Roofing
Roofing Dumpster Rental in Detroit, MI
Tear-off containers sized on weight rather than volume. Multi-layer roofs are the norm on century-old Detroit houses, slate and clay tile show up on the bigger ones, and a weight-rated 15 or 20 beats an oversized 30 nearly every time.
Roofing in Detroit is tear-off work and it is rarely one layer. These houses are ninety to a hundred and twenty years old and most have been roofed over at least once, so two or three layers of asphalt is the norm rather than the exception. Each additional layer roughly doubles or triples what comes off the deck, and that single fact is the biggest reason roofing containers get undersized in this city. We size on tonnage, not on how the pile looks stacked up in the yard.
The larger houses complicate it further. Slate and clay tile are still on plenty of roofs in Boston-Edison, Palmer Woods and Indian Village, and slate weighs several times what asphalt does per square. On the oldest stock you can find cedar shake buried under later asphalt, which is light but bulky and changes the volume math entirely. Tell us the roof type, the square count and how many layers you expect, and the tear-off size guide will handle the rest.
Winter drives a lot of this work. Ice damming on an old roof with marginal insulation and a cold attic backs water up under the shingles, and the repair calls land in February and March. Placement matters as much as size — a lot of these houses have no driveway at all, so the container goes in the rear alley and the crew tarps and carries. Our residential sets get protection boards as standard and a tear-off is no different.
Detroit Roofing Jobs We Load
Single-Layer Asphalt Tear-Off
The straightforward job. One layer of three-tab or architectural shingle off a bungalow roof, felt and nails included, loading predictably against square count and pitch.
Two And Three-Layer Tear-Off
The Detroit standard. Every additional layer roughly doubles the weight coming off the deck, so the container is sized on tonnage and it never gets filled to the rails.
Slate Roof Removal
Boston-Edison, Palmer Woods and Indian Village still have slate. It runs several times the weight of asphalt per square, so a small container reaches its limit remarkably fast.
Clay And Concrete Tile
Tile on the larger 1920s houses breaks up dense and sharp. Salvageable pieces are worth pulling first, and what remains loads more like masonry than like roofing.
Cedar Shake Under Asphalt
The oldest stock hides shake beneath later layers. Light per square but bulky, so volume runs out before weight does — the opposite problem to a slate roof.
Ice Dam And Winter Repair
Partial tear-offs, ice-and-water membrane and rotted decking after a hard freeze. Smaller loads, tight timelines and a driveway that may well be sheeted in ice.
Flat And Low-Slope Roofs
Modified bitumen, built-up roofing and gravel off a flat over a porch, an addition or a small commercial building. Heavy, dusty and much denser than shingle.
Decking, Fascia And Gutter Replacement
Board sheathing, rotted fascia, soffit and old gutter come off with the roof. Light bulky material that fills the space left above the shingle layer.
Why A 15 Or 20 Beats A 30 On A Tear-Off
Roofing is a weight job, not a volume job. A 15 yard handles most single and two-layer tear-offs on a bungalow and it sits low enough that the crew can throw into it from a low roof or a ladder. A 20 yard covers a bigger house or a three-layer roof where the decking is coming off as well. A 10 yard is the right box for slate or clay tile, because it will be at its limit while it still looks half empty. A 30 on a tear-off is almost always a mistake: you hit the weight ceiling with three feet of freeboard left over and you have paid to move a lot of empty steel across town. Give us the layer count honestly and we will size it right the first time.
10 Yard Dumpster
Concrete, brick, block, plaster and lath, tile and soil — weight fills it first.
View this size →15yd³15 Yard Dumpster
Single-room remodels, roof tear-offs to about 20 squares, garage cleanouts.
View this size →20yd³20 Yard Dumpster
Full basement clear-outs, kitchen guts, multi-room renovations, porch demo.
View this size →Placement, Asbestos Felt And Nail Cleanup
If there is a driveway we set on boards close to the eave so the crew is not carrying shingle across a lawn. If there is no driveway — common on the older grid — the alley is the placement, and we check it for soft ground and dumped material before committing a truck to it. On a narrow lot, tarp the ground on the throw side and plan for nails: a magnet sweep across the drive, the walk and the neighbour's grass is not optional where houses sit twelve feet apart. One more thing worth saying plainly. Roofing felt on pre-1980 houses can contain asbestos, and an unexpected layer is a stop-and-test moment rather than a keep-going moment. Read our asbestos and lead guide before the first shingle moves.
