Ask Each Roofer Who Lifts the First Bundle Onto Your Roof

The first thing that reaches your yard on roof day is not the crew. It is a pallet of shingles, strapped and heavy, set down from a truck or trailer and then carried by hand or by a lift to the eave. Many homeowners never ask who handles that first bundle, yet the answer tells you how the rest of the day will run. A crew with a named lead on the ground, a plan for where pallets wait, and a clear rule for who checks the count has usually thought about the job before the truck turns in. A crew that shrugs at the question is not necessarily careless, but the answer alone will not tell you which kind you have, so you need to compare.

This page is for a St. Louis homeowner who has two or more written bids on the table and wants one specific fact before choosing. The question is simple to ask. Ask each roofer who lifts the first bundle onto the roof, who signs for the delivery at your address, and what happens if a bundle slides off a ladder or a lift. Write each answer down beside the roofer's name. Keys Roofing is the contractor behind Compare STL Roofers, and the same questions apply to Keys as to any other company on your list.

Roofer comparison

Start by separating two jobs that often get lumped together. The first is the delivery: a truck arrives, the driver sets the pallet at a spot you approve, and someone checks the bundle count against the order. The second is the lift: the bundles move from the pallet to the eave, usually by hand up a ladder or with a hoist, and then across the roof to the crew's work area. Some roofers handle both with their own people. Others use a delivery crew from a supply branch for the drop and their own installers for the lift. Neither approach is wrong, but each puts the first bundle in different hands and each answers a different liability question.

Ask each roofer which of those two jobs their own people do, and which they hand to someone else. Ask for the name of the lead installer who will touch the first bundle, not just the company name. A roofer who can name that person is giving you a fact you can check on day one. A roofer who says the crew will sort it out has given you a plan that depends on whoever shows up.

Next, compare where the pallet waits. A St. Louis lot often has a narrow side yard, a gravel drive that cannot take a loaded truck, or a front walk the crew should not block. Ask each roofer to name the spot where the pallet will sit overnight if the roof is not ready. Ask whether the spot is on your concrete, on plywood laid over the lawn, or on the street. The answer tells you whether the roofer has walked the lot. Ask whether they will mark that spot on the written scope so the crew and the homeowner read the same place.

Then ask about the count. A bundle that arrives short or damaged should be caught before the first nail, not on the roof. Ask each roofer who counts bundles at the truck, whether the homeowner can stand beside the count, and what the roofer does if the shade on the pallet does not match the order. Keys installs Atlas and Malarkey shingles only, so a shade question should resolve against those two lines. If a roofer names another brand in the answer, write that down too, because it means the bid and the delivery may not match.

Finally, compare the falls. A bundle weighs enough that a slip on a ladder can hurt a person and crack the edge of a shingle. Ask each roofer what gear the bundle carriers use, whether the crew has an approved hoist or only ladders, and who is responsible if a bundle hits a gutter, a window screen, a vehicle, or a neighbor's fence. You are not testing a safety record in a single phone call. You are checking whether each roofer can describe the plan without pausing.

What it costs

The first-bundle question does not usually show up as a line on a roof bid, but the cost of answering it badly does. A dropped bundle can mean a replacement shipment, a delayed start, and a second truck fee. A pallet left on the wrong part of the lot can mean a crushed walk, a torn sprinkler head, or a repair bill for the homeowner's own yard. A roofer who has priced the handling into the bid will tell you where that money sits. A roofer who has not may add it later as an extra.

Ask each roofer whether the delivery fee, the hoist, and the handling labor are in the bid price or billed separately. Ask whether the price assumes a single delivery or more than one. In St. Louis, a shingle order can arrive in two drops when the supply branch is short on a color, and each drop can carry its own charge. Write down the number each roofer gives for a single delivery and for a split delivery, so you can set the two bids side by side on the same basis.

Ask what happens to a bundle that is damaged on arrival. Some roofers absorb the replacement, some pass it to the supply branch, and some charge the homeowner. None of those answers is unusual, but the choice should be in writing. A line that says damaged bundles are replaced at no added charge is a commitment you can hold a roofer to. Silence on the point is a gap you will find later.

Be careful with price comparisons that treat handling as free. A lower total can hide a delivery fee that did not appear on the first quote, or a hoist charge that applies only on the second story. Before you compare totals, ask each roofer to list the delivery, hoist, and handling lines as separate items. If one bid combines them into a single labor number, ask for the split. The number may not change, but you will be able to see where it sits.

What to ask

Bring the same short list to every roofer, and read the answers back to yourself before you decide. Keep the wording identical so the comparison stays fair. Use these questions as written:

• Which of your own people lift the first bundle onto the roof, and what is the lead installer's name?
• Does a supply branch or delivery crew drop the pallet, and which one?
• Where will the pallet wait overnight if the roof is not ready, and will you mark that spot on the scope?
• Who counts the bundles at the truck, and can I stand beside the count?
• What happens if a bundle is damaged or the shade does not match the order?
• What equipment lifts the bundles, and is it a hoist or ladders only?
• Who is responsible if a bundle hits a gutter, a screen, a vehicle, or a neighbor's property?
• Is the delivery and handling in the bid price or billed separately, and is a split delivery priced differently?

Write each reply in a single document with the roofer's name at the top. If a roofer answers by phone, send a short email afterward that restates the answer in one sentence and asks them to confirm it. A reply that changes between the call and the email is worth noting. A reply that stays the same across two channels is one you can rely on when the truck arrives.

The Keys office line is (314) 220-2333 if you want to put these questions to Keys directly before you compare anything else. Ask the same questions of every roofer on your list, including the ones you have already decided against, so the comparison stays honest. When two answers differ, go back to the roofer with the difference and ask which one is written into the bid.

Keep the page of answers with the bid and the scope, and check it against the delivery slip when the shingles arrive.