By Rocky Mountain Snow Guards.

The team at Rocky Mountain Snow Guards ensures that their customers get the customer service and product advice that they need to succeed.

Combined, the team at Rocky Mountain Snow Guards has decades of experience dealing with snow retention systems. They fully grasp the nuances of snow guards, snow fences and snow bars because those are the only products they work with every single day.

“We understand the engineering and art required to keep snow on the roof,” says Lars Walberg, President of Rocky Mountain Snow Guards. According to him, it all starts there. With that knowledge of how snow retention works.

“We are one of the few, if not the only, manufacturer and distributor that is solely focused on snow retention along with project specific layouts without a standardized approach,” says Dylan Quirk, who serves on the design engineering team. His responsibility is to take anything sent to him — from aerial diagrams to blueprints to scratched out roof plans on an envelope —and create a working snow retention plan.

Dylan is just one of the team members dedicated to excellence at the company based in Englewood, Colorado. Ariel Preuitt, team management/partner, sums up why roofing contractors should select Rocky Mountain Snow Guards over other companies for their snow retention needs this way: “We believe in doing things right. Not quick, not cheaper and not to ‘just get a sale.’ At Rocky Mountain Snow Guards, we review the project details and make the right recommendation. Our products are durable and permanent. Caring in this business is just as important as our product knowledge. Our team goes above and beyond to help customers and sometimes that means recommending a competitor’s product.”

Live support

To the people at Rocky Mountain Snow Guards, it’s important that every customer is treated personably and with respect. “You can actually speak to a live and knowledgeable associate for questions or concerns,” says LeeAnn Parliman, inside sales representative.

Echoing her thoughts is Toni Koons, digital content and AR coordinator, “You still get a live and knowledgeable person if you call during business hours … you’re not stuck in a lengthy hold queue or automatically routed to someone’s voicemail. We have multiple, time-tested snow retention options for all types of roofing materials, and we’re ready to assist people with any project.”

A reason to come back

When it comes right down to it, Nathan Hoza, financial-accounting/partner for Rocky Mountain Snow Guards has perhaps the most sensible reason for why roofing contractors should select his company for their needs. “We offer the best products and solutions that work,” says Nathan. “Our amazing team will work to get you what you need to get the job done right the first time. The only reason you need to come back is for your next job.”

Learn more about Rocky Mountain Snow Guards Inc. in their Coffee Shop Directory or visit www.rockymountainsnowguards.com.

By The Coffee Shops® and S-5!

How a nonpenetrating, color-matched snow retention system addresses heavy snowfall, steep slopes and complex roof geometry.

At more than 8,700 feet in Mountain Village, Colorado, the Yellow Brick Road home faces demanding winters and annual snowfall of approximately 150 to 250 inches. After 30 years of exposure, the owners replaced the luxury log home’s aging cedar shake shingles with a durable, wildfire-resistant standing-seam steel roof.

White Castle Roofing and Contracting installed the 24-gauge metal roof along with the

S-5!® ColorGard® 2.0 next-generation snow retention system. The solution was designed to help manage accumulated snow and ice while protecting entrances, walkways, landscaping and other vulnerable areas below.

The installation presented significant logistical challenges. The 4,000-square-foot home sits at the end of a wooded cul-de-sac, with a steep driveway and limited space for staging materials, placing equipment and removing debris. The roof itself measures 4,451 square feet, with pitches ranging from 3:12 to 24:12, with more than 16 valley sections, a large natural-stone chimney and a peak nearly 40 feet above grade.

Following winter site visits and consultations with the homeowner, the contractor developed a job-specific snow retention layout for the roof’s complex geometry. ColorGard 2.0 attaches directly to the standing seams with S-5-U™ Clamps, eliminating roof penetrations and helping preserve the system’s weathertight integrity. Its internal splice also reduced the need for in-field cutting, simplifying installation on steep and complex roof sections.

