Ask Each Roofer the Wind Speed That Ends the Workday

Roof work in St. Louis runs into weather that changes by the hour. A morning that starts calm can turn gusty in the afternoon when a front comes through, and the crew standing on a steep slope with bundles of shingles and a nailer has to decide whether to keep going. Most roofers have a number in mind for that decision. The question for a homeowner comparing bids is whether the number is written anywhere, and whether it is the same number from one company to the next.

This page covers that one line of the job. It does not replace a full read of the bid, the schedule or the contract. It answers one narrow question to put to each roofer before you pick a date: at what wind speed does the crew come off the roof, and who decides when that speed has been reached?

Why a wind number belongs in the bid

Wind affects a roof for reasons that go beyond crew safety. Loose underlayment and open decking lift and flap. Bundles staged on the roof can slide or blow off the edge. Tear-off debris goes wherever the air pushes it, so the driveway, the neighbors' cars and the plants along the walk are all in its path. A roofer who stops early on a gusty day protects the crew and the property at the same time. A roofer who keeps going through strong gusts is betting that nothing goes wrong, and if that bet fails, you are the one who lives with the result.

Ask in writing because a verbal habit is hard to hold anyone to. If a crew lead says he stops when conditions feel bad, you have no way to know whether the call will be made the same way on your roof as on the last one. A written line gives you something to compare across bids. It also gives the crew lead a rule to follow when the wind picks up and the homeowner is standing in the driveway asking why the work has paused.

Sustained wind and gusts are different numbers

When a roofer quotes a wind speed, check which kind of figure it is. Sustained wind is an average over a period, usually a few minutes. Gusts are short bursts that can run well above that average. Weather reports for St. Louis list both, and a forecast of 15 miles per hour sustained with gusts to 30 is a very different afternoon from one that is 15 with gusts to 18. A roofer may say he works until 25 and mean sustained wind, while gusts on your street are running past 35. Ask which figure the stop rule uses and where the crew reads it. An airport weather app, a handheld meter on the truck and a station across the river in the Metro East can all show different numbers on the same afternoon.

Ask also whether the stop rule covers the ground crew as well as the roof. Loading the dumpster, handling bundles on the lawn and sweeping the yard after tear-off each have their own exposure. A rule that covers only the roof leaves the yard with no rule at all.

What a usable answer sounds like

A useful answer has four parts. It names the number in miles per hour and says whether that number is sustained wind or gusts. It says what the crew does when the number is reached: which tasks stop, whether the crew comes down the ladder, and whether anything is secured before they leave. It names who makes the call, which should be a defined role on the job rather than whoever happens to be nearest the truck. And it says how the homeowner hears about it, whether by phone, text or not at all.

A vague answer sounds like this: we watch the weather and use good judgment. That may be true, and a crew lead with good judgment is worth having. It still gives you nothing to compare against the next bid. Ask the roofer to put the number in the proposal or the job notes. If the answer changes when you ask again a week later, write down both answers and the dates you asked.

Questions to ask before you pick a date

• At what sustained wind speed does the crew stop work on the roof, and at what gust speed?
• Which weather source does the crew use on the day, and is the reading taken at the house or at a station elsewhere?
• Which tasks stop first, including tear-off, shingle loading and nailing, and which keep going, such as cleanup?
• What is secured on the roof before the crew comes down, such as loose bundles, underlayment rolls and tarps?
• Who on the job makes the call to stop, and how do you hear about it?
• If work stops mid-afternoon because of wind, when does the crew return, and does the schedule move by a day or by a week?

The last question matters more than most people expect. A roof that is partly torn off, with the crew gone for a week, is a roof that has sat open through a storm. Ask the roofer to tie the wind rule to the rain plan so the open section is covered before the crew leaves. If your bid includes a tarp line, ask what size tarp is used and who checks it after a gust.

How wind shows up on the schedule

Spring and early summer bring many of the strongest wind events to the St. Louis area. Thunderstorm outflow, cold fronts and fast-moving squall lines can arrive with little warning on a day that started clear. Fall brings steadier winds that build over several hours. In either season, a crew that works to a wind rule will usually lose a few hours here and there rather than whole days, and a homeowner can plan around a short stop more easily than around an unexplained cancellation.

Ask each roofer how often the wind rule has stopped a job on recent work, and what the schedule did afterward. A company that has never stopped for wind is either lucky or not keeping records of it. A company that stops regularly but has a plan for the next day is giving you useful information about how its crews run. Either answer is worth writing down next to the price.

What the homeowner can do on the day

On a windy morning, walk the yard before the crew starts. Move patio furniture, grills, trash carts and garden decor away from the drop zone. Note the wind direction and whether a gusty front is forecast for the afternoon. If the crew stops, ask the lead which tasks remain open and what has been secured. Photograph the roof edge and the tarp line before you go back inside, so you have a record of where things stood when the work paused.

If you are not sure the wind rule is being followed, call the office at (314) 220-2333 and ask for the written rule and the reading the crew used that day. A written answer from any roofer is the thing to hold them to, and it is a fair question on any job.

What to do with the answers

Put the wind number next to the price, the start date, the tarp line and the cleanup line. A bid with a clear wind rule and a clear hold procedure is easier to compare than one that offers a lower total and says nothing about weather. If two bids are close on price, the one that names its number and its decision maker is usually the one that will be easier to live with when the afternoon turns gusty.