Who Latches Your Side Gate on Roof Day

The side gate is one of the first things a roof crew touches and one of the last things a bid mentions. Trucks, ladders, bundles of shingles and a dumpster line all tend to converge on the same narrow strip beside the house, and the gate that closes that strip is often the only thing between a dog and the street. If you have a side gate, a fence latch or a rear yard gate that a crew might use, this page gives you the questions to put to each roofer before you pick a start date.

Why the side gate matters on roof day

Roof day is busier than most homeowners picture until they see it. A crew needs a route from the driveway or curb to the work area, and that route is often the side yard. Shingle bundles come off the truck and are carried, staged or stacked. Ladders go up on one wall and come down on another. Debris goes into the dumpster in a steady stream, and the crew moves in and out of the yard many times before the last nail. Every one of those trips passes the gate.

An open gate changes several things at once. A dog can slip out onto the street. A child or a visiting relative can walk into the work zone. A crew member heading to the backyard for a ladder can leave the gate swinging. A closed gate that nobody latched can also swing in a gust, which is common on a St. Louis afternoon when a front comes through in the middle of the job. None of these problems is dramatic on its own, but each one is easy to prevent if the bid says who handles the gate.

Spring and fall bring a further issue. Wood gate posts and hinges in this area move with the freeze-thaw cycle, and a latch that closed easily in October may not catch in February. If the gate has not been checked in a season, a roofer who swings it open and shut as part of the trip is doing something you should know about before the crew arrives.

Roofer comparison: four questions to ask each company

Ask each roofer the same four questions, in writing, and compare the answers line by line. Vague answers are information too.

1. Who opens and closes the gate on each trip? A good answer names a role, not a vague "we'll be careful." Ask whether the crew lead is responsible for latching it at the start and the end of every shift.
2. Is the gate a route, or is it kept shut? Some crews run materials through the side yard every day. Others prefer to use the front or drive side and keep the gate closed. Both can work. Ask which one the bid assumes.
3. What happens if the latch is broken or the gate does not close? Ask whether the roofer will tell you before work starts, whether they will temporarily secure it, and whether any repair is included in the bid or priced separately.
4. Where do dogs and children go while the gate is in use? This ties to your pet plan, but it belongs in the gate conversation too, because the gate is the point where the work area meets the rest of your yard.

Set the four answers side by side. A bid that answers all four in one clear line each is easier to hold a roofer to than a bid that says "site secured" with no further detail. Also note whether the person who answers these questions on the phone is the one who will be on site. Gate habits are set by the crew lead, so a promise from the office is only as good as the person carrying it out.

What it costs

Most gate-related work does not appear as its own line in a roof bid, and that is the problem. A broken latch, a sagging hinge or a post that has shifted is usually a small repair, but it still needs a clear owner. Ask each roofer whether gate hardware is covered if the crew damages it, whether a gate that was already loose is noted before work starts, and whether any replacement hardware is in the bid or added later as an extra.

There is also the matter of a temporary barrier. Some homeowners ask the roofer to add a temporary fence panel, a gate guard or a sign on the gate during the job. That is a small cost on paper, but it needs to appear in the bid if you want it. A bid that says the yard will be "protected" without naming the protection leaves that cost open.

Keep the cost questions separate from the workmanship questions. A roofer who quotes a low number and says the gate is "handled" may plan to treat any fix as a change order. A roofer who names the gate in the scope may have a higher total and a clearer picture of who pays. Compare the totals only after both are on the table.

What to ask before you sign

Bring a short list to the walk-through. Stand at the gate with each roofer and ask them to show you the route they expect the crew to use. Ask them to point out where the ladders will go and where the dumpster will sit relative to the gate. A roofer who can answer those questions on your property is describing the job they plan to do, not reading from a template.

• Which person closes the gate at the start of each day, and which person checks it at the end?
• Will the crew use the gate as a route, and if so, how is the route marked?
• Is the latch and hinge condition noted in writing before the first day?
• Who pays for hardware damage, and is that stated in the bid?
• Who do I call during the job if the gate is open or the latch fails?

Ask for the answers in writing. If a roofer says the crew will be careful, ask them to turn "careful" into a line item with a named person, a time and a place. Then keep a copy with your contract. If the job runs longer than planned, the same written answers give you something to point to.

If you have questions about your own yard or want to talk through a specific gate, call Keys Roofing at (314) 220-2333. The office can walk you through what a written scope should include for your property.