A ColorStrip™ coordinated with the medium-bronze roof panels, allowing the finished system to complement the home’s mountain architecture.

The exceptional work performed by the White Castle team earned them the recognition of Outstanding Residential S-5! ColorGard® 2.0 Project in the 2026 “Show Us Our Roof Guards” contest co-sponsored by S-5! and Rocky Mountain Snow Guards.

“The snow retention system needed to perform in an area that receives significant annual snowfall, but it also had to complement the architecture of a luxury mountain home,” said Jake Hansen, chief operating officer of White Castle Roofing and Contracting. “ColorGard® 2.0 delivered on both fronts.”

Read the full case study to learn more about how ColorGard 2.0 provided engineered snow management for the Yellow Brick Road mountain home.

By Rocky Mountain Snow Guards.

Why these Coloradans contractors keep choosing Rocky Mountain Snow Guards for their challenging projects.

In the mountains of Colorado, fear of wildfire spread is of such high concern that many homeowners and commercial property owners are replacing their roofs with fire-rated composite materials. For DCPS, a one-stop provider for commercial property services, this has meant a variety of challenging projects in recent years. These have resulted in beautiful new roofing assemblies for the owners, complete with extensive snow retention systems.

McCoy Peak Lodge

At an elevation of 8,100 feet, Beaver Creek, Colorado gets between 235 and 325 inches of snow each year. The stunning seven-story McCoy Peak Lodge multi-unit condo building is a ski-in/ski-out resort made to take advantage of snow season. Unfortunately, the old copper metal shingles and concrete tiles overhead were not protecting the structure from the potential of fire.

To upgrade both the appearance of the lodge and its fire rating, the owners decided to switch to a DaVinci Multi-Width Slate roof. The DCPS team was brought in to work on the 10/12 pitch roof project for a seven-month period.

“Because of the slippery nature of composite roofs like DaVinci, we knew a solid snow retention system would be needed for the lodge,” says Charles Hall, roofing division manager with DCPS. “There’s no one better than Rocky Mountain Snow Guards to handle challenges like this. We went to them with the roofing layout and had them do a comprehensive plan."

He went on, “They recommended the Drift II fence-style snow fence product placement between some rows of the Everest Guard EG 16 Dark Bronze snow guards on long stretches of roof. Then we had long soldier rows of the EG 16s on other open roof spaces. We even added snow retention to the many dormer windows on this project. Together this is an effective snow retention system for the McCoy Peak Lodge.”

Arrowhead River Ranch

Six miles away, in Edwards, Colorado is Arrowhead River Ranch. Residents at the 20-home HOA community determined this year it was time to have the old, brittle wood shakes removed from their homes. They were influenced in their decision by insurance requirements to have higher fire rated materials on their roofs that meet Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) standards.

"We worked with this community to have synthetic slate from DaVinci® Roofscapes installed on all their homes,” says Charles. “This composite material is Class A fire rated, so it meets the insurance qualifications. However, composite materials are quite slick, since they do not absorb water. This means they especially need a reliable snow retention system to hold back accumulating snows from avalanching all at one time.”

For the Arrowhead River Ranch project, Everest Guard EG 10 Dark Bronze snow guards were selected for the roof system. Once again, the team at DCPS worked with the team at Rocky Mountain Snow Guards to gain the free takeoff on the roof to determine the placement of the snow guards.

“Our reputation for excellence makes organizations like Arrowhead River Ranch come to us for challenging projects like this,” says Charles. “Interestingly, it’s their reputation for excellence that has us returning again and again to Rocky Mountain Snow Guards for their snow retention services and products.”

By Rocky Mountain Snow Guards.

Aside from the beauty of the roof, both the synthetic roof and metal snow guards provide these homeowners with incredible peace-of-mind.

WUI concerns remain very strong in drought-driven areas of the country. One homeowner in Avon, Colorado, was so concerned about their old, worn-out cedar shakes that they recently proactively replaced their roof with Class A fire resistant DaVinci Roofscapes' Select Shake roofing tiles.

