The short answer

The general industry rule of thumb is 5 to 8 squares per ton, depending on what is up there: 3-tab shingles run light, architectural run heavy. A "square" is 100 square feet of roof. Two layers doubles the weight.

Run that rule on a 20 square roof and you land between 2.5 and 4 tons of tear-off debris on a single layer, and double that if there are two layers up there. Size for the heavy end, not the light end.

Now the honest part: that is a teaching number, not a promise. Nobody can tell you what your roof weighs before it comes off. The scale at the landfill decides, and any honest hauler will tell you the same.

Why the rule of thumb is only a starting point

Two roofs with identical square footage can come off the truck hundreds of pounds apart. A few reasons why:

Layer count. Homeowners often find a second layer only after the first one is peeled back.
Shingle type. Heavier architectural shingles weigh more per square than thin three-tab.
Water. Old shingles hold moisture, and Florida rain during a tear-off adds real weight to the pile.
Everything else that goes in. Felt, nails, ridge cap, rotten decking, flashing, and the tarp at the end all ride to the scale with the shingles.

That is why we quote a bin, not a roof weight. Anyone who tells you your exact tonnage before the job is guessing, and a guess that is wrong costs you money.

Why we usually recommend the 10 or 17 yard

This is the part that surprises people. When you call about a tear-off, we will steer you to the 10 yard or the 17 yard, and we will not put shingles in a 22 or a 30. That is not an upsell in reverse. It is a truck weight limit.

Shingles are dense. A 30 yard bin filled with roofing debris weighs far more than our truck can legally haul down the road. A big empty-looking box does not help you if it cannot leave your driveway. So for roofing, the smaller bins are the right call every time.

If you have a large roof, the usual answer is two pulls of a 17 yard rather than one oversized bin. Same debris, legal loads, no drama. More detail on how we handle these jobs is on our roofing dumpster page.

The two bins that work for roofing

Size	Price	Tons included	Dimensions	Typical fit
10 yard	$350 plus tax	1 ton	14'L x 7.5'W x 2.5'H	Small roof, garage, shed, a section repair
17 yard	$420 plus tax	2 tons	16'L x 7.5'W x 4'H	Most single-layer house tear-offs

Both prices are flat and include 3 days. Extra days are $25 per day plus tax. Full sizing across every bin we run is on the sizes and pricing page.

Which one should you pick?

If you are doing a garage, a small ranch section, a shed, or a repair, the 10 yard is usually plenty. For a standard single-layer house tear-off, most people land on the 17 yard with its 2 tons included. If the crew hits a second layer, expect to go over the included tonnage, and that is fine. It just means the scale ticket comes into play.

How scale-ticket billing protects you

Every load we haul crosses a certified scale at the landfill. If the load comes in over the included tonnage, overage is $120 per ton plus tax, prorated by the pound. Not rounded up to the next full ton. By the pound.

You get a copy of the scale ticket. So if your 17 yard comes back at 2.4 tons, you are billed for that 0.4, and you can see the printed weight yourself. No estimating, no arguing, no "looked heavy to me."

This is exactly why we refuse to promise a weight up front. A padded quote that builds in imaginary tonnage would let us pocket the difference on every light roof. Charging off the ticket means you pay for what your roof actually weighed and nothing more.

What to know before delivery day

Placement. We set the bin in your driveway or on private property, exactly where you want it. Street placement usually is not allowed for residential jobs.
Keep the path clear. Cars, low branches, and trailers in the way can trigger a $150 trip fee plus tax if we cannot deliver or pick up. A two-minute walk of the driveway before we arrive prevents that.
Payment. Required before delivery.
Keep it roofing. Shingles, felt, nails, wood decking and flashing are all fine. No wet paint, batteries, hazardous chemicals or liquids, asbestos, food waste, or flammable materials.
Heavy material is separate. Concrete, dirt, brick, and block go in a dedicated concrete bin at the heavy-material rate, with prior approval. Do not mix chimney concrete in with your shingles.

Doing more than the roof?

Plenty of tear-offs come with a garage full of stuff the homeowner finally wants gone. Roofing debris and household junk have very different weights, so it is usually cleaner to run them as separate loads. If that is you, our home cleanout page covers how those jobs work.

Not sure which one you need?

Tell us the roof's rough square footage and whether you know of a second layer, and we will point you to the right bin. If we are not sure, we will say so and recommend the safer option instead of the bigger one.

We are owner-operated out of Zephyrhills, serving Wesley Chapel, Land O' Lakes, Dade City, San Antonio, Brooksville, Lutz, Tampa, Plant City, Lakeland, and the surrounding Tampa Bay area, with 90+ Google reviews at 5.0 stars. Ali drives the truck himself, so the person you talk to is the person who shows up. Same-day delivery may be available depending on dumpster availability and your location.

Call or text (773) 999-1001, or book online and we will have the right bin in your driveway before the crew starts pulling nails.

How Much Do Shingles Weigh? Sizing a Roof Tear-Off Honestly