Skip to content
Eco Waste
Free tool · Size & weight

Roofing Dumpster Calculator

A square (100 sq ft) of architectural shingles weighs 211 to 300 lb by the makers’ published figures, so a 20-square, one-layer tear-off with felt is about 2.7 tons and 7.3 cubic yards: a 12-yard bin at $650, inside the 3 tons included. Standard concrete tile is 900 to 970 lb a square (Eagle), so the same roof in tile is about 9.5 tons.

No sign-up · works on your phoneUpdated 20 sources

The calculator

Your roof

How did you measure it?
sqYour roofer's bid usually states the squares.
Wood shake, wood shingle and metal aren't listed: we couldn't find a published weight per square to use.
Which weight to use
The makers' published figures disagree, so you pick. High is the safe side for budgeting.
Layers being torn off
Counted once, under the bottom layer.
Replacing roof decking?
Figured as 1/2-inch plywood, 1.5 lb per sq ft (APA), 48 lb per 4×8 sheet. OSB runs about 10% heavier per APA.

Tear-off

Weight

2.67tons

5,340 lb

Loose volume

7.3yd³

EPA volume-to-weight

Roof

20.0sq

2,000 sq ft × 1 layer

A 12-yard dumpster holds it: $650

Rounded to 3 tons, it stays within the 3 tons included. See the 12-yard · Rate sheet

How this was calculated
Squares2,000 sq ft ÷ 10020.00 sq
Roofing20.00 sq × 1 × 255.5 lb (midpoint of the range)5,110 lb
Underlayment20.00 sq × 11.5 lb230 lb
Tons5,340 lb ÷ 2,0002.67 t
Volume, roofing5,110 lb ÷ 731 lb/yd³6.99 yd³
Volume, felt230 lb ÷ 731 lb/yd³0.31 yd³
Bin3 tons & under. $135 each additional ton.$650
Weight source
4 published figures
Volume factor
731 lb/yd³
Rental
14 days, no moves
Load type
Debris (by weight)

EPA: composition roofing, 731 lb per cubic yard. Sources disagree: current CertainTeed Landmark sheets say 211 to 240 lb, NIST's generic laminated shingle averages 280 lb, and Landmark Premium is 300 lb. Published weights are for new product, not tear-off; the scale weight decides the bill.

Worked example

Two layers of architectural shingles on a 25-square roof

Roofing: 25 squares × 2 layers × 255.5 lb (the midpoint of 211–300 lb) = 12,775 lb. Felt: 25 × 11.5 lb = 288 lb. Total: 13,063 lb = 6.53 tons.

Volume: 13,063 lb ÷ 731 lb per cubic yard (EPA, composition roofing) = 17.9 yd³, so the smallest bin that holds it is the 20-yard.

Price: 6.53 tons rounds to 7. In a 20-yard that’s 4 tons over the 3 included: $650 + 4 × $135 = $1,190. The 40-yard includes 5 tons, so the same load there is $825 + 2 × $135 = $1,095. That’s cheaper, if a 20-foot bin fits your driveway.

Reference

Roofing weight per square, by material

One layer, no underlayment. “Squares to 3 tons” is where a 12–25 yard bill steps up: extra tonnage is rounded to the nearest ton, so it starts at 3.5 tons. Where makers disagree the range is shown and the midpoint is labelled.
Roofing tear-off weight per square by material, from manufacturer data sheets
MaterialPublished lb per squareMidpointTons per squareSquares to 3 tonsSquares to 5 tons (40-yd)Sources
3-tab asphalt shingles200–240220.00.11031.850.0CertainTeed CT 20 200; CertainTeed XT 25 220; CertainTeed XT 30 230; CertainTeed XT 30 IR 240
Architectural (laminated) asphalt shingles211–300255.50.12827.443.1CertainTeed Landmark 211–225; CertainTeed Landmark PRO 231–240; Generic laminated shingle (average) 280; CertainTeed Landmark Premium 300
Designer / heavy asphalt (luxury shake or slate look)350–468409.00.20517.126.9CertainTeed Presidential Shake 350; CertainTeed Grand Manor 418; CertainTeed Presidential Shake TL 468
Concrete tile (standard weight)900–970935.00.4687.511.8Eagle Capistrano 900; Eagle Malibu 903; Eagle Bel Air, Ponderosa, Golden Eagle 970
Lightweight concrete tile550–720635.00.31811.017.3Eagle Eaglelite Malibu 550; Eagle Eaglelite Capistrano 570; Eagle Eaglelite Bel Air, Ponderosa, Golden Eagle 720
Clay tile900–1,2501,075.00.5386.510.2Ludowici Spanish 13 900; Ludowici French Interlocking 1025; Ludowici Straight Barrel Mission 14 1250
Roof pitch multipliers: roof area equals footprint times the factor
PitchMultiplier (√(144 + rise²) ÷ 12)IKO table
2/121.0138not listed
3/121.0308not listed
4/121.05411.054
5/121.08331.083
6/121.11801.118
7/121.15771.157
8/121.20191.202
9/121.25001.250
10/121.30171.302
11/121.35661.356
12/121.41421.414

