A raised bed of tomatoes, peppers or lettuce sitting against a Creve Coeur wall is easy to forget when the roof bid arrives. The bed was built by hand, filled with bagged soil and often sits within a few feet of the eave, which is exactly where the crew sets the ladder, stacks the bundles and drops the tear-off. Before anyone confirms a start date, the beds need a line of their own on the plan, with a decision about moving them, covering them or accepting that some of them will be damaged.
Town roofing
Many houses in Creve Coeur have a planting strip along the foundation, a bed beside a side door or a row of boxes along the back of the lot. In a dry summer those beds get watered every day, which keeps the soil soft, so a boot or a pallet jack sinks in and leaves a mark. In a wet spring the soil holds water the way clay does, and a loaded wheelbarrow can leave ruts that show for a full season. The tear-off also throws granules, nails and shingle pieces into whatever sits below the eave, and a young tomato plant has no way to shrug that off.
The beds matter most in the spring. If the roof is scheduled for March, April or May, the garden may already be planted before the crew arrives, and a tarp thrown over a row of seedlings is a poor shield against a bundle of shingles. If the roof is scheduled for late summer, the beds may be at their fullest, with tall plants that lean over the path where the crew needs to walk. Either way, the plant height and the crew's route have to be checked together, not one after the other.
Which beds need a decision
Not every bed needs to move. A bed on the far side of the back yard, well away from the house and the driveway, will usually be fine. The beds that need a decision are the ones the crew is likely to touch, and that list is shorter than most homeowners expect once someone walks the lot with the roofer.
- Any bed within about six feet of the wall or the eave line where the tear-off will drop debris.
- Any bed along the path from the driveway or curb to the house, since that path is likely the crew's route for bundles, bins and tools.
- Any bed under a downspout or the gutter run, because the gutter work and the cleanup can splash soil onto the plants.
- Any bed beside a window well or a crawl space vent that will be open during the work.
Ask the crew where the ladder feet will land. A ladder set against the wall at the eave pushes its feet into whatever is below, unless the feet sit on a board. A board under each foot spreads the load, and it keeps the ladder from sinking into soft soil. Ask the crew whether the material drop will go on the lawn or into the bed line. The answer shapes whether you move a box a few feet, cover it with a tarp for the week or leave it in place and plan to replant.
Raised boxes and in-ground beds
Raised boxes are simpler to move than in-ground beds, but they are heavier than they look once filled. A four by eight box with a foot of wet soil can take two people or a hand truck, and an older cedar box can split at the corners if the top boards are pried off in a hurry. An in-ground bed cannot be moved at all, so the plan for it is protection, not relocation. Ask whether you will move the boxes yourself or whether the crew will do it. If the crew moves them, get that written, because a crew that handles a box is taking on responsibility for how it comes back to the ground.
What it costs
Moving raised beds is usually a homeowner job, and the cost is labor and time rather than a line on the roofing invoice. A box of wet soil weighs more than most people plan for, so line up help before the work begins. Covering beds with a tarp costs little, but a tarp left on a garden through a hot Creve Coeur July can cook the plants under it. Think of a tarp as protection for the length of the tear-off, not for the whole month of the job.
If you need a fresh load of soil after the work, price it before the roof starts. A delivery booked on the day a bed is stepped on is a rushed purchase, and a rushed purchase costs more. Ask the roofer whether the written scope includes moving personal items, protecting them or repairing damage to them. Some scopes say nothing on the point, and that silence means the homeowner carries the job. The roofer documents the site, puts a written scope with photos and measurements in your hands, and attends as the contractor while the work runs. The garden itself is part of the site, so it should appear in those photos.
Ask what the crew will do when a bed is damaged. There is no standard garden repair inside a roof contract, so the answer lives in the words written down before the job starts. A line that says the crew will replace soil at the homeowner's request, at a stated unit price, is easier to live with than a line that says the crew will make it right.
What to ask
- Which of my beds sit within reach of the ladder, the bundle stack or the dumpster?
- Will the crew move the boxes, or will I need to move them myself?
- Where will the ladder feet go, and will they sit on boards?
- Will the beds be covered during the tear-off, and for how many days?
- Who pays to replace soil or plants if a bed is damaged?
- Will the bed locations and the expected drop zones appear in the site photos?
- What is the unit price for a fresh load of soil, if one is needed after the work?
Put the answers in the written scope, not only in the conversation at the door. A roofer who walks the lot with a copy of the photos and marks each bed on the image will show you whether the plan covers them. If the answer is that the beds will be fine, ask what the crew will do if they are not.
If you want the lot walked before the bid is final, call the Creve Coeur Roofing and Gutters office at (314) 220-2333.