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Free calculator · debris

Debris weight and dumpster size calculator.

Turn tear-out quantities into cubic yards and tons, then find the dumpster size that fits the job. Roofing, drywall, and other heavy debris hit the weight limit long before they fill the box, so the tool sizes by weight, not just volume. Enter what you are removing and it returns the volume, the tonnage, and how many hauls you need.

Roof tear-off math

How much do shingles weigh, and why it decides the dumpster

Roofing debris weight per square is the number that governs a reroof haul. A square of asphalt shingles is about 230 to 250 pounds for a single layer, so 20 squares of single-layer tear-off is roughly 2.4 tons. That already fills a 20 yard box to its weight limit while the container still looks half empty. The mistake crews make is loading by eye until the box is full, then getting a scale ticket that runs over the tonnage allowance.

Layers are the multiplier. Every layer you strip adds its own square weight, so the same 20 square roof is about 2.4 tons at one layer, 4.8 tons at two, and over 7 tons at three. A two-layer or three-layer re-cover turns one haul into two or three, which is why the roof history matters more to the dumpster count than the roof area does. Check the eaves before you order the can.

Interior tear-out stacks on top of the same weight logic. Half-inch drywall is about 1.8 pounds per square foot, and mixed construction and demolition debris averages 417 to 500 pounds per cubic yard. Wet material from a category loss weighs two to three times its dry figure. The calculator runs each material through its own weight factor, adds them up, and reports which limit, weight or volume, drives your haul count.

The engine behind this calculator

This same math runs inside AI Estimate Assistant

AI Estimate Assistant, from Antero Trail, turns field notes, photos, and floor plans into carrier-ready Xactimate estimates. The calculator on this page is one piece of that engine, pulled out and made free. In the app, tear-out quantities flow from the scope itself, and debris lines land in the estimate priced as DMO dumpster-load items, with no re-keying of the haul count.

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Method

How volume and weight are figured

Each material is converted to loose cubic yards using published debris conversion factors, then to weight using a material weight table. This two-step approach matters because volume and weight do not track together. A roof tear-off is a good example: a few squares of shingles take up little space in the box but weigh a great deal, and tear-off weight climbs with each layer that comes off. Drywall, plaster, and concrete are similarly heavy for their volume, while carpet and light framing are bulky but light.

The dumpster recommendation is governed by whichever limit you hit first. Roll-off dumpsters have both a volume in cubic yards and a weight limit in tons, and heavy debris almost always reaches the weight limit before the box is full. The tool compares your total weight against the container tonnage limit and the volume against the box size, then reports how many hauls you need and which limit is driving the count. When a single heavy load would exceed a container's tonnage, it flags that so you are not surprised by an overage charge at the scale.

FAQ

Common questions

What size dumpster do I need?
On restoration and roofing jobs the weight limit usually decides it before the volume does. Shingles and plaster hit the tonnage cap in a half-full can, so a 20 yard box that holds a two-ton limit is full at weight with room to spare. As a rough guide: a 12 yard suits a single bath or a small tear-out, a 20 yard covers most whole-house interior gut or a 15 to 25 square reroof, a 30 yard handles a larger reroof or a fire gut, and a 40 yard is for bulky light debris like insulation and framing where you run out of space before you run out of weight. Enter your quantities above and the tool sizes by whichever limit you hit first.
How much does a square of shingles weigh?
A square of asphalt shingles runs about 230 to 250 pounds per layer, so one square of three-tab is roughly a quarter ton and architectural shingles sit a little heavier. Tear-off weight climbs with every layer that comes off. A two-layer roof is close to half a ton per square, and a three-layer strip is near three-quarters of a ton before you count felt, nails, and the odd course of wood.
Why do the layers matter so much?
Each layer you strip adds its own square weight to the pile. Twenty squares at one layer is about two and a half tons; the same roof at three layers is over seven tons. That is the difference between one haul and three, so a re-cover history on the roof changes the dumpster count more than the roof size does.
Do wet materials weigh more?
Yes, and it is not a small effect. Waterlogged drywall, carpet pad, and insulation weigh two to three times their dry weight. Half-inch drywall is about 1.8 pounds per square foot dry and soaks up well past that after a category loss. If you are hauling out saturated tear-out, size up or plan an extra haul rather than trust the dry table.
What is an overage fee?
Roll-off pricing includes a tonnage allowance, and anything over it is billed per ton at the scale, commonly $50 to $100 a ton depending on the market and the material. Heavy debris is exactly where this bites, since the box looks half empty while the ticket says you are over. Sizing by weight up front is how you avoid the surprise line on the disposal invoice.
Can I mix debris, or does it have to be a clean load?
Mixed construction and demolition debris runs about 417 to 500 pounds per cubic yard and goes to a C&D transfer station at the standard rate. A clean single-material load, all shingles or all concrete, often qualifies for a lower recycling rate but only if it stays uncontaminated. If you can keep the roof tear-off in its own can it can pay off, but one contaminated load loses the clean rate for the whole box.
How many squares of shingles fit in a 20 yard dumpster?
Weight caps it, not volume. A 20 yard box with a two-ton limit takes roughly 16 squares of single-layer shingles before it is at weight, and about 8 squares if the roof is a two-layer tear-off. The pile will not look full at that point, which trips up crews who load by eye. Load by the square count, not by how much room is left.
How do I bill debris removal in Xactimate?
Debris hauling goes on as DMO dumpster-load items priced against your price list, one line per haul at the container size you used. The tool gives you the volume, weight, and haul count the estimate is built on, and in the app the DMO line lands in the estimate for you. Keep the disposal ticket; the tonnage on it is what defends the haul count if the desk adjuster pushes back.
Rate basis

Sources

These calculators produce planning estimates from published public rate schedules. They are not a formal quote. Confirm equipment, access, and pricing with a licensed operator or rental yard before you rely on any number for an estimate.