Part H · the register

Where the Dumpster Goes on a Kirkwood Street

Kirkwood's narrow lots leave little room for a roof dumpster, so ask where it goes and who must approve the spot before the tear-off.

A roof tear-off produces a large volume of material in a short time. Old shingles, underlayment, drip edge, flashing, nails and whatever decking has to come off all have to leave the property, and in Kirkwood that usually means a roll-off container parked at the curb or in the driveway. On a lot with narrow frontage, a deep setback or a steep drive, the question of where that container sits can decide whether the crew starts on schedule. Ask it before you sign, not on the morning the truck arrives.

Town roofing

Many Kirkwood houses sit close to the street on lots laid out long before anyone planned for a roof container. A tear-off on a single-family house fills a dumpster quickly, and the hauler needs a clear spot to drop it and a clear path to pick it up. If the container blocks a driveway, a neighbor's access to the curb, or the sight line at a corner, someone will be asked to move it, and that conversation is easier to have on paper than on the day.

The spot also has to work for the crew. Shingles are delivered in bundles, and the bundles have to wait somewhere that keeps them dry and off the lawn. Ladders, a hoist if the house needs one, and the magnetic sweeper used to pick up nails all need room. On a tight lot, the container, the bundle stack and the crew's staging area compete for the same few feet of frontage. A written plan that names each of those spots is more useful than a verbal promise that there will be room.

Kirkwood issues its own building permits, and a roof job that needs one should be pulled through the city. Whether a container on the street needs its own permit or approval is a separate question, and the answer can depend on how long it will sit, whether it is on the pavement or on private property, and how close it comes to the travel lane. Do not assume that because the roof permit is in hand, the container is covered. Ask the contractor who is responsible for checking the street rule and when that check happens.

Spring and fall bring the weather that makes this matter most. Wet ground softens the lawn under a container and under the bundles, and a freeze that follows a thaw can turn a driveway or curb edge into a slick, uneven surface. Crews that stage materials on a frozen or saturated yard often leave ruts that stay visible into summer. Ask how the staging area will be protected, whether plywood or mats will go under heavy items, and who will repair any turf that is torn up.

Debris that falls past the roofline is the other half of the problem. A tear-off that is not netted, tarped or cleaned at the end of each day scatters nails and granules across the lawn, the walk and the neighbor's driveway. Children and pets find nails in the grass before anyone else does. A written scope should say how the work area is protected, how the ground is swept and magnetized each evening, and how a final sweep is done before the crew leaves.

What it costs

The container is usually a line item on the roof price, but the same job can be quoted several ways. Some proposals include the container, the haul-off, and the disposal fee in one number. Others show the container as a separate charge, sometimes with a fee for each extra day it sits on site, and a fee for each trip if the load is heavier than expected. Two quotes that look close on the bottom line can differ by a container's worth once those lines are read side by side.

Ask whether the container fee covers the full tear-off period or only a set number of days. If the job runs past that period because of weather, a repair found under the old roof, or a delayed delivery, a second container or an extended rental may be needed. The quote should state what it costs to extend the rental and who decides when the extension is needed. Surprises at the end of a job usually show up in this line, and a few days' rental can cost more than the cost of the disposal itself.

Some Kirkwood homeowners prefer to rent the container themselves and have the crew fill it. That can lower the contractor's price, but it moves the placement question onto the homeowner. You will need to arrange the rental, confirm the placement with the city where that applies, and make sure the hauler can reach the spot. If the container sits on the street for too long, the cost of an extension or a citation falls on you rather than on the crew. Read the proposal to see which party is responsible for the container from the first day to the last.

Shingle waste is a weight question as well as a volume question. Asphalt shingles are heavy, and a dumpster that is overloaded can be refused at the disposal site or charged a surcharge. The quote should say what weight is included and what happens if the load exceeds it. This is one of the places where a vague number on a proposal turns into an unexpected bill after the crew has finished.

What to ask

Put these questions to every roofer who is bidding on your house, and write the answers into the proposal. A contractor who answers clearly before you sign is showing you how the job will run. A contractor who says the details will be worked out later is leaving them to be settled while the roof is open.

• Where exactly will the container sit? Ask for a sketch or a photo marked with the spot, including the distance from the curb, the driveway and any neighbor's access.
• Who arranges the city approval, if one is needed? Ask whether the contractor will check the street rule, how long the approval lasts, and what happens if it expires before the job ends.
• Where will the bundles wait? Ask for the staging area, how it will be kept dry, and whether plywood or mats will protect the lawn underneath.
• How many days does the container rental cover? Ask what each extra day costs, who decides when an extension is needed, and how long the crew expects the job to take.
• What is the weight limit? Ask what is included in the disposal fee, and what the surcharge is for an overweight load.
• How will the ground be cleaned each day? Ask about tarps, netting, a magnetic sweep, and a final sweep before the crew leaves.
• Who repairs turf and concrete that is damaged? Ask whether the proposal includes the cost of repairs, and whether the crew will document the condition of the lawn and walk before work begins.
• Who is the contact on the day? Ask for a name and a phone number that will be answered while the crew is on site, so a problem with the container can be settled the same morning.

A written scope that answers these questions is a better document than a verbal assurance. Take photographs of the lawn, the walk, the driveway and the curb before the crew arrives. Those photos are yours to keep, and they show the condition of the ground before the work began. If something is damaged later, the photos and the written scope are the two records you will need.

If you have questions about the site before you sign, Keys Roofing can be reached at (314) 220-2333. Ask for the spot where the container and the bundles will go, and ask how the crew handles the street. Those answers will tell you more about the job than the bottom line of the quote.