Homeowner Checklist
Preparing Your Home for a Roof Replacement.
Quick Answer
To prepare for a roof replacement: move vehicles off the driveway, secure pets indoors, take down wall art on top-floor walls (hammering vibration can loosen frames), cover attic-stored items against fine dust, give neighbors a heads up, and stay reachable by phone. You don't need to be home — but the property does need to be ready for the crew and the dumpster.
Outside the house
- Move all vehicles off the driveway and at least 30 feet from the house. We'll need driveway space for our dumpster and equipment.
- Move portable planters, patio furniture, and grills at least 10 feet from the exterior walls. Tear-off creates falling debris that we control, but anything within fall range should be moved.
- Flag vulnerable landscaping. If there's a specific shrub, tree, or garden bed you want extra care around, tell us in advance so we can plan tarps and approach paths.
- Unlock side gates we need for ladder and material access.
- Take down decorative outdoor items attached to siding near roof transitions — wreaths, light strings, hanging baskets.
Inside the house
Roof installs are surprisingly hard on the inside of a home, even though no one's working in there. Hammering creates vibration that travels through framing. To protect your stuff:
- Take down framed art from top-floor interior walls. Picture frames can shift or fall.
- Secure breakables in upstairs cabinets and on open shelves. Plates, vases, and glassware should be in safe positions.
- Lower wall-mounted TVs if you can, or at least confirm the mount is solid.
- Don't run a delicate workout on the top floor during install days — yoga and floor exercises will be unpleasant.
- Plan your day around the noise. If you work from home, tear-off day in particular is loud enough that most people relocate to a coffee shop, the library, or a friend's house.
In the attic
If you store things in your attic — even just seasonal items — they're worth thinking about. Tear-off creates fine dust and the occasional bit of debris that sifts through gaps in the decking. To prepare:
- Cover stored items with painter's plastic or old sheets. Boxes, holiday decorations, and stored furniture should be covered.
- Move anything irreplaceable out of the attic if you can. Family photos, important documents, heirlooms.
- Tell us about attic access — if we'll need to enter the attic for ventilation work, we want to know where the access panel is and what's around it.
People and pets
- Keep pets inside and away from doors that get opened to the outside. The noise is stressful, and we don't want anyone slipping out.
- Plan kids' days carefully. Tear-off day in particular isn't fun to be home for. Naps will be hard.
- If anyone in the house works night shifts and sleeps during the day, this is a real consideration — let us know in advance and we can plan around it.
- Stay reachable by phone for the duration of the install. We'll only call if something needs your input (decking replacement, a discovered issue, a question about an unexpected detail).
Neighbors
Tear-off day is loud enough that your immediate neighbors will notice. A simple heads-up the day before is good neighborly form:
- "We're getting a new roof installed starting [date]. Most of the noise will happen on day one."
- If a neighbor parks close to your driveway, ask if they can move their car during the install days so the dumpster can stage properly.
A 30-second conversation prevents 30 days of subtle awkwardness.
Day-of checklist
The morning of day 1, before the crew arrives:
- ☐ Vehicles moved off the driveway
- ☐ Pets inside and secure
- ☐ Top-floor wall art taken down
- ☐ Breakables secured in upstairs cabinets
- ☐ Attic items covered
- ☐ Side gates unlocked for crew access
- ☐ Phone charged and reachable
- ☐ Plan in place if you're not staying home
FAQs
Do I need to take time off work for my roof install?
No. We don't need you to be home. Most clients work normally during the install days. You just need to be reachable by phone and available for the walkthrough on the last day.
Will the install damage my landscaping?
We protect landscaping with tarps, ground covers, and careful crew movement. Some scuffing of grass adjacent to the dumpster is normal. If you have specific concerns (mature plantings, garden beds, irrigation lines), flag them in advance and we'll plan around them.
What about my satellite dish or solar panels?
Satellite dishes are removed during tear-off and reinstalled on the new roof. Solar panels are more complex — we'll coordinate with your solar provider for removal and reinstallation as a separate step in the project. Both add to the timeline; we'll discuss this during the estimate.
Should I lock things up while crews are around?
Standard practice is to keep doors locked and valuables out of sight, but our crews don't enter your home and won't have access to the inside. Use normal household security habits.