Most of a roof job happens on your property, but the first and last hours happen on the street. A tear-off crew needs a truck that can stop, a shingle delivery that can unload, and a dumpster that can sit somewhere without blocking a lane. In Creve Coeur, the road that carries those trucks is often Olive Boulevard, Creve Coeur Mill Road, or a feeder street that connects to one of them. A homeowner on a quiet side street may never think about traffic at all. A homeowner whose drive opens onto a busy road should think about it before the first bundle is ordered.
Where the delivery truck will stop
A shingle delivery arrives on a flatbed or boom truck carrying pallets that weigh well over a ton. The truck needs a stopping spot long enough for its length, and the crew needs room to carry bundles from the truck to the work area. On a busy road the driver will want to stop as close to the drive as possible, which usually means the shoulder or the curb in front of your house. If the shoulder is narrow or the curb is posted no parking, the truck may stop somewhere else, and the crew will carry bundles farther than you expected.
Ask each roofer where the truck will stop. The answer should be a specific place, such as "in the drive, backed in from the street" or "on the shoulder in front of the mailbox." If the answer is "we will figure it out that morning," the bid has not addressed the question. The same answer should match the plan for where the bundles will wait, so compare the two side by side.
Timing deliveries around the commute
Olive Boulevard and the roads that feed it carry heavy traffic during the morning and evening commute, and the midday and school-run periods can be busy too. A delivery that arrives at 7:15 may sit in a line of cars, and a truck idling across a lane is a hazard for the driver, the crew and the people passing by. A roofer who plans deliveries should be able to say which hours the supplier prefers and whether drops can be scheduled outside the commute.
Ask whether the supplier runs a set delivery window and whether the roofer can request a time that avoids rush hour. Some suppliers deliver in the morning as a matter of routine. Others drop whenever a truck is free. You can ask the roofer to put the delivery window in the written schedule, so that the crew, the supplier and you all expect the same time.
Dumpsters, the street and the permit question
The dumpster is the other large object that competes for street space. A roll-off bin on a busy road is harder to place, harder to load from both sides and harder to swap when it fills. If the bin will sit in the street rather than in the drive, the roofer may need the city's permission. Creve Coeur and the other municipalities in west St. Louis County handle right-of-way use differently, and the answer can depend on how long the bin stays and where it sits relative to the road.
Do not assume the answer. Ask the roofer whether the dumpster will be on your property or in the right-of-way. If it will be in the right-of-way, ask who applies for the permit and how long the bin will stay in place. The city can confirm the rule for your address. Keep the permit reference with the written proposal so the question does not come up on the morning the bin arrives.
Crew parking on a busy frontage
A roof crew usually arrives in two or three vehicles, and each one needs a place to park that does not block your neighbors, your drive or the road. On a wide residential street this is simple. On a stretch where the frontage is narrow and cars move fast, the crew may park in front of a neighbor's house or along a cross street. Neither is a problem by itself, but both should be known in advance. Tell the neighbors who will be parked where, and tell the roofer which spaces you want kept open for your own cars.
Ask each roofer where the crew will park and how many vehicles to expect. A roofer who has worked this kind of frontage before will usually have an answer ready. A roofer who has not may say the crew will park "wherever there is room." That is a sign to ask more questions about how the site will be kept clear.
Keeping the drive usable while the roof is open
If the driveway is the only place the bundles, the dumpster and the crew vehicles can go, it will be crowded for several days. A drive that is also your route to the garage needs a plan. Decide now whether you will park on the street, in the garage or somewhere else during the roof days, and tell the roofer which part of the drive must stay open. This matters most on a steep drive, where a truck cannot back in without blocking the sidewalk.
Check the sidewalk and the curb as well. A flatbed that drops its load on the sidewalk can crack the concrete, and a dumpster set against the curb can chip the edge when it is lifted. Walk the path from the truck to the roof with the roofer before the first day, and mark any place where the crew should avoid setting weight.
What to put in the written proposal
A proposal that addresses the street should say, in plain words, where the truck will stop, when deliveries will arrive, where the dumpster will sit, who applies for any permit, where the crew will park and which part of the drive stays open. These are not fine print. They are the difference between a roof day that runs smoothly and one where the crew is standing in the road waiting for someone to move a car.
Keys puts a written scope with photos and measurements in the homeowner's hands before the work starts. Ask the roofer to include the site access plan in that same packet, and keep a copy where you can find it on delivery morning. If anything changes, ask for the change in writing with a date.
Questions to ask before you pick a roofer
- Where will the delivery truck stop, and does that spot work for the drive and the curb?
- What delivery window does the supplier use, and can it avoid the commute?
- Will the dumpster sit on my property or in the street, and who applies for any permit?
- How many crew vehicles are expected, and where will they park?
- Which part of the drive stays open for my own car during the roof days?
- Who walks the path from the truck to the roof with me before the first day?
These questions do not need long answers. A roofer who has planned the site will give specific answers, and a roofer who has not will usually say so. If you want to talk through the access plan for your street before you choose, call Creve Coeur Roofing and Gutters at (314) 220-2333.