In an ideal world, all homes would have large sprawling driveways that lead up to homes with sloped roofs. Roofers call this access and it generally makes the job easier, especially the delivery of roofing materials. Of course, not every home can have perfect access. Some homes are found in dense urban landscapes and have no driveways, some homes may have gigantic trees that drape over the property.

This will make it tough for a delivery company to get the materials on top of your roof. So what you should you do for your material delivery when your home has no access? Here is some of our advice on getting materials on your property.

What to Do when Your Home Has No Access

Let’s talk about delivery trucks first. Roofing material companies usually have an array of trucks, flatbeds, conveyor belts and more to get shingles on top of your roof. Unfortunately, this means nothing if there is no direct access to your home for these trucks. In this case, the materials will likely need to be set on the ground, also known as a ground drop.

If you know that your home lacks access for delivery, it’s best to take care of that issue before the delivery truck arrives. Take a look around your property for areas that would be good to set materials. Concrete patios, large sidewalks and other solid surfaces are your best bet while lawns, yards and natural should be lower on the list from due to the bulk and weight of the materials damaging these areas. Also, remember the closer to the roof, the better, as the crews will have to hoist shingles up on a roof when there is no access.

If you can, try to meet the material delivery crew. From there you can give implicit instructions on where you want the materials and the material delivery crew can make sure they are also in a viable spot for future work. Your roofing contractor should be able to provide you information on when your material delivery will take place. Keep in mind that your roofing contractor and material supplier are often two distinct companies so one may not always have the information the other does.

Picking out a good spot, meeting the delivery crew and placing your roofing materials in a good spot is an easy way to avoid the headaches of a surprise ground drop on your front lawn. Talk with your roofing contractor beforehand about these situations to make sure your delivery goes off without a hitch.