Roofing and Shingle Dumpster Rental
Shingles are dense, so roofing containers are ordered by squares rather than by volume. Placement matters almost as much as size: the closer the box sits to the tear-off, the faster the crew works.
A square of asphalt shingles, 100 square feet of roof, weighs roughly 250 pounds for a single layer of three-tab and can reach 400 pounds or more for architectural shingles or a second layer. That makes roofing one of the few jobs where you can calculate the container size properly before anyone climbs a ladder.
Count the squares, note the number of layers, and the arithmetic is straightforward. A 20 yard container handles roughly 30 squares of single-layer architectural shingle inside its weight allowance. Two layers on the same roof means either a larger container or a second pull, and knowing that in advance is the difference between a clean job and a surprise invoice.
Sizing by squares and layers
Single-layer three-tab is the lightest common case at roughly 250 pounds per square. Architectural or dimensional shingle runs heavier. A tear-off down through an older second layer can double the weight of the whole job.
As a working guide: a 15 yard container suits roughly 20 squares of single-layer tear-off, and a 20 yard suits roughly 30. Those figures are weight-bound, not volume-bound, which is why a 30 yard is rarely the right answer for a shingle job. If the roof is bigger than one container, a swap-out mid-tear-off keeps the crew on the roof.
Keeping the load clean pays on a roof job
A container of nothing but shingles can often go to a shingle recycler and be processed into asphalt paving material, which prices below the landfill rate in much of the country. Throw the lunch trash, the old insulation and a few scraps of siding in and the load is mixed debris at the mixed debris price.
This is the easiest discount in the trade to collect. Keep a separate trash barrel on site and tell the crew the container is shingles only.
Placement: close to the roofline, kind to the driveway
Tear-off speed is a function of how far debris has to travel. A container set at the eave on the tear-off side, with the doors facing the work, lets a crew shovel straight in off a tarp or a slide. A box parked at the kerb on the far side of the house means every bundle is carried.
On residential driveways, ask for boards under the container rails. Loaded steel sitting on hot concrete will leave marks, and plywood under the rails and the wheels prevents it. We also sweep for nails at pickup, which matters more than it sounds on a driveway a family parks in.
What goes in, and what cannot
Prohibited items are set by the disposal facility, not by us. A load containing them is rejected at the scale and comes back to site.
Goes in the container
- Asphalt and architectural shingles
- Roofing felt and synthetic underlayment
- Ridge cap and hip shingles
- Rotten decking and sheathing removed during tear-off
- Drip edge, flashing and vents
- Nails, caps and tear-off debris
Cannot be accepted
- Tile or slate roofing in a standard shingle container (ask for heavy debris)
- Household trash or construction debris mixed into a shingle load
- Insulation batts, which should go in a separate general container
- Wet paint, solvents, lacquer and thinners
- Motor oil, fuel, antifreeze and other automotive fluids
- Asbestos-containing material
- Tires, batteries and propane tanks
If you are unsure about something specific, call before it goes in the container. A single prohibited item can cause the whole load to be turned away at the gate, and that is a wasted haul charged to the job.
Recommended sizes for this work
Sizes we would normally quote for roofing & shingle dumpster rental, with the weight allowance that matters.
| Size | L × W × H | Included tons | Pickup loads | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 yard | 22′ × 8′ × 4.5′ | 3 - 4 | 6 - 8 | Roof tear-offs up to about 30 squares. Mid-size remodels. Garage cleanouts. |
How the rental runs
Tell us the debris and the ZIP
One call sizes the container. What you are throwing away matters more than how much of it there is, because a concrete load hits its weight limit long before it fills the box.
We confirm placement and permits
Driveway, street or lot. We need roughly 60 feet of straight approach and 23 feet of overhead clearance for the truck to roll a container off. Street placement in most cities needs a right-of-way permit, and we will tell you what yours asks for.
Delivery, usually next day
Same-day delivery is often available on calls placed before about 10am. The driver sets boards under the rails on request so the container does not mark your concrete.
Load to the fill line, then call for the haul
Keep debris level with the top rail. An overloaded container is unsafe to tarp and the driver cannot legally haul it. Call when you are done and we pull it, or swap it for an empty if the job is still running.
Questions about roofing & shingle dumpster rental
How many squares fit in a 20 yard container?
Roughly 30 squares of single-layer architectural shingle within the weight allowance. Two layers, or a heavier shingle, cuts that figure significantly.
Can I put the old decking in with the shingles?
Rotten decking removed during the tear-off is accepted. If the load becomes mostly lumber, it is no longer a recyclable shingle load, so mention it when you order.
Will the container damage my driveway?
Not if it is set on boards. Ask for plywood under the rails and wheels when you book and the driver will place it that way.
Do you take tile or slate roofing?
Yes, but not in a standard shingle container. Tile and slate are heavy-debris loads and need a smaller container with a lower fill line.
This service by state
State pages add local disposal rates, permit rules and ground conditions on top of the guidance above.
Other debris types
Most jobs need more than one container.
Get this container on site
Tell us the ZIP and the volume. We will confirm the size, the weight allowance and the delivery day.