We’ve been spoiled the past few winter seasons. The first months of the 2025/26 winter have been a reminder of two particular issues Minnesota HOAs have to navigate – ice dams and snow removal.

Ice Dams

The up and down temperatures, paired with the couple of significant snow events early this season, have been the recipe for ice dam formation. Ice dams are particularly tricky for Associations because the line between Homeowner vs Association responsibility can become rather blurred.

First it is important to understand how and why ice dams form. In short, they form when snow melts on the roof and then re-freezes over the eave—typically over the soffit area. The ice “dam” then prohibits further melting snow to drain properly off the roof, which can sometimes, unfortunately, cause leaking water into the home.

There are many factors as to why ice dams form. The inevitable freeze/thaw cycle; excess snow pack; clogged gutters or frozen downspouts; – but the primary culprit is excessive heat loss from the unit and/or a lack of ventilation. Which is why, many times and depending on your Governing Documents, ice dams and the leakage they can cause is not necessarily the Association’s responsibility. They are not caused by roofing deficiencies. They are caused by insulation and ventilation deficiencies INSIDE of the home.

It is important to understand how your Association’s Governing Documents define “unit boundaries.” Does the boundary of the unit include “unfinished surfaces” or “no upper or lower boundaries?” If so, this could imply that the attic space (or the space between the roof deck and the ceiling) and insulation inside of it would be a homeowner responsibility, therefore the heat loss causing the ice dam is the homeowner’s deal.

Once there is an understanding of who is responsible for what, it is very helpful for an Association to review their ice dam situation and have a policy in place for how they are to be addressed.

Snow Removal

It’s difficult to navigate expectations on snow removal efforts in HOAs. It’s important to start with the statement snow contracts are all unique. “Specs” are all different, terms can vary, and pricing is always subjective to a number of variables. There are, however, a few common themes:

• “Trigger Depth” – most contracts will state an accumulation total that must be met before snow plowing/shoveling commence. This can be anywhere from a trace up to multiple inches. For most associations it is somewhere between 1”-2.” This is one of the biggest variables in the pricing of your snow contract.
• Accumulations – One interesting detail is in the definition of “trigger depth.” Does it state the service will commence when the trigger depth has been met for a single snow event/storm? Or is it vague to say whenever accumulations might reach that depth? The former is the norm, but there is a significant difference. An interesting statistic – nearly 70% of snow fall “events” / precipitation are 1” or less. Under most contracts, snow service would not commence and can result in some pretty nasty snow-packed roads. Most contracts are “by event,” but it is an important distinction.
• Timing – The second most important component of your contracts specs is the time in which snow service has to be completed. For most contracts “final cleanup” is somewhere between 6-24 hours – and usually is broken down by the snow accumulation totals. More snow, more time. An important distinction – under most contracts – is that the final cleanup is to be completed AFTER the snow has stopped. This is important to know – and to inform residents as they are complaining “when are they going to be here?”
• “Open Ups” – most contracts provide for an open up during snowfalls that exceed a particular total. 4” – 6” seems to be the norm. This is to allow vehicle ingress/egress. Typical language states that an open up will occur prior to __ AM and/or after ___ PM.
• Ice Management – being most snow falls don’t reach plow trigger, and the duration in which the contractor has to complete snow removal if it does, HOAs roads often have “compact snow” and therefore ice build up. Often times contracts don’t include “de-icing” materials and efforts. Sand/salt treatments are tough to navigate and budget for. Send them out to throw down some salt – sure it melts, but then it just refreezes overnight. One common complaint by homeowners is that public streets are in better shape than the private roads. The answer is quite simple. Municipalities/counties/states spend a great deal of money to chemically pre-treat public roadways. Most HOAs do not. It’s an important distinction when the comparison arguments arise.