At every point in a homeowner’s life, they will need to replace the roof on their home. This is just natural. In places like Kansas (and especially in the Kansas City area) where weather can be unpredictable, the parts of your house continuously exposed to the sun will take a beating. Roofing shingles wear down from sun exposure, get blown off by high winds, and crack and deteriorate due to snow and ice. When you start to notice the first signs of roof destruction, it’s time to get to work on replacing the roof.
Finding a contractor might seem like simple work, but the job is not over there. You’ll have a lot more planning to do, including purchasing a dumpster and removing the debris from your construction project.
If you’re working with a contractor, you probably will not have to do the following calculations. Most roofing contractors know what type of dumpster they will need to dispose of waste from the work they are doing and will let you know what to order. Some contractors even include that rental price in their estimate. However, if they don’t, or if you are redoing your roof yourself, follow the handy guide below to figure out the right sized dumpster for your job.
Understand What Type of Roofing Shingles You Have
Different shingle types are not only different sizes but can weigh differently based on their type. The most common type of shingle is a three-tab shingle. This type is lightweight, generally more affordable, and relatively easy to install. When it comes to disposing of these, you typically won’t have an issue with dumpster weight limits. However, more substantial tiles – like architectural shingles or clay shingles – might cause a weight issue.
If you think your shingles fall under the first category, you’re probably safe determining the type of shingle you need by the volume it will take up. Otherwise, you might want to rent your dumpster based on weight, or ask the dumpster rental company about weight surplus fees or limits.
Figure Out How Many Roofing Squares You Will Be Removing
A roofing square is typically defined as 100 square feet of shingles. An average suburban home is 3,000 square feet, which equals to 30 roofing squares. If you’re using this to determine how large your dumpster will be, consider the following. If you do have the average home size of 3,000 feet, you’ll need a 13-cubic yard dumpster. If it’s larger, you’ll need a more substantial dumpster. We recommend finding a dumpster based on your roofing squares if your house has basic three-tab shingles. Measuring it this way will take weight and dumpster volume into account.
Also, keep in mind that you’re never tossing just shingles into your dumpster. You’ll likely be throwing packaging, broken tools, bits of wood from the re-roofing process, and other construction-related debris in there, as well. If you suspect this will put you over the weight or size limit, go a size up. Our residential rental catalog has a list of suggested uses for each of its containers.
Figure Out How Much Your Shingles Will Weigh
We’ve already briefly touched on weight, but even if you’re confident that your shingles will not exceed the company’s weight limit, it’s good to know just how much your shingles weigh. Having a good grasp on the weight of your post-demolition refuse will allow you to save money by renting a container better suited to all your needs.
When you rent a dumpster, you will not only need to know how much room your shingles will need in a dumpster, but you should know the weight. To estimate how much your demolition debris will cost, count the number of roofing squares you’ll be throwing away. If you’re using a basic, three-tab shingle or something similar, a square will be approximately equal to 250 pounds. You’ll be able to multiply that number by the number of roofing squares to amount to the total weight of your debris. Remember that 2000 pounds are equal to one ton.
Why You Should Choose Small Haul Containers for the Job
The Kansas City area has plenty of garbage disposal services available. You might even run into a few who offer to do many of the same things Small Haul Containers provides to do. However, our story and our ethics set us apart as experts in residential construction hauling services.
In 2017, we completed our own home renovation project. While the project itself was extremely satisfying, the process of getting rid of our demolition debris was not. Contractors might know who to call when it comes to servicing renovation needs, but it is hard to find these services when you’re just a regular Joe. We understood that we would need to rent a dumpster to get rid of the debris left over from our projects, but trying to find one in the area that quickly serviced residential customers was hard. That’s why we created a service that specializes in assisting renovators with their one-time projects.
After getting established, we sought a way to give back to our community in more ways than just keeping the greater Kansas City area clean with our hauling services. That’s why we’ve partnered with Matthew’s Ministry in Leawood to give back. Part of our profits goes to fund that program, which provides outreach, support, and other programs to individuals in our community with special needs.
Small Haul Containers provides the best service and lowest prices for the services it offers. Best yet, it provides residential and commercial waste removal options for people in the Overland Park, Leawood, Lenexa, Shawnee, Prairie Village, Spring Hill, Stilwell, Louisburg, Belton, Grandview, and South Kansas City Areas.
With seven day rentals between six and twenty cubic yards, we’re confident we can provide you with the right dumpster for your job. Our services include the drop-off and collection of the dumpster, cleanup of the area surrounding the dumpster, and all fees associated with hauling and dumping. Are you ready to get started on your next roofing project? Before you tear off a single shingle, give us a call at (913) 991-1595 to get started.
