Every week someone orders a dumpster for a roof by eyeballing volume — and every week a can somewhere goes overweight. Shingle debris is deceptively heavy, and the math is worth two minutes before you book a roofing dumpster.
The per-square numbers
A “square” is 100 square feet of roof. Industry disposal guides put tear-off debris at roughly 230–250 pounds per square for 3-tab shingles and 400–430 pounds per square for architectural shingles — and published estimates vary, which is exactly why weight allowance matters more than container size.
The two-layer trap
Plenty of older homes around Dothan, Headland and Ozark carry two layers of shingles — re-roofing over the old layer was common practice. Two layers doubles the debris weight. A 30-square roof with two layers of architectural shingles is in the range of 10+ tons of debris — far beyond the weight allowance of a typical 20-yard container, no matter how much space is left inside it.
What to tell the provider when you call
- How many squares (your roofer’s estimate will say)
- How many layers are coming off
- Shingle type — 3-tab or architectural
- Where the can needs to sit — driveway, yard, or street side
With those four facts, a local provider can size the container by weight, not guesswork — and quote the flat rate up front. Call (334) 453-7676 before the crew shows up, and the can is waiting when the first shingles drop.