Dead Ash Trees Near a Chesterfield Roof Need a Line in the Bid

Ash trees are common on Chesterfield lots, and many of them have been struggling for years. Emerald ash borer has been in the St. Louis region long enough that plenty of yards now have ash that is dead, thinning, or dying back from the top. Dead wood does not hold together well in wind or ice, and limbs from these trees are often brittle. When one of them hangs over the roof you are replacing, the tear-off is no longer just a shingle job. It becomes a question of who looks at the tree, who writes down what they see, and who is responsible for a limb that lands on the crew or on the new deck.

Town roofing

Many Chesterfield subdivisions were laid out with trees along the street and in the back yards, and ash was a common choice for quick shade. That means a lot of houses here have ash close to the roofline, sometimes within reach of a limb that could land on the eave. You may not know whether a given tree is ash. On older trunks the bark is gray with a diamond pattern of ridges, and the leaves grow in opposite pairs along a stem with several leaflets. Those are useful clues, but a tree specialist should confirm them.

Dying ash shows signs that are easier to see from the ground than from a ladder. Look for a thin or bare crown, especially near the top. Look for sprouts coming up from the trunk or lower branches, which stressed trees often send out. Look for small D-shaped holes in the bark, which are exit holes left by adult beetles, and for woodpecker work that strips bark in patches. None of these proves a tree is dead, and none of them tells you when a limb will fall. They are reasons to have someone look before the crew arrives.

The winter weather here adds a second problem. Ash wood that has been dying for several seasons dries and cracks, and repeated freeze and thaw cycles can split a limb that looked sound in October. Spring storms bring wind across open lots, and a limb that has hung on for a year can let go on a calm afternoon. A roof crew works under the canopy when it strips the old shingles, sets its ladders, and stacks bundles, so the tree becomes part of the job whether or not anyone planned it that way.

Where the tree meets the tear-off

Once the old shingles are off, the deck is exposed, and any limb that drops can punch through decking, bend drip edge, or land on a worker. Even a small limb can crack a gutter run or dent fascia. The crew also needs room to walk the eave, carry debris down, and bring the dumpster or trailer in. A tree directly over the drop zone changes where the ladders go and where the debris can fall, and that changes the route the crew takes all day.

Tree work is not part of a roof bid unless the bid says so in writing. What a roofing contractor can do is walk the lot, photograph each tree that touches the roofline or the drop zone, note its condition in the written scope, and mark on the plan which trees the crew will work beneath. Keys documents what it sees and puts the photos and measurements in the homeowner's hands. If a tree is coming down, that removal belongs to a tree company, and its date has to be settled before the tear-off date is final. If the tree is staying, the scope should say how the crew will protect the work and where limbs and debris will be kept clear.

What it costs

Tree work is priced by a different trade, and it should appear on a different line from the roof. A removal can involve a bucket truck, a crane, or a rigging crew, depending on the tree's height, how close it sits to the house, and whether the trunk can be cut and lowered in sections. Stump grinding and wood hauling add to the bill. A roof quote that folds tree removal into the shingle price has made an assumption that someone needs to check. Ask whether the figure came from a tree company's written quote, and whether the removal is in the roof bid, in a separate contract, or left for the homeowner to arrange.

The roof side of the cost follows from the tree. If a tree stays, the crew may need to shift ladder placement, take more care at the eaves, or carry debris along a slower route. Those hours show up as labor, and they belong in the roof scope where you can see them. A bid that says nothing about the tree may still be a correct roof price, but it does not tell you what the crew will do about the canopy.

What to ask

Put these questions to each contractor in writing before you choose a start date.

• Which trees on my lot are ash, and who confirmed it?
• Which of those trees sit within reach of the roofline or the drop zone?
• Will the written scope record each tree's condition, with photos?
• Is tree removal or limb cutting included in this bid, or in a separate contract?
• If a tree is staying, where will the crew set ladders and stage debris?
• Who decides on the day whether a limb is safe to work under?
• If a limb falls during the tear-off, who writes it down, and when?

The answers show whether a bid treats the tree as part of the roof or leaves it to chance. If the answers are vague, ask the contractor to put them into the scope before you sign. Questions about the job can go to Keys Roofing at (314) 220-2333.

Before the crew sets a ladder

Walk the lot with a phone before anyone arrives. Photograph each ash from the street, from the rear yard, and from the side eaves. Note the trees that lean toward the roof and the ones that shade the north slope. Mark any tree you plan to keep, and tell the crew which ones they should treat as hazards. Keep the photo set dated, and send copies to the contractor along with your questions.

A tree that has been dying for several years rarely gives a clear warning. Limbs break where the wood is weakest, and that is often over the spot where the crew is working. Whether ash over your Chesterfield roof is a risk to the job is a question you can answer before the tear-off starts, and the written bid is the place to answer it.