Compare the Hold Points Each Roofer Writes Into the Schedule

A hold point is a stop written into the schedule where the crew does not move to the next step until something is checked. It might be the bare deck, the flashing at a wall, the underlayment before a forecast rain, or the finished roof before the dumpster leaves. Most roof contracts list a start date and a finish date and say little about the stops in between. This page is for the homeowner who wants to compare how each roofer builds those stops into the plan, and who is responsible for checking them.

Roofer comparison

Ask each roofer to send the schedule with the hold points marked, not just the start and finish dates. A roofer with a real sequence will name the steps. Look for at least three stops: after the tear-off and before new material goes down, after the underlayment and drip edge are in, and at the end, before the final walk.

The first stop is the one that deserves the most attention in St. Louis. Once the old shingles are off, the crew sees the deck for the first time. Freeze and thaw cycles through a St. Louis winter soften the edges of old sheathing near gutters and valleys, and a stain from an old leak can run farther across the boards than it looks from the ground. A roofer who stops at that point, photographs the deck, and tells you what needs replacing has given you a choice before any replacement boards are bought. A roofer who plans to keep moving with no stop has moved that decision to the day the crew is already on the roof.

The second stop sits between the underlayment and the shingles. Underlayment and ice and water shield at the eaves keep rain off the deck if the weather turns, and they are hard to inspect once shingles cover them. Compare whether each roofer schedules a look at the eave membrane, the valleys and the step flashing at walls before the shingle layer begins. Some crews do this as a matter of course. Others will say their own process covers it, and you can ask them to show you the photos.

Spring hail season adds another reason to keep that second stop. A storm between the underlayment and the shingles can tear the membrane at the ridge or the rake edge, and the crew will not see the damage unless someone looks before the shingle layer goes down. Ask whether the crew re-checks the deck after any storm that passes during the job, and whether that re-check is a scheduled stop or something they do only if you call.

The third stop is the final walk. This is where you see the ridge, the vents, the pipe boots and the gutter line with the crew still on site. Compare whether the final walk is a scheduled step or something that happens when the crew feels ready. A roofer who says the walk happens "when the job is done" has not put a hold point in the schedule at all.

What a hold point needs to say

A stop only works if the schedule says what the crew is waiting for. Each hold point should name the thing checked, the person who checks it, and whether the crew can continue without that person. If the crew can continue without anyone looking, the stop is a photo, not a hold. Ask each roofer which of their stops require you to be on site and which only require a photo sent to you the same day.

Weather is the other reason a stop exists. If rain is forecast after the underlayment goes on, the schedule should say whether the crew will cover the deck before they leave, and whether a check happens before the shingles start. Pause terms are a separate question, but the hold point is where the decision about the forecast gets recorded, so it belongs in writing.

What it costs

A hold point usually costs the homeowner nothing in dollars. The crew checks the deck while it is already exposed, and the final walk happens on the day the work is finished. The cost shows up in time. A stop that waits for the homeowner to be home can push the crew to another day, and a stop that waits for an outside inspector can push it further. Ask each roofer how long each stop takes and what happens to the crew's schedule if a stop runs over.

Where a cost does appear is in the deck. If the check finds soft or rotted sheathing, replacement is priced by the sheet or by the board, and the quote should say which one applies. Compare each roofer's deck replacement rate on paper before the tear-off, not after. A roofer who prices deck repair as "as needed" with no rate has left the stop with the largest unknown cost unpriced.

Some municipal permits in St. Louis County call for an inspection at a set point in the work, and the timing is set by the permit office, not by the roofer. If your permit requires an inspection during the job, that inspection has to be matched to a hold point, and the date should appear on the schedule. Check with the permit desk for your city before you agree to a start date that leaves no room for the visit.

What to ask

1. Send me the schedule with each hold point marked, and tell me what the crew is waiting for at each one.
2. After the tear-off, will you photograph the deck and list the repairs before you replace anything?
3. Before the shingles go on, do you check the eave membrane, the valleys and the wall flashing, and will you send me the photos?
4. Which stops need me on site, and which only need a photo the same day?
5. If rain is forecast after the underlayment is down, what does the crew do before it leaves?
6. Is the final walk a scheduled step, and who walks it with me?
7. Is each check included in the price, and how many days does a stop add if it runs over?

Write the answers into the proposal, not into a phone call. A hold point that lives only in conversation is the one that gets skipped when the crew falls behind. If you want to go through the schedule before you sign, the office can be reached at (314) 220-2333.