Crew Size Per Day Is a Number Most Roof Bids Leave Out

Two roof bids for the same house can agree on the square count, the shingle line and the start week, and still describe two very different jobs. The difference is often the number of people who will be on the roof each day and whether they stay the same from tear-off through final cleanup. Proposals usually print a total price and a completion window. Far fewer print a crew size. For a St. Louis homeowner that gap matters, because the crew sets how long the house sits open to weather.

Why headcount changes the job

An open roof is a temporary roof. Once the old shingles come off, the deck is exposed to the next rain, the next wind gust and the afternoon thunderstorm that can build in spring and summer. A larger crew usually gets the deck closed and dried in sooner. A smaller crew may take longer on each section, which means more hours with the house half open. Neither choice is wrong by itself. The problem is that two bids may assume different crew sizes, and the price can hide that choice.

Headcount also shapes the cleanup. A crew of four with a magnetic sweep at the end of each day leaves a different yard than a crew of two that plans to haul the last load on Friday. The proposal should say which of those you are buying.

What a crew size tells you about the sequence

Crew size also sets the order of work. On a typical tear-off, one group strips the old shingles, another checks the deck and replaces soft boards, and a third lays underlayment and drip edge behind them. A small crew may do each step in turn. That keeps the number of people low but stretches the hours the deck stays bare. A larger crew can run the steps side by side and close the deck sooner. Ask each roofer to describe the sequence in a sentence or two, then compare that description with the crew size they wrote down. If the two do not match, the schedule is probably not finished.

What to ask each roofer

Put the same questions to every bidder, in the same words, so the answers can sit side by side:

• How many workers will be on the roof on a typical day, and how many on the ground for loading and cleanup?
• Will the tear-off crew be the same people who install the new shingles, or is a separate crew coming in?
• Are any of the workers subcontracted, and if so, who employs them and who supervises them on site?
• What happens to the crew size if the roof measures larger than the estimate or the deck needs more repair than expected?
• Who do I call each morning if the crew does not show?

Ask for the answers in writing. A roofer who says four people in conversation but writes "crew as needed" on the page has given you a number that will move with the schedule. Ask for a written answer you can hold the contractor to. If a contractor, including Keys Roofing at (314) 220-2333, cannot say how many people will be on your roof, that is a fact you need before you sign.

Reading the answers side by side

Once each bid has a headcount, compare them the way you would compare any other line. A bid that promises six people for two days is not the same schedule as a bid that promises two people for four days, even if both list the same completion date. Work out rough labor hours by multiplying people by days. A large gap in hours at a similar price is worth a phone call. It may mean one bidder is pricing faster work, or it may mean one bidder expects the roof to stay open longer than you do.

Watch for the phrase "crew to be determined." It shows up in early bids, and it is not an answer. Ask when the crew will be known and whether you will be told before materials are delivered. A bid that cannot name a crew size before the start date is leaving the weather plan unfinished.

How the crew affects the open-roof window

St. Louis roofs face a few specific risks during a job. Afternoon storms arrive in late spring and summer. Freeze and thaw cycles can loosen shingles on a partly finished deck in winter and early spring. Steady wind crosses open ground in the fall. The number of people on the roof affects how many hours the deck is bare to all three. Ask each roofer what the plan is if a storm moves in during the afternoon. The answer should describe who covers the open sections, how quickly the tarps go on, and who makes that call. If the answer is "we watch the radar," ask who is watching it and what they do when the radar turns red.

Ask also whether the crew will stop mid-day when the roof is partly torn off. Some crews send half the team to haul debris while the rest keep the deck covered. Others pull the whole crew down and leave the deck exposed through the afternoon. Both approaches can be reasonable. You should know which one your contract assumes before the first shingle comes off.

When the crew changes mid-job

Crews change. A foreman leaves, a subcontractor is busy on another job, or a rain delay pushes the schedule into a different week. A proposal cannot prevent every change, but it can say what notice you get. Ask whether the roofer will tell you in writing before the crew changes size, and before a subcontractor replaces a regular worker. Ask who on the company side is responsible for keeping the schedule accurate.

If you are comparing two bids, write the crew plan into your notes beside each price. When the work starts, you can check the roof against what was promised. A homeowner who has the headcount on paper can ask a simple question on day two: is this the crew we agreed to? That question is much easier to ask than a complaint about a job that has already run long.