Closet Rods and Hanging Clothes Under the Tear-Off Line

Closet rods and hanging clothes rarely show up on a roof bid, but they sit directly under the work. When a crew strips shingles and pulls nails, the vibration travels through the rafters and into the ceiling framing. Grit sifts down through light fixtures, attic hatches and the gaps around the closet trim. A closet on an exterior wall can also pick up dust when the wind shifts during the tear-off. If a rod drops or a shelf works loose, a winter coat or a wool suit can end up on the floor under a pile of granules.

This is a small question with a clear answer in each proposal. The goal is to find out whether each roofer has a plan at all, who carries it out, and whether the plan costs you anything. Compare the replies side by side, the same way you would compare the square count or the nail schedule. A roofer who can name the closet, the method and the time of day has thought about the job. A roofer who says the crew will be careful has not yet answered the question.

Roofer comparison

Start by asking what each roofer does to protect the inside of the house on tear-off day. Many contractors will say they cover furniture and close doors. Ask them to be specific about closets. A good answer names the room, the closet and the method: plastic sheeting over the hanging clothes, garment bags, or moving the items out of the path of the ceiling below the work. A vague answer is a reason to call back and ask again in writing.

Ask about the ceiling and wall below the closet as well. If the closet sits under the roof deck or against the exterior wall that the crew will use as a staging point, the crew will be working directly overhead. Ask whether ladders will rest on that side of the house, whether materials will be dropped there, and whether the roof edge over the closet stays open at the end of the day. Put the answers in writing so the two bids can be checked against each other.

Ask whether the crew will move any clothing or whether they expect you to clear the closet before they arrive. Both arrangements are common, but they split the work differently. If the roofer expects you to clear it, the bid should say so, and the schedule should leave you enough time before the first load comes off the truck. If the crew will move the clothing, ask who handles the hangers, who puts the garments back, and whether anything is unwrapped in the process.

Photograph the closet before the job starts. Take a few pictures with the date visible, one of the rod with its load, one of the shelves and one of the floor. Ask each roofer whether the crew will take its own photos of the interior before work begins. A pre-start record is useful for both sides if a rod or shelf is found damaged later, because it shows what was there and how it was held.

Late fall and early winter raise the stakes in St. Louis. Heavy coats, boots and wool blankets are usually stored in the closet at this time of year, and they weigh more than summer clothing. A rod that holds a light load in July may sag under a full set of winter coats. Ask each roofer whether the crew will check the rod and the shelf brackets before moving anything, and whether they will tell you if a bracket looks loose.

What it costs

Protection of closet contents often appears under a cleanup line or a general protection line in a roof proposal, not as its own item. Ask where it sits. If the answer is that the cost is included, ask what materials are used and how many crew hours the protection step is expected to take. If the answer is that it is extra, ask for the price in writing before you sign, and compare it with the other roofers' numbers for the same step.

Two costs deserve a close look. The first is the labor to cover the closet before the work and uncover it afterward. The second is the cost to clean garments that pick up grit or to replace one that was damaged. Many proposals do not address damage to household contents at all, and a homeowner should not assume that a roofing contract covers a suit that was soiled by dust. Ask each roofer whether the proposal addresses damage to property inside the house, and if it does not, ask what the crew does when a rod or shelf is broken by its work. The answer should say how the crew reports the damage and who arranges the repair.

Your contract sets what the crew owes for property inside the home, so read the clause that describes that responsibility. If the clause is silent on closets, the silence is the thing to raise before you compare totals. A clause that says the crew will protect the interior is not the same as one that says the crew will protect the contents of each closet, and the difference matters if something falls.

Do not add the closet protection cost to the roof price in your head. Two roofers can quote the same shingle and the same square count and still differ on how they handle the rooms below. One may include covering the closet in the labor, while another may treat it as an optional add-on. Write each treatment into your comparison sheet so the totals are measured against the same work.

What to ask

Bring a short list to each call, and write down the answers. Ask who covers the closet, with what material, and at what point in the day. Ask who moves the clothing and when. Ask who checks the closet at the end of each work day and whether the crew writes down anything that falls or shifts. Ask what happens when a rod, shelf or fixture is damaged, and how you will hear about it.

1. Which closets sit under the work area, and which of their walls share a line with the roof edge or the staging spot?
2. Does the crew cover the closet, move the clothing, or ask you to clear it before the first load arrives?
3. Where does the protection step appear in the proposal, and is any part of it priced as an extra?
4. Who inspects the closet at the end of each day, and does the crew record what they find?
5. If a rod, shelf or light fixture is damaged by the work, what does the contract say the crew will do about it, and in what form will you receive the report?

Put each answer in writing and compare the replies. Vague answers from one roofer and specific ones from another tell you more than a small difference in price does. If you want to talk through the closet plan for a specific house before you choose, call Keys Roofing at (314) 220-2333 and ask for the written answer on each point.