Snow load & your roof

Vermont's ground snow loads are among the highest in the country — 60–100 psf across most of the Green Mountains, and higher on north-facing exposed sites above 2,000 feet. That number drives the entire roof structure.

New builds and additions need to reference the town's adopted ground snow load and use the ASCE 7 conversions for the actual roof geometry. A steep 12/12 sheds snow readily; a low-slope shed roof holds it and needs beefier framing.

Signs your roof is overloaded: interior door frames that suddenly bind, cracking sounds during a warm-up, sagging ridgelines, or new cracks in drywall along interior bearing walls. Any of those in February means get off the roof and get someone up there safely with a rake or a licensed roofer.

Ice dams are a symptom, not the disease. The real fix is attic air-sealing and insulation to R-60 so the roof deck stays cold, plus continuous soffit-and-ridge ventilation. Heat cables are a band-aid, not a solution.

Metal roofs shed snow well but can dump it in dangerous sheets over walkways and doors — plan snow guards over any entry, deck, or driveway from day one.