To help prevent avalanches of snow from sliding off their new slick composite roof, their roofer, Umbrella Roofing, recommended RG16 snow guards from Rocky Mountain Snow Guards. The durable metal snow guards are designed for installation on new and synthetic slate and shake roofs, and use three ring-shank nails per snow guard to secure them to the roof.

“This new roof is simply amazing,” according to Chad Evans, project manager with Umbrella Roofing. “First of all, there’s the aesthetics. The Mountain Blend of the DaVinci Select Shake is very authentic and looks like real cedar. Then there’s the Dark Bronze used for the RG16s that highlights the roof completely. Finally, cap that all off with the beautiful copper work done on this roof. It tops off the stone home so perfectly. The homeowners are just thrilled and believe it’s magazine-worthy!”

More than just a pretty face

Aside from the beauty of the roof, both the synthetic roof and metal snow guards provide the homeowners with incredible peace-of-mind. DaVinci Roofscapes tiles are made of virgin resins, UV and thermal stabilizers as well as a fire retardant.  Class A fire and Class 4 impact resistant roofing from DaVinci resists algae and mold growth, along with cracking and rotting. The lifetime limited material warranty gives an excellent return-on-investment to the homeowner.

“Once the roofing product was determined, we decided to use the RG16s in solider row patterns for the most success with snow retention,” says Chad. “Based on our past successes working with Rocky Mountain Snow Guards products, this pattern really works on roofs. We have confidence in these snow guards because they’re quality products that withstand this environment.”

Umbrella Roofing has been using snow retention products from Rocky Mountain Snow Guards for almost 20 years. The company is a past winner of the “Show Us Our Snow Guards Contest” and has also won the DaVinci Masterpiece Contractor Project of the Year Award.

By The Coffee Shops® and S-5!

How a standing-seam roof and nonpenetrating snow retention system helped restore a complex1940s-era building.

Renovating a historic structure requires contractors to balance modern performance with the building’s existing conditions. At the Curtice Street Project in Littleton, Colorado, the roofing team addressed deteriorated materials, irregular rooflines and heavy snowfall while creating a clean, uniform finished appearance.

Formerly home to Denver Machine and Tool Company, the 1940s-era brick building is being repositioned for future use. Its exterior renovation included new siding, a complete metal reroof and the S-5! ColorGard® 2.0 next-generation snow retention system.

Years of settling had left few truly straight walls or rooflines. The existing roof and decking were also severely deteriorated, requiring complete replacement. Across the 14,500-square-foot, 3:12-pitch roof, even small alignment differences could become highly visible.

On Point Contracting used custom panels to compensate for the building’s out-of-square conditions. The new roof features 24-gauge, 1.75-inch Drexel snap-lock standing-seam metal panels spaced 18 inches on center.

Colorado snowfall and vulnerable areas below also required an engineered snow retention solution. The team selected ColorGard 2.0 for its snow-load capacity, streamlined appearance and nonpenetrating attachment. A total of 188 S-5-S™ clamps and 188 VersaClip™ 2.0 components secured the system directly to the standing seams, helping preserve the roof’s weathertight integrity.

The system’s internal splice fits over the clams, reducing in-field cutting while supporting efficient installation across the roof’s transitions and complex sections. Color-matched components also helped the system blend into the restored exterior.

The On Point Contracting team’s demonstrated skill on this project earned them the winning spot int 2026 “Show Us Our Snow Guards” contest in the Commercial ColorGard® 2.0 category, sponsored by S-5! and Rocky Mountain Snow Guards.

“ColorGard 2.0 was exactly what we needed!” said Casey Towers, production manager at On Point Contracting. “Not only was the snow retention system reliably engineered for our needs, but it also perfectly complemented the look of the newly installed metal roof.”

