Roof Tear-Off Debris Calculator
Estimate the weight of old roofing you will tear off — in pounds and tons — from your roof squares, the shingle type and the number of layers, so you can size a dumpster and sanity-check the disposal line on your quote.
Calculator
Tearing off 22.36 squares of architectural asphalt (~400 lb/square) (1 layer) makes about 4.47 tons (8,944 lb) of debris. Dumpster weight limits are set by the hauler — check your quote.
Guidance only: a typical 10–20 yd roll-off is often enough for a re-roof, but haulers cap the weight — confirm the tonnage allowance for your load.
Tear-off is heavy, and haulers price roll-off dumpsters with a weight cap. Guess low and you pay overage fees; guess high and you rent more container than you need. This tool estimates the debris weight from the same square count you use for everything else, times a typical per-square weight for the material, times the number of layers you are removing.
The per-square weights are stable industry typicals — roughly 250 lb per square for 3-tab asphalt, 400 lb for heavier architectural shingles, and about 900 lb for concrete or clay tile. They are estimates: soaked felt, embedded nails and old repairs all add weight, so round up when you book the dumpster.
Formula
tons = squares × layers × lb_per_square ÷ 2,000
- squares — roof surface ÷ 100.
- layers — how many stacked roofs are coming off.
- lb_per_square — typical debris weight for the material (250 / 400 / 900).
- 2,000 — pounds in a US ton.
Worked example
A 22.36-square roof of architectural shingles (about 400 lb per square), one layer:
22.36 × 1 × 400 = 8,944 lb
8,944 ÷ 2,000 = 4.47 tons
Nearly four and a half tons from a single layer. Add a second old layer and it doubles to almost 9 tons — which is why layer count matters as much as roof size when you size the container.
Sizing the dumpster: weight, not volume
A common 10–20 cubic-yard roll-off is often the right volume for a re-roof, but volume is not the constraint — weight is. Haulers set a tonnage allowance per load and bill overage above it. Check the allowance on your quote against the tonnage this tool estimates, and remember that tear-off you thought was one layer sometimes turns out to be two once the crew starts.
Tile is in a category of its own: at roughly 900 lb per square it can quadruple the debris weight of asphalt, so tile tear-off almost always needs a heavier allowance or a second haul. Whatever the material, this is a planning estimate — confirm the container size and weight limit with your hauler before the dumpster arrives.
Reference table
| Existing roofing | lb / square | Your 22.36 squares × 1 layer(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 3-tab asphalt (~250 lb/square) | 250 | 2.80 tons (5,590 lb) |
| Architectural asphalt (~400 lb/square) | 400 | 4.47 tons (8,944 lb) |
| Concrete/clay tile (~900 lb/square) | 900 | 10.06 tons (20,124 lb) |
Typical stable weights; wet or nail-laden debris runs heavier. Confirm the tonnage allowance with your hauler.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a square of shingles weigh for disposal?
As a stable typical, about 250 lb per square for 3-tab asphalt, 400 lb for architectural shingles, and around 900 lb for concrete or clay tile. Wet felt and embedded nails add weight, so these are conservative planning figures.
What size dumpster do I need for a roof tear-off?
Match the weight, not just the volume. A 10–20 yard roll-off usually holds the volume of a re-roof, but the hauler caps the tons per load. Estimate the debris tonnage here and compare it to the allowance on your quote.
Does an extra layer really double the debris?
Roughly, yes. Weight scales with the number of layers, so two layers of architectural shingles weigh about twice one layer for the same roof. Always confirm how many layers are actually up there before you book disposal.
Why is tile tear-off so heavy?
Concrete and clay tile weigh far more than asphalt — roughly 900 lb per square versus 250–400. Tile tear-off often needs a higher tonnage allowance or a second haul.