What Size Dumpster Do You Need for a Roof Replacement?

Roofing Is a Weight Problem, Not a Space Problem

A whole roof's worth of shingles only fills a corner of a 20 yard dumpster, but it can blow past the weight limit before the container looks half full. That is the one thing to get right. Every Dumpster Hire rental includes a set amount of weight (1 ton for the 11 yard, 1.5 tons for the 15 yard, 2 tons for the 20 yard), and anything over that is billed at $80 per ton, prorated. So the goal is to estimate your tear-off weight before you book, not after.

Step 1: Count Your Squares

Roofers measure in squares. One square is 100 square feet of roof surface. Your roofing quote almost always lists it, and if not, a quick way to estimate is to take your home's footprint and add about 15 to 30 percent for pitch and overhangs. A 2,000 square foot single story home in North Texas usually works out to 25 to 30 squares. Two story homes have less roof per square foot of living space, often 15 to 20 squares.

Step 2: Figure the Weight

Shingle weight depends on the type and how many layers are coming off:

• 3-tab shingles: about 200 to 250 lbs per square per layer
• Architectural (dimensional) shingles: about 250 to 320 lbs per square per layer
• Felt, nails and flashing: add roughly 10 percent on top

If your home has two layers of shingles (common on older houses that were re-roofed over the original layer), double it. If any plywood decking is being replaced, each 4 by 8 sheet of torn out decking adds another 40 to 50 lbs.

Step 3: Match It to a Size

For a full roof, the 20 yard is the right call every time. It has the room, the walk-in rear door makes it easy to wheelbarrow shingles in, and the extra weight is simply billed by the pound at the landfill rate instead of forcing you into a second container.

What a Typical North Texas Roof Actually Costs

Here is the honest math on a 28 square architectural roof, one layer, which is about average for a 2,000 to 2,400 square foot home around Frisco, McKinney, Denton or Celina:

• 28 squares × 250 lbs = 7,000 lbs, plus 10 percent = 7,700 lbs (3.85 tons)
• 20 yard, 3 day rental: $400 with 2 tons included
• Overage: 1.85 tons × $80 = $148
• Total: about $548, drop-off, pickup and disposal included

Compare that to paying for two dumpsters, or a roofer's debris line item that quietly builds in a cushion. Because overage is prorated to the exact scale ticket, you pay for the weight you actually had and nothing more.

Timing Around Hail Season

North Texas roofs mostly get replaced in waves after spring and early summer hail storms, and roofing crews book up fast. A few things that make the dumpster part go smoothly:

• Book the dumpster for the day before tear-off. Crews start early. A 3 day rental dropped Monday is picked up Thursday, which covers a normal one or two day roof job with slack for weather.
• Put it where the shingles fall. Tell us at checkout which side of the driveway is closest to the steepest slope so the crew is not carrying debris across the yard.
• Protect the driveway. We place containers carefully, but a few sheets of plywood under the rails are cheap insurance on older or stamped concrete.
• Keep it level with the rim. Shingles slide. Loads that mound above the top cannot be tarped and hauled legally.

Can Shingles Go in the Dumpster?

Yes. Asphalt shingles, felt, flashing, drip edge, nails and old decking are all fine. Keep out the things no Texas landfill will take: liquid tar or sealant in cans, solvents, and propane cylinders from torch-down work. If your roofer is also pulling down gutters, old satellite dishes or vent fans, those can go in too.

Insurance Claim? Keep the Ticket

If the roof is going through an insurance claim, the landfill scale ticket is your proof of disposal weight. Ask us for a copy and keep it with your roofing invoice. Adjusters sometimes want it, and it settles any question about how much debris came off the house.