Read the full case study to learn more about how ColorGard 2.0 helped the Curtice Street Project combine engineered snow retention with a clean, cohesive metal roof.

By Emma Peterson. 

Effective snow management helps prevent property damage, improve safety and protect building occupants, making it a critical element of cold-climate roof design. 

When we think of managing weather in relation to a roof, often what comes to mind is rainfall or high winds. But another crucial element that must be considered in roof design is snow. In this episode of Roofing Road Trips®, we explore how to design roofs for snowfall with Brian cross and Dylan Quirk of Rocky Mountain Snow Guards. 

Brian, who manages sales and operations at Rocky Mountain Snow Guards, kicked off by highlighting the leading snow management roof product – snow retention. He explained how this works:  

There are a couple of different systems that fall under the snow retention category, but they’re all focused on putting friction on a roof. The main goal of it is to maintain and stabilize the snowpack on the roof so that it doesn't slide off and damage property or harm people underneath the eaves.  

There are two main types of snow retention – guards and fences/bars. Brian explained the difference, “Snow guards are going to be individual pieces that go on in a specific pattern that are going to maintain the snow. As for snow fences and snow bars, they're essentially barriers that'll go across the eave to hold the snowpack stable.” 

And even though they create that friction and stabilization in different ways, the key to success with both of these types of snow retention is proper design. As Dylan, who works on Rocky Mountain’s design and estimating team, described:  

When you’re working with snow retention, there are a lot of factors at play. Some of the major ones are going to be roofing material, roof pitch and geographical area (which helps us determine the snow loads). If you don’t account for all these different variables and just throw something up on the roof with no design, you can’t be sure that it will actually retain snow safely. 

The need for managing all these variables is why Rocky Mountain created a free, customized snow retention layout and design service to aid contractors installing these crucial systems. 

Learn more about snow retention and other services by Listening to the whole episode, Watching the recording or visiting www.rockymountainsnowguards.com.

By Rocky Mountain Snow Guards.

DuraShield Roofing & Contracting installs No-Flash II Snow Fence System on custom roof

Anthony Walsh, president of DuraShield Roofing & Contracting, is accustomed to incorporating snow guards into his Wisconsin roofing projects. Especially those replacements jobs using slick surface products, like synthetic slate or shake from DaVinci® Roofscapes.

“DaVinci products bring realistic-looking beauty to a roof, but composites are slippery materials when wet, and they release snow quickly,” says Anthony whose company is headquartered in Neenah, Wisconsin. “For the safety of our customers, we use Rocky Mountain Snow Guards with these synthetic roof projects.”

First-time snow fence installation

However, for a recent re-roof project in Madison, Walsh’s customer had a different idea. She requested more snow retention protection than just strategically spaced snow guards… she wanted snow fences placed around the perimeter of her entire home. And she specifically requested two levels of snow fences above her three-car garage.

“This was our first time working with snow fences,” says Anthony. “We immediately turned to the experts at Rocky Mountain Snow Guards for support. They reviewed the roof measurements and diagrams. Then their team provided a free layout, along with installation instructions for their No-Flash II snow retention system.”

The aluminum 2-pipe No-Flash II snow retention system involves a bolt-down bracket and galvanneal steel baseplate. For this home, recommended positioning called for placement starting on the third course of DaVinci Multi-Width Slate shingles with baseplates spaced 18-inches on center.

To complement the Castle Gray color of the DaVinci tiles, a custom color of powder coated Liberty Gray was ordered for the No-Flash II system.

Win-win job

The DuraShield Roofing & Contracting team found installation of the snow fence to be fairly straightforward. As Anthony put it:

The product is very sturdy and we were impressed by it. In the end, the homeowner loves her new DaVinci roof and has great confidence in the snow retention system, so it’s a win-win all the way around.For us, we’ve always been a dedicated Rocky Mountain Snow Guard customer for our snow guard needs with synthetic roofing projects. Now we’ll add snow fences to that list!

