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Do I Need to Be Home? Cars, Pets and Landscaping

Written by the Brazen Roofing Team · Last updated September 1, 2026

You do not need to be home for a roof replacement. You do need to be reachable, and you need to have done about thirty minutes of preparation the evening before.

Here is what actually matters, and why.

Why being reachable matters more than being present

One decision comes up on most jobs and it cannot wait: deck damage. Nobody knows what condition the sheathing is in until the old roof comes off, and when rotten decking is found the crew needs an answer before they can carry on.

If your estimate includes a per-sheet price for replacement: and it should, see how to read a roofing estimate, that call is quick. If it does not, the job stops while a price is agreed. Either way, an unanswered phone means a crew standing still on a roof that is currently open.

Beyond that, there is very little you need to be there for. The work happens outside, above you, and no one needs access to the inside of the house.

The night before: what to move

Vehicles

Everything out of the driveway and away from the perimeter of the house. Not just for the dumpster and the material delivery: tear-off sends debris and nails over the edge of the roof, and tarps catch most of it but not all. Park on the street or at a neighbor, well clear.

If you have a garage under the roof being worked on, take out anything you would mind being dusty.

Inside the house

This is the part people do not expect. Tear-off and nailing transmit real vibration through the structure, and things fall:

• Take pictures and mirrors off walls, especially on upper floors.
• Move anything fragile off shelves and off the tops of furniture.
• Take down anything hanging from ceilings: light fittings are fine, but hanging plants and ornaments are not.
• If you have an attic with items stored in it, cover them. Dust and small debris come through the deck as nails are driven, and older sheathing sheds more.
• Close windows on the side being worked on, and cover anything in the attic you care about.

Outside

• Move patio furniture, grills, planters and children’s toys away from the walls of the house.
• Take down anything on exterior walls that could be knocked, hanging baskets, wind chimes, decorative items.
• Move anything on a deck or patio directly below a roof edge.
• If you have a satellite dish or aerial on the roof, mention it in advance so it can be handled deliberately rather than discovered.

Landscaping

A good crew tarps beds and shrubs, but there are limits to what tarps can protect. If you have plants you particularly care about directly against the house, say so before the day rather than after. Established shrubs generally cope; delicate or recently planted things sometimes do not.

Also worth knowing: if a dumpster is going on your driveway or lawn, ask where. Loaded dumpsters are heavy, and a wet lawn or a decorative driveway surface can suffer. It is a two-minute conversation that avoids a real annoyance.

Pets

This is the one we would push hardest on. A roof replacement is loud, it lasts all day, and it comes from directly above. Dogs and cats find it genuinely distressing, and there is a practical risk as well: gates get left open as crews carry materials, and a frightened animal takes the opportunity.

If you can, have pets out of the house for the day, at a friend’s or in daycare. If they must be home, keep them in the room furthest from the work, tell the crew they are there, and check the gates yourself rather than assuming.

Children, and working from home

Small children generally find it exciting for twenty minutes and difficult for the remaining seven hours. If you have a choice, plan to be elsewhere.

If you work from home, assume you will not be able to take calls in a room directly under the active section. The noise is not constant across the whole roof, the crew works in sections, so moving to the opposite end of the house usually helps more than you would expect.

On the day, and afterwards

• Keep the driveway clear so the crew is not carrying materials further than necessary.
• Do not go up to look. Tear-off sites have loose debris and exposed fasteners, and it puts you and the crew at risk.
• Expect a magnetic sweep of the drive and lawn for nails at the end. If you have a gravel drive or thick lawn, mention it, those need more than one pass.
• Walk the perimeter yourself afterwards, particularly if you have children or dogs who will be on the grass. A second look costs nothing.
• Check gutters for debris before signing off.

For how long the work itself will take, see how long does a roof replacement take. If you have not booked yet, a free roof inspection comes with a written scope, and our roof replacement page sets out how we run a job.

Replacement day questions