A tear-off fills up before it looks full
Every other page on this site helps you pick a size by volume. Roofing is the exception. Shingles are dense enough that the weight allowance runs out while the container still has room above the load, which is why the right question is tonnage, not cubic yards.
What you are actually buying
On a tear-off the cubic yards are close to irrelevant and the included tonnage is the whole product. All three sizes occupy the same 14-by-8 foot footprint on the ground, so moving up a size does not cost you driveway — it buys wall height and, more importantly, allowance.
| Container | Included tonnage | Wall height | 3-day |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yard | 1 ton | 3 ft | $495 |
| 15-yard | 1.5 tons | 4 ft | $599 |
| 20-yard | 2 tons | 6 ft | $705 |
Overage past the allowance is $0.13 per pound. The full footprint of each size is 14' L × 8' W × 6' H at the largest.
We will not publish a shingles-per-square figure
Plenty of sites do, and it is where roofers get burned. Tear-off weight depends on the shingle, on how many layers are underneath, and on whether the decking comes with it — and a single number covering all of that is a guess dressed as guidance.
So we ask instead. Give us the square count, the number of layers and whether sheathing is coming off, and we will tell you which container carries it inside the allowance. That is a thirty-second conversation and it is the difference between a flat rate and a weight ticket.
Strip, fill, swap, finish
On a roof of any size the swap is part of the plan rather than a rescue. Same-day swaps are available on most schedules, and the habit that saves a day is texting when the container is full instead of when the crew is standing next to a full container with nowhere to throw.
If the finish date is genuinely unknown — weather, a supply delay, a second property in the same week — the open-ended rental runs $16/day after the first 3 days, and pickup happens when you call it.
Delivery is included inside 20 miles of Tyngsborough, and $5 per mile beyond it. If the truck cannot reach the placement spot when it arrives, a return trip is $150 — so flag a locked gate or a tight approach at booking.
Related
Construction debris removal · the contractor page, for jobs producing more than one material · the MA and NH disposal bans · sizes compared · how the weight allowance works
Tear-off questions
What size dumpster do I need for a tear-off?
Tell us the square count and the number of layers coming off, and we will tell you which size carries it inside the included tonnage. We would rather size it against your actual roof than publish a rule of thumb — the weight varies with the shingle and with how many layers are under it, and a rule of thumb is what puts crews into overage.
Why does a roofing container look empty when it is full?
Because it is full by weight rather than by volume. Shingles are dense, so the tonnage allowance is reached while there is still visible space above the load. That is normal on a tear-off and is the reason roofing is sized differently from a cleanout.
Can I put a whole tear-off in one 10-yard?
Sometimes, on a small single-layer roof. The 10-yard includes 1 ton, which a tear-off reaches quickly — and past it, weight bills at $0.13 per pound. On anything but a small roof the larger container is usually cheaper than the overage on the smaller one.
Do you swap a full container mid-job?
Yes, same-day on most schedules. On a tear-off that is often the plan from the start rather than a contingency — strip, fill, swap, finish — because it keeps the crew on the roof instead of standing around a full box.
Where do you put it relative to the roof?
Close enough to throw into, far enough that the truck can retrieve it and the driveway is not taking a loaded container in the worst possible spot. Tell us which elevation you are stripping and we will place it for that rather than for the front door.
Are shingles banned from disposal in Massachusetts?
Asphalt pavement, brick and concrete are on the Massachusetts disposal ban list, along with wood, metal and clean gypsum wallboard. Those are the C&D materials to separate on a Massachusetts site — and New Hampshire's list carries none of them, so the same job is handled differently either side of the line.
Squares, layers, and the address.
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