Ice dams

Originally Posted by cosmo20002

Yeah, I don't know if they did. They didn't ask me, I know that.
Got a whole new roof after the hailstorms last year. Insurance paid for the roof + the upgrade to the 50 year material. Guess I'll check the invoice.

Bottom line I guess is that if there is damage to the inside walls or behind the siding, can it be argued that the roofing installers did a shitty job? If it's not their fault, I'm not looking to blame them, I just don't know if any damage (not the dam itself, but any damage from it getting up and under the roof) can be blamed on something not being installed correctly.

Funny I never had a problem before with my aging wood shingle roof. Now I have the new expensive one, and bam. The amount of snow + length of the cold spell is worse than most years though.

You didn't have a problem because shake roofs breath a lot better than asphalt. Roofers are not responsible for anything except for placing enough vents up top to meet code (one vent for every 150 sqft attic space). They're not responsible for installing ice & water shield unless local code requires it or you pay for the upgrade. Even if you wanted to be a dick, you couldn't pin it on them. It's simply not their fault.