Last reviewed October 31, 2026.
The night before the crew comes, the house looks normal. By eight the next morning there is a dumpster where the car usually sits, ladders against the gutters, and a steady thump overhead that rattles the framed photos in the upstairs hall. None of that surprises the roofer. It only catches the homeowner off guard when nobody said it was coming.
The driveway and the garage
The dumpster needs somewhere to land, and that is usually the driveway. G&V Roofing in Merrick tells homeowners to free up the driveway for the dumpster and crew (April 2025), and Rapid Restore NY says to move vehicles out and clear space for staging materials (October 2026).
IKO, the shingle maker, suggests parking on the street the night before. A car left in the driveway can get boxed in when a supplier drops off shingles.
If the garage roof is part of the job, IKO warns against leaving the car inside. Garage roofs are usually not insulated, it says, so granules and nails can fall straight through and scratch the paint. Throw a tarp over tools and anything else stored out there.
Up in the attic
Tearing off shingles and replacing boards shakes debris loose from above, and the attic takes the brunt of it. IKO says the attic collects the most dust, and suggests bringing sentimental and fragile things down to the ground floor and covering the rest with tarps or drop cloths.
G&V Roofing suggests removing valuables and covering the insulation. Rapid Restore NY says dust and small debris may fall into the attic when decking is being replaced.
Walls, shelves and the top floor
Hours of hammering send a shudder through the whole house. IKO says that vibration can shake things off the walls, and suggests taking down mirrors, pictures and shelving. Be extra thorough on the top floor, it says, because it moves more, and keep glassware and china from touching each other or the walls.
Home Team Construction in Mastic puts it more briefly: anything hanging loosely on your upper walls is worth taking down for the day.
IKO adds that satellite dishes, skylights and solar panels on the roof will be removed and reinstalled, so expect TV interruptions. G&V Roofing asks owners to take down satellite dishes, decor or lights near the rooflines.
Kids, pets and a home office
You can stay in the house during the work, Home Team Construction says, but it is definitely loud. G&V Roofing tells homeowners to expect loud tear-off and hammering from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. If your office is the spare bedroom, Rapid Restore NY suggests considering temporary arrangements during peak installation hours.
For pets, IKO suggests a friend’s house or a kennel if possible. If the dog or cat stays home, keep it indoors, walk it beforehand, and give it its crate and familiar toys.
IKO says it might be best for children to spend the day at a relative’s or friend’s house, and that older kids who stay should be told about the debris and wear shoes at all times.
Clearing a path around the house
Crews need to reach every wall of the house. IKO asks for about 15 feet of clear space all the way around, with lawn furniture, statues, fountains and bird feeders moved into a shed or garage.
It also suggests marking sprinkler heads and prized plants, opening any locked gates, mowing the lawn so dropped nails are easier to spot, and making sure an outdoor outlet works. If there is no outlet outside, IKO suggests leaving a nearby door or window open so the crew can plug in. It also notes that some crews board up windows until the old roof is fully off.
Give the neighbors a heads-up too, IKO says. Noise and stray debris can reach their side of the fence, and if they leave their gates open, the crew can pick up shingles that land in their yard. G&V Roofing makes the same point about adjacent homes.
Home Team Construction says it covers landscaping and siding with protective sheets, and Long Island Exterior Co. in Babylon says it protects landscaping and the driveway with tarps and plywood. Ask your roofer which of these steps it handles and which it leaves to you.
When the dumpster leaves
Home Team Construction says it runs heavy magnets across the whole property for stray nails, then finishes with a walkthrough that includes photos of what was under the old roof. Long Island Exterior Co. and G&V Roofing both describe a magnetic sweep.
IKO points out where that tool stops working: magnets and metal detectors find nails, but the only way to find shingle scraps is to walk the yard and look.
How many days the noise lasts is covered in how long a roof replacement takes. If you have not picked a start date yet, the best time of year to reroof is worth reading first.
