Do I Need to Shovel Snow Off a Metal Roof?

If your steel building was engineered for your site's snow load, you shouldn't need to shovel it in a normal winter. Exceptions: extreme storms, rain on wet snow, deep drifts, or an unknown design load.

Key takeaways

• Engineered buildings carry their design snow load without help.
• Wet, rain-soaked snow and drifts weigh far more than fresh powder.
• Warning signs: sagging roof framing, doors that stick, creaking, cracks or bends at connections.
• Snow retention keeps slides off doors and walkways, and also keeps snow on the roof longer.
• Remove snow from the ground with a roof rake; never climb onto a snowy metal roof.

What is my roof designed for?

Your engineered drawings list the snow load the building was designed to carry. See what snow load does my building need? Higher, snowier sites are designed to heavier loads, and the price reflects it; lower, drier sites are designed to lighter loads because the snow is lighter. Either way, a building engineered for its site carries a design-level winter. If you don't know your building's design load, as with a used building or an older structure without paperwork, treat it conservatively until an engineer can tell you.

Why does wet snow matter more than deep snow?

Snow weight is about water, not depth. A foot of dry powder weighs a fraction of a foot of wet spring snow, and snow that's been rained on or has melted and refrozen weighs more still. The dangerous scenario in southern Colorado is a heavy, wet spring storm, especially on top of existing snow that hasn't slid. Depth alone tells you little.

Where do drifts build up?

Snow load isn't uniform. Wind piles snow against taller adjacent walls, on the lee side of the ridge, and where a lean-to roof meets the main building. Engineers design for these drift loads, but they're where trouble starts on buildings that were under-designed. Watch the deep spots, not the average.

What warning signs should I watch for?

Act if you see:

• Visible sag in the roof line or roof framing
• Overhead or walk doors that suddenly stick or won't latch, a sign the frame is deflecting
• Creaking, popping or cracking sounds
• Bent, twisted or cracked framing at connections or where the roof meets the walls
• Interior liner panels buckling

If any of these appear under a heavy load, get people and animals out and call for professional snow removal and an inspection.

Where does the snow go when it slides?

Metal roofs shed snow in sheets, often all at once when the sun hits them. That's good for the roof and dangerous for whatever is below the eave: doors, walkways, vehicles, propane tanks, lean-to roofs, fences. Design around it by keeping doors and paths off the drop line, and where you can't, use snow retention to hold snow on the roof and let it melt in place. Retention keeps snow on the roof longer, so it belongs on a roof engineered to carry it. A vertical-roof style, with panels running from ridge to eave, also sheds snow more readily than horizontal panels. See how to prepare your site for layout.

How do I remove snow safely if I have to?

• From the ground with a roof rake on lower eaves, pulling snow down in strips. Don't scrape to the panel; leave a thin layer to protect the finish.
• Never walk a snowy metal roof. If a roof genuinely needs clearing, hire a crew with fall protection and experience on metal.
• Remove evenly. Clearing one side of a gable and not the other creates an unbalanced load the roof wasn't designed for.
• Keep vents clear. Buried vents stop ventilating.

What are the real winter jobs?

Snow management on a steel building is mostly on the ground: keep plowed and slid snow from banking against walls and doors, keep vents clear, watch the drift spots, and clear the slide zone before snow lands on something. See the full maintenance checklist.

How does Rocky Mountain Metal plan for snow?

Rocky Mountain Metal sells steel-framed metal buildings only, and every building we order from 1st Choice Metal Buildings and Carports is engineered to the snow and wind loads for its site, with the design on the drawings you keep. So the answer to "do I need to shovel it" is on paper. We plan roof style, door placement and snow-slide zones with you during the site visit, the manufacturer's crew from Texas installs the building, and we oversee the project. See are metal buildings good in heavy snow?, our service area, and request a free quote.

Frequently asked questions

How much snow can a metal roof hold?

Whatever it was engineered for, which varies a lot by location. Check the design load on your drawings; don't guess from the depth.

Does a steeper roof mean I never have to worry?

Steeper roofs shed more readily, but engineering, not pitch, carries the load. Wet snow can stick to any roof.

Should I add snow guards?

Where slides threaten doors, walkways, lower roofs or equipment, yes. Make sure the roof is designed to hold the snow they retain.

Can heat tape help?

Heat cable helps with ice dams at the eaves of heated buildings; it doesn't meaningfully reduce roof load. A well-insulated, ventilated roof prevents ice dams better.