By Rocky Mountain Snow Guards.

1,398 RG16 Snow Guards on stunning DaVinci® Province Slate roof.

White Castle Roofing has swept the “Outstanding Residential Projects” categories in the 2026 “Show Us Our Snow Guards Contest” with wins for projects using both Rocky Mountain Snow Guards and S-5! ColorGard® 2.0 products.

The Nebraska-based roofer installed 1,398 Rocky Guard RG16 snow guards from Rocky Mountain Snow Guards on the roof of a custom home in Lincoln, Nebraska to become the Outstanding Residential Snow Guards Project Winner. The 6,000-square-foot new construction property belongs to homeowners Dane and Brook Hansen and features a DaVinci® Province Slate roof in Slate Gray.

“We wanted a slate-looking roof for our home without the maintenance hassles and weight of natural slate,” says Dane. “White Castle Roofing helped us decide on the DaVinci® Roofscapes composite tiles and the snow guards. We really like the look and functionality of both products. We’ve had some good snows since we moved in, and we have not noticed any avalanching.”

Snow guards are typically recommended for synthetic roofing due to its slick surface and inability to absorb moisture. As heat from the home’s interior combined with the sun warms the roof surface, snows can “release” collectively from the roof. Snow guards hold back the snow, allowing it to melt slowly, which helps prevent it from falling on people and property below.

Relying on RG16

Chosen for their functionality and aesthetics, the RG16 snow guards beautifully accent the Hansen home, making the project an award-winner. Each metal snow guard is 16-inches in overall length and is designed for installation on new natural and synthetic slate and shake roofs. A minimum of three ring-shank nails per snow guard are used to secure each RG16 to the roof.

White Castle Roofing relied on the free services of the Rocky Mountain Snow Guards experts to provide a layout and design for the placement of the snow guards on the Hansen’s roof. The RG16s were installed 12-inches on center starting on the third course of DaVinci Province Slate roofing. The steeper pitch roof sections called for an additional soldier row (12-inches on center) spaced 96-inches vertically, while the lower pitch roof sections had supplemental rows in a staggered pattern spaced 48-inches on center horizontally and 24-inches vertically.

Andy Hagberg, vice president of sales with White Castle Roofing, reflected on the project: 

We’ve purchased snow guards from Rocky Mountain Snow Guards for about 15 years. Each year we’re likely to do up to 15 projects with metal roofs or synthetic shingles requiring snow retention through our locations in Nebraska, Iowa and Colorado. We knew from the start that the Hansen project was going to be something special. It’s a steep and tall roof, which made it a bit challenging. But at the same time this makes it visually appealing.

The roofing company installed Drift Solar Snow Fence products below solar panels on the roofs of three buildings at the affordable housing complex in their hometown of Longmont, Colorado.

Bulldog Roofing has won the “Outstanding Commercial Rocky Mountain Snow Guards Project” category in the 2026 “Show Us Our Snow Guards Contest” for their work on The Ascent at Hover Crossing apartment complex. The roofing company installed Drift Solar Snow Fence products below solar panels on the roofs of three buildings at the affordable housing complex in their hometown of Longmont, Colorado.

The Ascent at Hover Crossing comprises of 75 apartment units plus an Early Childhood Education Center that serves local families in need. The 2.4-acre site also includes a standalone building with a community room, fitness space, mail room, leasing office, maintenance and storage area and an adjacent outdoor area with a playground and gathering space with barbecue equipment.

The structure is designed to meet National Green Building Standard (NGBS) Bronze standards for sustainability and is 100 percent electric. And, the City of Longmont-owned onsite 211kW rooftop solar project provides residents with reduced electric costs.

Solar panels demand snow retention

Bulldog Roofing installed the TPO roofing, IKO Nordic™ Performance Shingles, metal roofing, coping, gutters and downspouts on the project. Once the solar panels were installed, the need for snow retention was identified and coordinated between project ownership, architect Van Meter Williams Pollack LLP and Bulldog Roofing.

