Tearing down roofing is no small project. Roofing infrastructure and shingles are heavy and take up a large amount of space, so finding the right dumpster size to accommodate this project is important — the last thing you want is to get a dumpster that is too small and then you have a mess of leftover shingles clogging up your job site.
Dumpsters come in a few sizes, and they are ordered by “yards” where one yard equals 100 square yards of available space. A smaller dumpster, a 10 yard, for example, would accommodate 1,500 square yards. Dumpster rentals can get even bigger, such as a 30 yard one.
This is important to keep in mind because contractors are able to measure how much roofing needs to be disposed of, which will inform which dumpster rental is needed. Houses, of course, come in many different sizes, and that means roofing measurements can vary greatly. To determine what size dumpster you need, first look into how much roofing you have. This can be accomplished in a couple of easy steps.
Determine How Much Roofing You Will Be Removing
First, determine your total roofing squares — note that this is not the same as square footage. A roofing square is equivalent to 100 square feet of shingles. Generally speaking, three “bundles” of shingles come to a roofing square, and that amount totals about 250 pounds. So, if you know how many bundles you bought, you can more easily calculate the needed dumpster rental size.
For example, if you bought three bundles, you have one roofing square, and if you bought six you’d have two roofing squares. Normally, projects require a few bundles — divide the number of bundles by three to get your number of roofing squares. So, 30 bundles would be ten squares. Each square is 100 square feet, so a 10 square would be 1,000 square feet.
A Quick Way to Determine What Dumpster Size You Need for Your Roofing Project
Below is a quick cheat sheet to determine your needed dumpster rental size. This works well for asphalt shingles; note that if you are working with cedar shingles, you’ll have to go up a size because of their swelling. (Cedar is a more expensive material given how much more climate-resistant it is than asphalt as its ability to absorb moisture can make it heavier and larger.) In general, the below table operates as an easy guide for determining which dumpster rental size is right for your straightforward roofing project:
If you are unsure of the number of your roofing squares, talk to your dumpster rental company. They will be able to help you estimate and won’t steer you in the wrong direction.
Trash It supplies dumpster rentals for all kinds of projects, including roofing jobs. Get in touch and we’ll advise on what dumpster size is best for your needs — we provide expert service, affordable prices, and easy drop off and pick up.