Project Story: Snow Guards Fabricated for Lake Tahoe Metal Roofs

When the first big storms hit the Tahoe basin, snow on a slick metal roof does not melt in place. It releases all at once, and a rooftop's worth of consolidated snow coming off an eave can crush decks, rip off gutters, and bury walkways. That is why a contractor working on homes around Lake Tahoe had us fabricate a run of custom snow guards before the season turned.

Why Custom Instead of Catalog

Catalog snow guards are built for common panel profiles and common colors. These roofs needed guards that fit the specific panel profile and matched the roof finish, so the guards hold snow where it belongs without looking like bolted-on hardware. We fabricated them from steel with a paint finish matched to the roofing, in a bracket style sized to the panel rib spacing.

Layout Matters as Much as the Part

Snow guards only work when they are laid out for the roof's snow load, pitch, and eave conditions. Around Lake Tahoe and Truckee, design snow loads run far beyond what most catalog layout guides assume, so the contractor planned tighter row spacing near the eaves and above entries and walkways. We fabricated enough guards for that layout plus attic stock for future service.

Batch Consistency

The full run came off our brake and welding bench as identical pieces, checked against the first article so every guard fits the panel the same way. On a job where crews are installing hundreds of parts on a roof in cold weather, consistency is the difference between a smooth install and a slow one.

If you manage or build homes in Tahoe, Truckee, or the Sierra foothills and your metal roof sheds onto places people walk, talk to us before the snow flies. Start at our custom metal fabrication page, or read our guide to snow guards on metal roofs.