A backyard pickleball court in Creve Coeur usually sits on a flat slab of asphalt or concrete, often with an acrylic coating, painted lines and two net posts set in sleeves. Many of these courts were laid out close to the house, because on a lot with a sloped front yard the back of the home is the only level ground. If your roof edge runs over that court, the court is part of the roof job whether or not anyone has written it into the bid.
Why the court belongs in the roof plan
A tear-off throws shingle scraps, nail heads and granules off the roof edge. The debris does not stop at the lawn. A hard surface holds grit on top of it, and paddles, shoes and rolling carts grind that grit into the coating over the following weeks. A crew that has not looked at the court may stage a dumpster, a ladder or a stack of bundles on it without asking, and a dumpster wheeled across a coated court can scrape the surface in ways the coating company will want to repair.
The court also changes where the crew can stand. A ladder that would normally sit on the side yard may be moved onto the court because the lawn is soft after rain, and a ladder foot on an acrylic surface can dent or lift the top coat. None of this is hard to plan. It only needs to be named before the first truck arrives.
What to measure before you compare bids
Walk the court with a tape and write down the numbers that a roofer needs. You do not need to be precise to the inch, but you do need the distances to be honest.
- The distance from the roof edge to the nearest painted line on each side that faces the court.
- The location of each net post and whether its sleeve is cemented in the slab or set in a removable socket.
- Whether the net, posts and any windscreen come down each day or stay up for the whole job.
- Where the paddles, balls, bench and water bottles are kept while the job runs.
- Whether the surface is bare asphalt, bare concrete, or an acrylic coating over either.
Put those numbers on the same sheet as your roof measurements. A bid that says where the roof edge is in feet, and where the court begins in feet, lets you compare the two roofers on the same ground.
Net posts, sleeves and the windscreen
Net posts on a backyard court are often the first thing a crew moves, and the last thing anyone checks. A post that has been pulled from its sleeve and set back in a different spot leaves a second hole that the coating does not cover. A post that is cut off or left leaning can also catch a tarp or a ladder rail during a storm.
Windscreens are a separate question. A windscreen clipped to a chain-link run catches wind like a sail, and during tear-off the crew may need to drop it or take it down entirely. The bid should say who takes the windscreen down, who puts it back, and who replaces any clips that break in the process. Do not assume the crew will reuse broken clips. Ask whether replacements are in the price or billed separately.
The surface itself in a St. Louis winter
A court that has survived several St. Louis winters often has hairline cracks at the joints, and the freeze and thaw cycle keeps working on them. Water gets into a crack, freezes, and widens it. Acrylic coatings also need a dry spell before they can be repainted, and a court with a crack that is still damp cannot take a fresh coat. If your roof job runs into the cold months, the court may need to wait for spring regardless of what the roofer does.
That is a timing question, and it belongs in the roof schedule. If you already plan to repaint or repair the court, ask each roofer how the two jobs will be ordered so the coating crew is not walking on a surface the roofer has just covered with debris.
Questions to put to each roofer
- Where will the ladders land, and will any of them rest on the court surface?
- Will a tarp cover the court overnight, and who places it?
- Who sweeps the court at the end of each work day, and what tool do they use?
- Who takes the net and posts down, and who sets them back?
- Who pays to replace a broken windscreen clip or a cracked net post?
- Is the court named in the written scope, with the distances you measured?
A good answer names a person, a time and a method. A vague answer such as the crew will be careful is not an answer, and it should be written down as one before you choose.
Permits and the city
A roof permit in Creve Coeur covers the roof work itself. A pickleball court is usually not part of that permit, but a new fence, a relocated post or a light pole attached to the court may need a separate check at the city's building office. Call before you order anything that changes the court's footprint, and ask the office whether the work needs a permit of its own. The city's answer is the one that counts, so get it in writing or note the name of the person you spoke with.
What goes in writing
Keys documents the court with photos and measurements before the first nail, and puts a written scope with those photos in the homeowner's hands. That scope should name the court surface, the post and sleeve locations, the windscreen plan and the ladder landing spots. If a roofer will not put the court in writing, it is a sign the court will be handled on the day rather than in advance, and that is the situation most homeowners later regret.
Keys Roofing can be reached at (314) 220-2333 to talk through the court before you choose a date. Bring your measurements, the court's surface type and the photos from your phone, and ask for the court to appear on the written scope before you sign.