Add-ons: No. 15 felt 11.5 lb and No. 30 felt 26 lb per square (ASTM D226); roof decking 48 lb per 4×8 sheet of 1/2-inch plywood (APA, 1.5 psf). Wood shake, wood shingle and metal are left out: we found no published weight per square for them.

How to use it

In 4 steps

  1. 1Enter the roof in squares (it's on the roofer's bid), in sloped square feet, or as a footprint plus the pitch.
  2. 2Pick what's coming off. Mixed roofs: run each part separately.
  3. 3Pick how many layers, and whether the felt and any decking come off too.
  4. 4Read the tons, the cubic yards and the bin. Pick the high end of the weight range if you're budgeting.

Why weight, not volume, sizes a roofing bin

Shingles are dense. The EPA’s factor for composition roofing is 731 lb per loose cubic yard, against 484 lb for mixed construction debris, so a roofing load hits the included tons long before the bin looks full. On our rate sheet the 12 to 25-yard bins include 3 tons and the 40 includes 5; every ton past that is $135, rounded to the nearest ton.

Tile changes everything. Standard concrete tile runs 900 to 970 lb a square and clay 900 to 1,250, three to four times a laminated shingle. A tile roof passes 3 tons at roughly 7.5 squares. Before you book a bin for a tile tear-off, call or text so we can talk through the weight.

The published weights disagree. CertainTeed’s current Landmark sheets say 211 to 240 lb a square, NIST’s generic laminated shingle averages 280 lb, and CertainTeed’s Landmark Premium is 300 lb. GAF’s and TAMKO’s current data sheets don’t print a weight. That’s why the tool shows a range and lets you pick the low, middle or high figure. For a weight estimate of other debris, use the debris weight calculator; for the whole bill, the dumpster cost calculator.

FAQ

Roof tear-off: questions

How much does a square of roofing shingles weigh?

By the makers' own sheets: 3-tab about 200 to 240 lb (CertainTeed CT 20 to XT 30 IR), architectural 211 to 300 lb (CertainTeed Landmark to Landmark Premium; NIST's generic laminated average is 280), and designer shingles 350 to 468 lb (CertainTeed Presidential Shake to Presidential Shake TL).

What size dumpster do I need for a roof tear-off?

Size it by weight first. A 20-square, one-layer architectural roof with felt is about 2.7 tons and 7.3 cubic yards, which fits a 12-yard within the 3 tons included. Two layers or tile push the weight up fast; the calculator prices every size and shows when the 40-yard, with 5 tons included, costs less.

How much does a tile roof weigh?

Eagle Roofing lists standard-weight concrete tile at 900 to 970 lb per 100 sq ft and its lightweight line at 550 to 720 lb. Ludowici lists clay at 900 lb (Spanish), 1,025 lb (French) and 1,250 lb (straight barrel mission) per square.

How do I convert my house footprint to roof squares?

Multiply the footprint, including the eave overhang, by the pitch factor: √(144 + rise²) ÷ 12. That's 1.054 at 4/12, 1.118 at 6/12 and 1.414 at 12/12 (IKO's table). Divide by 100 for squares.

How many cubic yards is a roof tear-off?

The EPA's volume-to-weight factor for composition roofing is 731 lb per loose cubic yard, so each ton of shingles is about 2.7 cubic yards. The EPA has no factor for tile; the tool uses its broken-concrete figure, 860 lb per cubic yard, and says so.

Something not answered here? Call or text — it’s quicker than guessing.

