Guide
How to Get Rid of Old Shingles After a Roof Tear-Off
The simplest way to get rid of tear-off shingles is a roll-off dumpster set below the eave, sized by squares and layers. Self-hauling works for a small patch, but a full roof weighs 2 to 6 tons, and city bulk pickup in most North Texas cities doesn't take roofing debris.
How much do old shingles weigh?
One square of asphalt shingles weighs your bundle weight times 3 bundles. With 80-pound bundles, that's 240 pounds a square, so a 25-square roof is 6,000 pounds, or 3 tons. A second layer doubles it. That weight is why shingles fill a dumpster's included tons before they fill its space.
Read the bundle weight on the wrapper or the manufacturer spec sheet and do the math with your own number. The roofing dumpster page has a table by squares and layers.
Can I haul shingles to the landfill myself?
You can haul shingles yourself if you have a trailer and the time. A full roof takes several trailer loads, and many landfills charge extra for shingles: the North Texas Municipal Water District landfill in Melissa adds $150 to shingle loads. Loads must be tarped at most sites.
Some county drop-off sites refuse shingles entirely; Parker County's convenience center is one. Check before you load up.
Will city bulk pickup take my shingles?
Most North Texas city bulk pickups exclude roofing and construction debris. Dallas, Fort Worth and Frisco all exclude it, and the City of Denton limits curbside remodel debris to 4 cubic yards. A full tear-off is far more than any curbside limit allows.
For a full roof, plan on a dumpster.
Which dumpster size fits my roof?
A single-layer roof up to about 15 squares fits a 15-yard dumpster, up to about 25 squares a 20-yard, and larger roofs a 30-yard. With two layers, step up a size or plan a swap. Each extra ton past the included weight is $75, charged by the exact pound.
FAQ
Shingle disposal questions
Can I put shingles and wood decking in the same dumpster?
Shingles and decking can share a dumpster. Count the decking weight in your estimate, especially if it's wet.
Do I need a chute to drop shingles into a dumpster?
OSHA requires an enclosed chute when material drops more than 20 feet outside the exterior walls. Most one and two-story homes drop shingles straight into a dumpster below the eave.
Schedule a roofing dumpster
Tell us the squares and layers. We'll size it by weight and have it there before the crew.