As mounds of snow fell upon much of the state Monday night and Tuesday morning, snow removal companies fielded a flurry of phone calls from anxious homeowners hoping to get their leaking roofs dug out from the fluffy white powder.

While this has not been an excessively snowy winter, it has caught a few Mainers off guard after a string of winters marked by little snowfall. As a result, roofs trapped under layers of ice and snow have been prone to leaks this winter, staining and soiling home owners’ carpets, walls and ceilings.

“Everyone is starting to clean off their house,” said Donald Lynch, who has spent much of the last few weeks sweeping ice and snow off the roofs of homes and businesses in towns from Greenville to Eastport and Bangor. On Monday alone Lynch and two co-workers from Bangor Roofing Co. removed ice and snow from businesses in Eastport, Machias and Bangor.

Lynch said the leaks develop after heavy loads of snow and ice on roofs stretch tiny holes in roofing materials, allowing water to seep through. Ice also can build up in gutters and work its way back under the eaves and shingles. Lynch spoke shortly after removing ice and snow from the leaking roof of the Red Carpet Inn in Bangor.

Some homeowners were resolved to take care of the winter mess on their own.

Burton Schuckers, 76, of Bangor has spent much of the last three days chipping away ice and snow from his home. Ice in his home’s gutters caused water to seep under his roof shingles and stain a ceiling in his Ohio Street home. But no sooner had he cleared the ice of his house last weekend than Monday night’s storm brought a snowdrift that left as much as 3 feet of snow on his roof.

“I got after it quick and hopefully that’s the end of it,” Schuckers said. “So I’m ready for the next one on Friday.”

Others not so able or daring to tackle their own roofs have been on the phone seeking help.

Carol Harvey, who manages Budget Snow and Ice Removal in Hampden, let out an exasperated laugh Tuesday when asked about the number of calls she was receiving. “How busy are we?” Harvey repeated with a laugh. “Let’s put it this way – the phone starts ringing first thing in the morning and it doesn’t stop until 10 or 11 at night.”

Harvey said she has fielded between 50 and 75 calls a day this winter, and her five-person crew has a scheduled waiting list of houses and businesses that runs anywhere from three to four days. Snow removal for a small house, Harvey said, begins at about $125 – depending upon the amount of ice and snow on the roof.

And when annoyed homeowners get off the phone with snow removal companies it appears the next call is to their insurance agent.

A receptionist at the J.C. Milliken Co. in Ellsworth said Tuesday her office has been swamped by reports of snow and ice damage to roofs. Among the most frequent complaints was water damage to walls and ceilings, the receptionist said.

Bonny Freeman, co-owner of the Allen, Freeman and McDonnell agency in Bangor, said Tuesday her office has fielded about seven roof damage calls a day this winter. The average damage to a leaking home, Freeman said, has resulted in estimates of about $1,200 to $1,500. In addition, Freeman said there is a backlog of homeowners still waiting to meet with an insurance adjuster about the damage done to their homes.

“What we are asking people to do is get the ice and snow off their roofs as best they can without going up there themselves,” said Freeman. “Everybody’s getting ice and snow … everybody.”

Freeman also said it is a misconception that only older homes spring leaks in their roofs. It doesn’t matter how old a house is, Freeman said, but rather how well a house is constructed. Shingled roofs with inadequate liners, she said, are more prone to leaks than other homes.

Insurance companies in Aroostook County contacted Tuesday said they have received few claims related to roof damage this winter. Because of traditionally higher snowfall in the area, agents said homeowners are accustomed to having the snow and ice removed from their homes frequently.

But for those who have had leaking roofs – and were fortunate enough to get their roofs cleaned and their insurance checks mailed – all is not yet well. No leaking roofs may be repaired until spring, leaving homeowners with stained ceilings, walls and carpets until April or May.