“We were looking at solar panels on three-story high structures potentially shedding snow and ice from their slick surfaces,” says Adam Gazdik, director of operations for Bulldog Roofing. “Our company recommended Drift Solar Snow Fences from Rocky Mountain Snow Guards as a solution. We use their snow retention products on about a dozen projects a year and the Drift Solar seemed like the perfect resolution to a potential wintertime problem.”

The 12-inch tall Drift Solar system is designed specifically for placement below solar panel installations. Aluminum four-pipe fence-style brackets are bolted directly to roof support structures flush at the eave with the tubing side facing down slope. Ice screen must be added to impede the movement of the snow.

When it came to choosing the color for the snow fence, the architectural firm designated a black color to complement the solar panels.

“For our team, the biggest challenge of this project was that both the roofing system and solar panels had already been installed by the time it was decided to add the snow retention system,” says Gazdik. “We installed the Drift Solar Snow Fence product based on placement direction from the project architect. From our standpoint, locating the structural trusses for proper attachment was the most difficult part, especially because there was limited space to work around the existing solar panels.

“While this is was our first time installing the Drift Solar Snow Fence, we certainly hope it won’t be our last. It’s a smart product that fills the need for snow retention when solar panels are used, and for this particular project, it’s helping keep residents and guests at Ascent at Hover Crossing safer during the winter months.”

New two-pipe aluminum snow fence offers big savings.

Rocky Mountain Snow Guards has launched the Rocky Fence, a cost-effective two-pipe snow fence for standing seam metal roofs. Developed for new construction and retrofit projects, Rocky Fence gives contractors, architects and building owners another option when desiring the look and function of a fence-style snow retention system while delivering material cost savings.

Rocky Fence uses one aluminum bracket and two nominal one-inch aluminum tubes. The bracket bolts to a compatible S-5!® clamp selected for a specific roof panel and seam geometry. The snow fence system is available in mill finish aluminum or with a powder-coated finish, including dark bronze and custom colors.

Lower product cost

The most comparable system to Rocky Fence available from Rocky Mountain Snow Guards is Blizzard II. Based on the company’s current average pricing comparisons, Rocky Fence provides the following savings over the Blizzard II system:

• Mill finish aluminum - $5 per linear foot under Blizzard II
• Custom powder-coated finish - $7 per linear foot under Blizzard II
• Dark bronze finish - $18 per linear foot under Blizzard II

“We developed Rocky Fence for customers who want a practical, cost-effective two-pipe system,” says Brian Cross, sales and operations partner with Rocky Mountain Snow Guards. “This product gives the marketplace a competitively priced option in a variety of finishes for residential and commercial projects while preserving the project specific approach that proper snow retention demands.”

Cross goes on to say that Rocky Fence is not simply a lower-cost alternative snow retention product. “This two-pipe bracket design is stronger than the comparable Blizzard II system, providing greater strength while reducing product cost across the finish categories.”

Every roof starts with a layout

Snow retention performance on all kinds of roofing materials depends on the roof panel, seam geometry, clamp selection, connections, fasteners, bracket spacing and installation. Just as with all snow retention projects, Rocky Fence should be specified with a project-specific layout based on the actual standing seam metal roof and project conditions.

Rocky Mountain Snow Guards provides free project-specific layouts and quotes to help contractors and design professionals select and install the appropriate system, clamp and spacing for a project. To request a Rocky Fence layout, quote, or product information, visit www.rockymountainsnowguards.com or call 877-414-7606.

About Rocky Mountain Snow Guards

Rocky Mountain Snow Guards, Inc. manufactures snow guards and fence-style snow retention systems designed to protect people and property. The company offers free layouts and quotes for product placement, plus free training for roofing contractors and architects. Metal products are warrantied for 50 years. Proud sponsor of Roofers® Coffee Shop and founder of National Snow Guards Safety Month.