- Location:
- North Tulip Drive, West Chester, PA 19380
- Completed:
- September 2026
- Job type:
- Full residential roof replacement, 25 squares
- Dumpster:
- 30 yard roll off, placed on the street
- Final weight:
- 3.7 tons
- Total cost:
- $865, based on final weight
A One Day Roof Replacement in West Chester, PA
In September 2026, a roofing contractor called WRS for dumpster rental in West Chester, PA ahead of a full roof replacement on North Tulip Drive. The job was a complete tear off of about 25 squares of old roofing, followed by about 25 squares of new roof, and the crew planned to do all of it in a single day.
A one day roof leaves no room for a slow start. The dumpster had to be in place before the crew arrived, sitting where they could load it without wasted steps, and big enough to take everything coming off the roof without stopping work for a swap.
Sizing the Dumpster Before Anyone Climbed the Ladder
The shingles were the easy part to estimate. At roughly 275 pounds per square, 25 squares of tear off meant about 6,875 pounds of roofing debris, or around 3.5 tons.
The decking was the unknown. On an older roof, there's no way to know how much plywood underneath is soft or rotted until the shingles come off. A container sized for the shingles alone would leave no room for bad decking, and running out of space halfway through a one day job would mean either stopping the crew or ordering a second haul.
So we recommended a 30 yard dumpster. It held the full tear off with room left over for whatever the decking turned out to be.
What Turned Up Under the Shingles
The extra room got used. Once the old roof was stripped, the crew found 12 sheets of deteriorated plywood decking that had to be replaced. All 12 sheets went into the same container with the shingles, underlayment, and flashing, and the crew never had to stop loading or wait on a second dumpster.
Delivery, Placement, and Pickup
We dropped the dumpster off the afternoon before the job, so the crew could start loading at first light. It went on the street in front of the home, which kept the driveway clear and untouched.
At the end of the workday, with the new roof on, the crew called in the pickup. We hauled the container away the next morning, well inside our usual 24 to 48 hour pickup window.
How It Turned Out
The full load weighed in at 3.7 tons: the 3.5 tons of shingles we expected, plus the plywood nobody could see until the roof was open. The final cost was $865, the $595 base rate for a 30 yard dumpster plus a weight charge for the tonnage over the included allowance. That landed inside the $700 to $1,000 range we quoted up front.
The extra capacity was the right call. A smaller container would have been close to full before the decking came off. Instead, one dumpster covered the whole job, one trip hauled it away, and the homeowners had their street back the morning after their new roof went on.
Planning a Dumpster for Your Roof Replacement
Know what's coming off the roof. Asphalt shingles are the most common roofing material in Chester County, and architectural shingles weigh more per square than older three tab shingles. If your home has two layers of shingles, expect roughly double the weight. Tell us the number of squares and layers when you book, and we'll recommend the right size from our full lineup of dumpster sizes. Smaller roofs or single layer jobs may fit a 15 yard or 20 yard dumpster.
Plan for the decking. If the roof is older or has had leaks, assume some plywood will need replacing and size the container with room to spare, just as this job did.
Check placement rules before delivery. A dumpster on your own driveway usually needs no approval. A dumpster on the street may need a permit from your borough or township, so check before the delivery date.
Keep restricted items out. Shingles, underlayment, flashing, and wood decking can all go in the dumpster. Leftover roofing cement, sealant, and paint cans may not, so check our prohibited items list before loading.
Planning a roof replacement in West Chester or anywhere in Chester County? Call WRS at (610) 750-9128, learn more about our residential dumpster rental service, or request a free quote to schedule a delivery.