Lander Ice Dam
The first pass is assessment: eaves, valleys, gutter line and any interior staining, all photographed with timestamps. You see what the crew sees, and the rate and likely hours are agreed before work begins.
Steam then takes the dam off in sections, prioritizing wherever water is actively backing up behind it. The gutter trough and downspout are cleared through to daylight on the same visit, because a clear eave over a frozen gutter is a temporary fix.
What steam actually does
A steam unit delivers water at roughly 290°F at a pressure low enough to rest your hand in the plume. It cuts a channel straight through the ice and lifts the dam off in sections, right down to the shingle. The heat does the work, not force, so granules, seal strips and flashing come through untouched.
That is the whole difference between steam and the hot pressure washers often sold as steam. A pressure washer cuts ice fast because of its pressure — and that same pressure strips the granules off asphalt shingles and drives water up under the courses. One method removes ice. The other removes ice and roof.
Steep, high and awkward Lander roofs
Pitch and height change the job more than ice thickness does. A walkable ranch eave is a ladder and a lance. A three-story roof with a steep pitch means anchors, rope, staging and two people where one would otherwise do.
Crews quote on that honestly. If a property in Lander needs a longer setup, it is said on the phone rather than discovered at the end of the invoice.
Why a drainage channel is not removal
Cutting a few channels through a dam so water can get past is quick and it is sometimes sold as ice dam removal. It drains the roof for as long as the channels stay open, which in a Lander cold snap can be a single night before they close again.
Removing the dam means taking the ice off down to the shingle along the whole affected run, so the eave can drain the way it was built to. It takes longer and it is the only version that holds.
| Documentation | Dated before and after photos, written scope in Xactimate line items |
|---|---|
| Dispatch window | 24 to 48 hours in mountain terrain |
| Service | Ice dam removal in Lander, WY |
| Primary climate stressor | Solar melt on deep pack, shaded eaves |
| Typical scope | Steam, 8-16 crew hours typical |
| Pricing model | Billed by the crew hour, rate quoted before dispatch |
| Coverage area | Lander and Fremont County |
Lander Coverage and the Adjoining Communities
Crews working Lander cover the adjoining communities on the same route — Hudson and Fort Washakie — so a storm week usually means one truck handling several addresses in Fremont County rather than separate trips.
Nearest hub towns with their own crew pages: Riverton, Rock Springs, Green River, Jackson, Cody, Teton Village.
During a cold snap Lander gets worked alongside the neighboring Fremont County towns on the same route, with active interior leaks moved to the front of the list.
Water through a ceiling in Lander is a same-day call, not a next-week one. (888) 561-9664 goes straight to dispatch.
