A swing set in a Creve Coeur backyard is often the largest object under the roof line that nobody thinks to mention. Many lots here run a rear yard back from the house toward a fence, and the swing set often sits where the back slope of the roof drops its tear-off debris, the nail sweep, and the first bundles that come down the chute. Nobody has to be careless for it to get hit. The crew is working on the roof, the roof is over the yard, and the yard is where the old shingles land.
Town roofing: the drop zone on a Creve Coeur lot
The drop zone on a roof job is the ground under the eave where old material slides or gets thrown, plus a wider band where the magnet sweep has to reach. On a typical Creve Coeur lot that band can include the rear patio, the swing set, the play area, and the strip along the fence. The distance changes with the height of the eave and the pitch. A one-story ranch with a low back eave keeps the drop close to the house. A two-story with a steep back slope throws debris farther out, and wind can carry lighter pieces past the fence line. Ask the roofer to walk the back of the lot with you and mark the edge of the band on the ground, because a number on a proposal means little until you can see where it stops.
Many homes in the city also have a second drop problem that people overlook. A deck, an arbor, or a backyard shed can sit inside the band even when the swing set is at the far end. If the roofer's plan protects the house but not the rest of the yard, the swing set is still exposed.
What the anchors and footings can take
Most backyard swing sets are held down by ground anchors or by concrete footings. In this area the clay soil holds water in spring and fall, and the freeze and thaw cycle lifts and drops the ground every winter. A frame that has stood straight for years can rack or lean after a wet tear-off, especially if a crew drives a dumpster or a pallet of shingles over soft ground beside it. Before anyone moves material near the set, ask who will check the anchors and footings when the job is done. A crew that moves a swing set should note its condition in writing before it touches the frame, so that nobody has to argue later about whether a leg was already loose.
Wet clay under a set also changes how the ground takes weight. A pallet of bundles that sat for a day on soft grass can leave ruts that pull a leg out of line. Ask where the bundles will wait before the crew unloads, and keep that spot off the lawn near the play area if the ground is soft.
Moving the set, or working around it
There are two honest options. The set can be moved off the drop zone for the length of the job, or it can stay where it is and be covered. Moving takes more work. A set with a wood frame, a slide, and a glider needs several people and a clear route to the gate, and it can scratch a fence or a patio on the way out. Covering works when the set sits outside the direct line of the eave and the crew agrees to keep material off it. Either way, the choice belongs in the written scope, not in a conversation on the morning the crew arrives.
If the set is moved, ask who does the moving and who sets it back down. Ask whether the set goes back onto its original anchors or whether new anchors are needed, and who pays for them if they are. A set moved onto soft ground after a rain can settle crooked, and the owner is the one who lives with a crooked swing.
What to photograph before the first nail
Take photos of the swing set from three sides, the anchor points, and the ground beneath each leg before the crew starts. Do the same for the patio, the fence, and any garden edging inside the drop zone. Keep the timestamps on the originals, or email the photos to yourself so the date survives. If a rail gets bent or a seat cracks, the photos show whether the damage was there before the work began. Also keep the set's model name and any hardware bag that came with it, because replacement bolts are hard to find once a set has been in the yard for years.
What it costs
Moving and resetting a swing set is a separate line from the roof. It may be priced as labor by the hour, as a flat fee for moving and setting, or as an allowance that gets adjusted at the end of the job. Ask each roofing company which one it is. If a bid says nothing about the swing set, assume the cover-and-protect plan is the price, and ask what happens if the crew has to move the set anyway. Replacement anchors or hardware should be listed as priced items with part names, not as a line that says only that they are needed. Keep every number in writing so the final bill does not carry a surprise.
Covering the set with tarps or plywood usually costs little, but the crew should say what it is using and where it will sit. A tarp that blows up onto the roof slope is a hazard for the crew and the house. A cover that traps water against a wooden frame can rot the legs by spring, so ask how the cover drains and when it comes off.
What to ask each roofer
- Which part of my backyard is inside the drop zone, and how wide is the band you are protecting?
- Will the swing set be moved, covered, or left in place, and who decides that on the day?
- Who checks the anchors and footings before and after the job, and where is that written down?
- Who moves the set, and who sets it back down on the same spot?
- What is the price for moving and resetting it, and is that a fixed line or an allowance?
- Does the magnet sweep cover the play area, and how many passes does it get each day?
- Where does the dumpster go, and does it sit over any part of the lawn or the play area?
A roofer who answers these in plain terms has thought about your yard. A roofer who says the yard is not their concern has not. Ask the questions in writing and note how long the answer takes, because the reply tells you a good deal about how the crew will treat the lot.
After the crew leaves
Walk the yard with the photos from before the job. Check the anchors and look at each leg for new cracks or movement. Look in the grass for nails, because a magnet sweep can miss them in long wet grass. Then watch the set through the first hard freeze. Ground disturbed during the job can heave differently from undisturbed ground, and a footing that was dug out or knocked loose may show the damage in the first winter.
If something is damaged, tell the roofing company in writing and attach the photos. For questions about the roof itself, the Creve Coeur Roofing and Gutters office can be reached at (314) 220-2333. Questions about what your own policy pays belong with your insurer and your policy wording, not with the roofing crew.