Updated 2026-10-23. Prices are sourced ranges, checked against national cost data — your hauler's written quote is the number that counts. Get it in writing, with the included tons and overage rate on it.
Roof tear-offs are sized by weight, not volume. A 20-yard dumpster almost never fills up with shingles — it hits its tonnage allowance first. For most residential tear-offs, a 20-yard handles up to about 25 squares of single-layer shingles; go to a 30-yard for two layers or a bigger roof. A 40-yard is almost never the answer for shingles: you'd reach the weight cap with the box barely half full, and the 8-foot walls make it miserable for a crew to pitch debris over (source: Little J's Dumpster Rental roofing sizing guide).
One "square" of roofing = 100 sq ft. Stripped shingle weight, per layer:
| Material | Per square, per layer |
|---|---|
| 3-tab asphalt | ~200–250 lbs |
| Architectural / dimensional asphalt | ~250–400 lbs |
| Premium / designer asphalt | ~300 lbs |
| Concrete tile | ~900–1,100 lbs — different game, see below |
Sources: HomeGenius Exteriors comparison (updated Oct 2026); IKO estimates via Go Pro Waste (updated Oct 2026). A second layer roughly doubles the total.
A typical 25-square architectural shingle roof, single layer, strips out to roughly 3–4 tons of debris before underlayment, flashing, and any replaced decking are added.
| Roof size | Single layer | Two layers |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 15 squares | 15-yard (or 10-yard) | 20-yard |
| 15–25 squares | 20-yard | 30-yard |
| 25–35 squares | 20-yard (watch weight) | 30-yard, plan a swap |
| 35–50 squares | 30-yard | 30-yard + swap |
| Over 50 squares | 30-yard + swap | Multiple containers |
Table adapted from hauler-published sizing guides (Port Charlotte Dumpster Rentals; Little J's Dumpster Rental, Janesville WI). Shingles only — tile needs its own plan.
Plenty of houses carry a second layer of shingles laid over the original, and homeowners often don't know until the crew is on the roof. A second layer roughly doubles the tear-off weight. Look at the rake edge from the ground — a double layer usually shows as a thicker band where the roof meets the fascia — and ask your roofer to confirm during inspection. If you can't tell, budget for two layers (source: Longview Dumpster Rental Guys roofing guide).
Concrete tile runs ~900–1,100 lbs per square — 3–4× architectural shingle. A 25-square tile roof is around 12 tons of material, which is not a 30-yard job: that's several small containers part-filled, or a planned sequence of swaps. If the roof is tile, say so in the first sentence when you call your hauler, or you'll end up with a container on the driveway that can't legally be hauled once full (source: Port Charlotte Dumpster Rentals).
Sources: Angi national average via Zters (2026); NationKernel cost guide; DumpsterCostCalculator 20-yard pricing; Trusted Experts 2026 price survey. Local Chicago pricing is being verified — see our Chicago price guide for the local market.
The defense against the overage bill is boring and total: written quote, included tons, overage $/ton, weight ticket. Roofing is the #1 overage category in our hidden-fees guide.
Get the container as close to the tear-off area as the site allows — on the driveway, tight to the eave, doors facing the drop zone — so the crew pitches debris straight off the roof. If it has to sit in the street or alley, that's permit territory: Chicago permit rules, street vs. driveway. Tell your hauler the roofer's timeline so delivery lands before tear-off starts, not after. And keep the container tarped: an open box through a rain or snow storm gains real weight in packed water and ice, and you pay to landfill that water.