Not sure this is the right service? Describe the job on the phone and we will point you at the right container even if it is a different service page. Call (586) 600-7076.
Get a flat quote
Two minutes on the phone gets you a size, a price and a delivery slot. No forms.
(586) 600-7076Recommended sizes
How it works
Roofing Dumpster Rental in four steps
- 1
Call us
Tell us the project, your address and when you want it. Two minutes on the phone and you have a flat price.
- 2
We deliver
Our driver walks the drop, lays protection boards and sets the container exactly where you want it.
- 3
You load it
Take your time within your rental window. Keep it level with the top rail and we handle the rest.
- 4
We haul it
Call or text when you are done. We pull it, sort what can be recovered and dispose of the rest properly.
Roofing Dumpster Rental FAQs
What size dumpster do I need for a roof tear-off in Detroit?
Start with squares and layers, not with the square footage of the house. A single layer on a typical bungalow fits a 15 yard comfortably. Two or three layers on that same roof usually still fits a 15 or a 20, but it is now sitting at the weight limit rather than the volume limit. Slate or clay tile goes in a 10. Tell us the roof size, the pitch and the layer count and we will size it properly.
Can old roofing felt contain asbestos?
It can on pre-1980 houses, along with some older shingles, flashing cement and patching compounds. If you pull a layer and find something you did not expect, stop and have it tested before another shingle moves. We cannot accept asbestos-containing material in any container and will reschedule rather than take the load. EGLE regulates asbestos work in Michigan and the requirements do change, so confirm the current rules.
Our house has no driveway. Where does the container go?
Usually the rear alley, and that is a routine set for us right across the older grid. We look at the alley first, because some are clear and quick and some are soft after a thaw, vacated, or blocked with dumped material. If the alley will not work, the options are a neighbouring driveway with permission or a street set, which brings a right-of-way permit into it. Give us the cross streets and we will scout it before the crew arrives.
How long can we keep the container during a tear-off?
Most tear-offs are a two or three day rental and we build the window around your crew rather than the other way round. Same-day and next-day delivery covers most of the city, and swaps go out the next morning if the roof runs long. In winter we would rather not leave a can parked on a driveway through a hard freeze, because ice and plow windrows make the pull harder and the apron ends up paying for it.
What about nails and cleanup afterwards?
That is on the roofing crew, but placement decides how hard it is. Tarps under the throw line, the container tight to the eave, and a magnet sweep across the drive, the walk, the beds and the neighbour's grass before anybody leaves. City lots here sit close together, so whatever misses your tarp lands next door. We photograph the surface before we set and we lay protection boards, which keeps the driveway conversation simple at pickup.
More services
Other things we haul
Residential Dumpster Rental
Driveway and alley placement for basement, attic and garage cleanouts and remodels.
Learn more →Commercial Dumpster Rental
Scheduled and on-call containers for retail, restaurants, offices and property managers.
Learn more →Construction Dumpster Rental
Jobsite roll-offs and next-day swap-outs for builders, rehabbers and GCs.
Learn more →Roll-Off Dumpster Rental
10, 15, 20, 30 and 40 yard roll-offs delivered across Detroit and Wayne County.
Learn more →Same-Day Dumpster Rental
Call before the cut-off and we can usually get a container to you this afternoon.
Learn more →Junk Removal Dumpsters
Clear a full basement, attic, back-lot garage or storage unit on your own schedule.
Learn more →Estate Cleanout Dumpsters
Discreet, patient container service for families clearing a lifelong home.
Learn more →Demolition Debris Removal
Containers and fast swaps for gut-outs, porches, chimneys, garages and sheds.
Learn more →Concrete & Heavy Debris
Dedicated heavy cans for freeze-cracked flatwork, brick, block and plaster.
Learn more →Yard Waste & Lot Clearing
Separate clean loads for brush and limbs — Michigan keeps yard clippings out of landfill.
Learn more →Where we deliver
Roofing Dumpster Rental across Wayne County and metro Detroit
Same service, same flat rates, every town below. Pick yours for local placement and permit notes.
Talk to a real person
Need roofing dumpster rental in Detroit?
Tell us what you are clearing out and we will tell you the right size and the flat price to put it in your driveway. No forms, no waiting on an email — just call and we will sort it out in a couple of minutes.
Serving Detroit, Wayne County and metro Detroit · Mon–Fri 6:30am–6pm, Sat 7am–3pm