Can You Stay Home During a Roof Replacement?

Can you stay home during a roof replacement?

Yes, most people can. The house stays usable, but expect a lot of noise, shaking and activity outside. Young children, pets, shift workers and anyone sensitive to noise may do better away for the day.

A roof replacement is outside work. Water, power and the inside of your home are not shut off by the job itself, and you can stay in most cases. The tear-off, the hammering and the footsteps overhead are the hard part. The roof is just above the ceiling, so you hear all of it.

Whether you stay comes down to who is in the house. A healthy adult who can work through noise will be fine. A newborn, a person on night shift, someone who needs quiet for health reasons, or a dog that panics at loud sounds is a different story. Use the table below to decide, and ask your roofer about the plan for your job. For a walk through the whole job, see what to expect during a roof replacement.

How do you keep kids and pets safe during the job?

Keep them inside, away from the sides of the house, and out of the work zone. A roof is a work platform, and debris, tools and nails fall off it.

Federal rules for residential roof work require fall protection for employees 6 feet or more above lower levels, and call for hard hats for employees exposed to falling objects, plus protections that keep objects from falling from higher levels. Those rules protect workers. For a family, the lesson is simple: the ground beside the house is not a play area on roofing days.

• Keep children inside or in rooms away from the roof and well back from the sides of the house.
• Show them the work zone and explain that it is off limits. Tape or a sign helps.
• Keep dogs and cats inside in a quiet room. Make sure collars and tags are on, and the gate and doors stay closed.
• Do not walk under the work or stand at the foot of a ladder.
• Check shoes and bare feet before the yard opens again, since roofing nails are small.

When the work is done, walk the yard before letting kids and pets back out. Manatee County's final inspection checks that the roof is 100 percent complete and all debris is cleaned up, but a walk-around of your own catches what an inspector would not look for. See how to prepare for a roof replacement.

How to get through the day, step by step

Prepare the night before, pick a quiet room, and check in with the crew lead at start and finish.

1. The night before

   Take down wall hangings, cover attic items, move cars and outdoor items, and plan where pets will stay.

2. At the start

   Meet the crew lead. Share your plan for kids and pets, tell them which gate is open and where they should not walk.

3. During the day

   Stay in rooms away from the work if you can. Keep pets inside. If something is rattling or sifting down, take it down or cover it.

4. At the end of the day

   Walk the property with the crew lead. Point out anything that needs attention. Ask what the plan is for tomorrow.

5. After the job

   Walk the yard and driveway again. Keep your copies of the permit, the nailing affidavit and any photo report. See what to expect after the new roof is finished.

Plan for an inspector to visit too. In Manatee County, residential shingle, metal and low-slope roofs get a combined dry-in, flashing and in-progress inspection, and a final inspection after the roof is 100 percent complete. In Alachua County, the in-progress inspection happens while workers are actively working and materials are at the job site. A person from the city or county may walk onto the property while the crew is there, so tell the household who may show up.

For questions to ask before signing, see questions to ask a roofer.