What to Expect on Roof Replacement Day: A Homeowner's Timeline

How Should You Prepare the Night Before?

Move vehicles, clear the area around the house, cover anything stored in the attic, plan for your pets, let the neighbors know, and take a few photos of the yard and siding.

1. Move your vehicles

   The crew needs room for the dumpster, the material delivery, and access around the house. Park on the street or at a neighbor's.

2. Clear the perimeter

   Move patio furniture, grills, and potted plants away from the house. We tarp and protect, but clearing the area helps.

3. Cover attic items

   Dust and small debris can fall through gaps in the decking during tear-off. Cover anything stored in the attic.

4. Plan for pets

   The noise and activity stress many animals. Keep them inside, or arrange for noise-sensitive pets to be elsewhere.

5. Tell the neighbors

   A heads-up about the noise is a courtesy they'll appreciate.

6. Take a few photos

   Snap the landscaping, siding, and yard. It's good practice before any big project on your home.

What Happens When the Crew Arrives?

The first hour or so is setup: placing the dumpster, laying tarps around the house, staging materials, and putting up fall protection before anyone works on the roof.

Crews usually arrive early in the morning. OSHA requires fall protection for workers on residential roofs 6 feet or more above a lower level, so roof jacks, harnesses, or other protection go up first.

What Happens During Tear-Off?

The old roofing comes off down to the bare deck. It's the noisiest part of the job, with constant scraping and banging and debris sliding down the tarps into the dumpster.

With the deck exposed, we inspect it for rot, water damage, and soft spots. If we find problems, and in North Idaho with ice dams and moisture we often do, we show you and go over the cost before going further.

What If the Roof Deck Needs Repair?

Rotted plywood, damaged OSB, or soft spots get replaced before anything goes on top. A new roof is only as good as the deck under it. Depending on how much needs replacing, it can add an hour or two.

What Goes On Before the Shingles?

Ice and water shield at the eaves, valleys, and openings, synthetic underlayment over the rest of the deck, and drip edge along the eaves and gables.

Ice barrier at the eaves is required in Coeur d'Alene and Post Falls, and Hayden's roof handout shows drip edge at the eaves and gables. See our ice dam guide.

How Are the Shingles or Metal Installed?

From the bottom up: starter shingles at the eaves, then the field shingles or metal panels, flashing at walls, dormers, and chimneys, pipe boots and vents, and finally the ridge cap.

• Starter shingles along the eaves
• Field shingles in a staggered pattern, or standing seam panels
• Step flashing at walls and dormers, and counterflashing at chimneys. See roof flashing explained
• Pipe boots and roof vents
• Ridge cap along the peak

On most Kootenai County homes this takes most of the first day, and part of a second day on larger or more complex roofs.

What Does Cleanup Include?

A magnetic sweep for nails across the yard, driveway, and walkways, hauling away debris and tarps, a check that the gutters are flowing, and a final walkthrough with you.

• Magnetic nail sweep: a rolling magnet goes over the yard, driveway, and walkways to pick up stray nails
• Debris removal: tarps pulled and loaded into the dumpster, which is usually picked up within a day or two
• Gutter check: making sure the gutters aren't clogged with roofing debris
• Final walkthrough: the crew lead checks the roof, flashing, and ridge, and walks the property with you or leaves detailed notes

What If It Rains During the Project?

Exposed areas get tarped right away, and on multi-day jobs the roof is tarped at the end of every work day. Your home isn't left open to the weather overnight.

Owens Corning's installation instructions say to keep the wood deck from getting wet before, during, and after installation, which is why crews watch the forecast and stop for rain. When weather causes a delay, we tell you and reschedule promptly. See the best time to replace your roof.

Can You Stay Home During a Roof Replacement?

Yes. Many homeowners do. The crew works outside and won't need to come in, but expect a lot of noise, especially during tear-off.

Calls and video meetings are hard during the loudest stretches, so some homeowners work from a coffee shop or run errands for part of the day. For the whole process, from first inspection to final sign-off, read our complete guide to a new roof in North Idaho, or see our roof replacement service.