(949) 701-0206Send it in writing

Sources

Where these numbers come from

  1. [1]CertainTeed, Landmark technical data sheet (08/24) (opens in a new tab)Weight/Square "211 to 225 lb"; 3 bundles, 65 shingles per square. read 2026-09-22.
  2. [2]CertainTeed, Landmark PRO technical data sheet (10/23) (opens in a new tab)Weight/Square "231 to 240 lb". read 2026-09-22.
  3. [3]CertainTeed, Landmark Premium brochure (Code No. 20-20-3342, 10/11) (opens in a new tab)"300 lbs. per square". read 2026-09-22.
  4. [4]NIST BEES, Generic Asphalt Shingles (opens in a new tab)Laminated shingles: "average weight of about 14 kg/m2 (280 lb/square)". read 2026-09-22.
  5. [5]CertainTeed XT 30 / XT 25 / CT 20 brochure (Code No. 20-20-1881, 07/07) (opens in a new tab)3-tab: XT 30 230 lb, XT 25 220 lb, CT 20 200 lb per square. read 2026-09-22.
  6. [6]CertainTeed XT 30 IR / XT 25 / CT 20 brochure (Code No. 20-20-1882, Rev. 12/11) (opens in a new tab)XT 30 IR 240 lb, XT 25 220 lb, CT 20 200 lb per square. read 2026-09-22.
  7. [7]CertainTeed, Presidential Shake technical data sheet (04/25) (opens in a new tab)Weight/Square "350 lb." read 2026-09-22.
  8. [8]CertainTeed, Grand Manor technical data sheet (08/23) (opens in a new tab)Weight/Square "418 lb." read 2026-09-22.
  9. [9]CertainTeed, Presidential Shake TL technical data sheet (04/25) (opens in a new tab)Weight/Square "468 lb." read 2026-09-22.
  10. [10]GAF, Timberline HDZ spec sheet (RESGN467HDZ-0526) (opens in a new tab)3 bundles, 64 pieces per square; no weight is published. read 2026-09-22.
  11. [11]Eagle Roofing, technical specifications (2026) (opens in a new tab)Concrete tile per 100 sq ft: Capistrano 900, Malibu 903, Bel Air / Ponderosa / Golden Eagle 970 lb; Eaglelite 550–720 lb. read 2026-09-22.
  12. [12]Ludowici, Spanish 13 product data sheet (LRT-518) (opens in a new tab)Clay: "Weight Per Square 900 lbs." read 2026-09-22.
  13. [13]Ludowici, French Interlocking product data sheet (LRT-516) (opens in a new tab)Clay: "1025 lbs." per square. read 2026-09-22.
  14. [14]Ludowici, Straight Barrel Mission 14 product data sheet (LRT-547) (opens in a new tab)Clay: "Weight Per Square 1250 lbs." read 2026-09-22.
  15. [15]U.S. EPA, Volume-to-Weight Conversion Factors (April 2016) (opens in a new tab)C&D: Composition Roofing 731 lb/yd³; Clean Engineered Wood 268; Small Concrete 860 (source: CIWMB 2006). No tile factor. read 2026-09-22.
  16. [16]IKO, Estimating How Much Roofing Is Required (opens in a new tab)Table 1, Area/Rake Conversion: 4/12 1.054 to 12/12 1.414; "multiply the Horizontal Area by the Area/Rake Factor." read 2026-09-22.
  17. [17]TRI-BUILT ASTM 15 D226 felt data sheet (REV02/2023) (opens in a new tab)Saturated felt "11.5 lbs/ 100 ft sq". read 2026-09-22.
  18. [18]IIBEC, “When Is No. 30 Asphalt Felt Not No. 30 Asphalt Felt?” (Levine, 2019) (opens in a new tab)ASTM D226 Type II: 26 lb per square; Type I 11.5 or 13. read 2026-09-22.
  19. [19]APA, Panel Design Specification D510C (2008), Table 6 (opens in a new tab)1/2-in plywood 1.5 psf; "For OSB panels, increase tabulated weights by 10%." read 2026-09-22.
  20. [20]Cedar Shake & Shingle Bureau, Roof Installation Manual (opens in a new tab)Checked for a weight per square for wood shakes and shingles; none is published, so wood isn't in the tool. read 2026-09-22.

Last reviewed . Spot something wrong? Text (949) 701-0206 and it gets fixed.

Related tools

Read more

Know what you need? Book the bin.

12 to 40-yard roll-offs and $29 dumpster bags across Orange County. Call or text with the size, the city and the day — Monday to Friday, 7:30 to 4.

Text us(949) 701-0206
CallText us