You’ve scheduled your roof replacement. The date is on the calendar. A little preparation before the crew arrives makes the entire process smoother — for your home, your family, and the roofing team.
Protect Your Vehicles
Move all cars, trucks, and recreational vehicles out of the driveway and at least 20-30 feet from the house. During tear-off, debris falls and occasionally bounces further than expected. The dumpster needs driveway access. Close the garage door before the crew arrives and keep it closed throughout the work day.
Clear the Perimeter Around Your Home
Move anything within 10-15 feet of the foundation: patio furniture, grills, children’s play equipment, potted plants, decorative items. If you have delicate landscaping directly against the house, mention it to the crew foreman during the morning walkthrough.
Protect Your Attic and Interior
Vibration and impact from tear-off and nailing transfers through the roof structure. This is one of the most overlooked preparation steps.
Attic storage: Cover items with drop cloths or plastic sheeting. Fragile items should be moved out of the attic entirely.
Wall-mounted items: Remove or secure pictures, mirrors, shelves, and mounted decorations on upper floors. Vibration can knock them off walls.
Ceiling fans and light fixtures: Check that ceiling fans are securely mounted. Consider removing hanging fixtures with glass components.
Loose items on shelves: Vibration can walk items to the edge. Move breakable items on upper-floor shelving.
Prepare for Noise
Roof replacement is loud. There’s no way around it. If you work from home, plan to use noise-canceling headphones or work elsewhere. Schedule important calls for a different day. If you have infants or toddlers, plan for an outing or arrange for them to be at another location during the loudest phases. Night shift sleepers will need alternative sleeping arrangements.
Plan for Your Pets
Dogs should be kept inside in a quiet room with music or television playing. Do not leave dogs in a fenced yard during work. If your dog is particularly anxious, consider boarding or a day with a friend.
Cats should be confined to an interior room. Alert the crew that there are cats so they’re cautious about doors.
Outdoor pets should be moved away from the house perimeter.
Communicate with Your Neighbors
A quick heads-up to immediate neighbors goes a long way. Let them know the date, approximate start time (7:00-7:30 AM), expected duration, and that there will be noise, a dumpster, and trucks on the street.
Day-Of Checklist
All vehicles moved out of the driveway and away from the house. Garage door closed. Outdoor items moved 15+ feet from the house. Attic items covered or removed. Wall-mounted items secured or removed from upper-floor rooms. Pets secured in an interior room. Children’s day plan in place. Work-from-home setup in the quietest room. Neighbors notified. Phone charged.
For a detailed walkthrough of what the crew does, read our companion article: What to Expect on Roof Replacement Day.
Questions about preparing for your roof replacement? Call Big Dog Roofing at 260-999-0347. We’ll walk you through everything before your installation date.