Answers · What the work involves
How is my property protected during a roof replacement?
The short answer
Ask specifically: tarps and plywood over landscaping and against walls, protection for the driveway under the dumpster, how debris is caught rather than dropped, and magnetic sweeping for nails at the end of every day rather than only at the end of the job.
What to agree before they start
- Where the dumpster goes, and what protects the driveway under it.
- How landscaping and air conditioning units are covered.
- Whether gutters are protected, since debris in a gutter is a common and avoidable after-effect.
- Nail cleanup: magnetic sweep of the yard, the driveway and the street, daily.
- Where the crew parks and where materials are stacked.
- Whether anything needs moving out of the attic before the vibration starts.
The nail problem is real
A tear-off puts thousands of nails on the ground, and they find tyres and feet for months. Daily magnetic sweeping is the difference between a good crew and a fast one, and it is a fair thing to ask about specifically rather than hope for.
Also asked
- What if something is damaged?
- That is what the general liability insurance is for, which is why the certificate should come from the insurer rather than from the contractor. Photographs taken before the job are what make a claim straightforward.
General information about roofs and about hiring, not advice about your building. Roofing contractor licensing, permits, insurance practice and deductible rules are set state by state and province by province across the United States and Canada, so your own authority is the current answer.