Short answer: yes to all three — but they're the heaviest things that go in a roll-off, so weight is the real limit, not room. Here's how that plays out by material.
I get some version of this question almost every week, usually from someone tearing out a driveway, clearing a fence line of old fill dirt, or up on a ladder counting layers of shingles. And every time, the honest answer is the same: it's not about whether we accept the material, it's about how much of it you're dealing with, because these three sit at the top of the density chart compared to everything else that normally goes in a dumpster.
A container full of couch cushions, cardboard, and old carpet can look completely stuffed and still weigh a fraction of what a much smaller pile of broken concrete weighs. That's the thing people don't expect until they've done it once — weight allowance, not the fill line, is usually what determines your real cost on these jobs.
| Material | Accepted? | The catch |
|---|---|---|
| Concrete, brick, asphalt | Yes, in smaller quantities | Roughly 150 lb per cubic foot — a full load hits weight limits fast |
| Dirt & clean fill | Yes, in smaller quantities | Same weight-per-volume issue as concrete, especially wet dirt |
| Roofing shingles | Yes, standard material | Extremely dense — a small pile can hit your weight allowance while the container looks half-empty |
Mixing any of these with lighter debris like drywall, lumber, or general junk is fine — see our accepted materials guide for the full list. For heavier or dedicated loads, call ahead so we can size the right container and skip a surprise at pickup.
Shingles are the material that catches people off guard most. A stack that looks like nothing compared to a container's total volume can already weigh as much as a full truckload of furniture and boxes. That's why we size roofing tear-offs by expected weight, not by how much room they'll take up — a 20 yard dumpster covers most single-story roofs up to about 20 squares, but a two-story home, a steep roof, or a tear-off with more than one layer usually needs a 30 yard instead. Older homes around Bowling Green often have two or three layers of shingles stacked from past reroofing jobs, and each layer adds real weight on top of the last.
One more thing worth flagging on older roofs: if there's any suspected asbestos-containing material, which shows up more often on homes built before the 1980s near downtown Bowling Green, that needs a different disposal path than a standard roll-off. If you're not sure, ask before tear-off starts — it's a quick call and it saves a headache later. Our roofing dumpster guide covers sizing by square count and layer count in more detail.
If concrete, dirt, or shingles are the bulk of the job — not just mixed in here and there — tell us when you book. We'll size the container and the weight allowance around the actual job instead of a general estimate.
A few wheelbarrows of dirt or a small pile of broken patio concrete is a different conversation than a full driveway tear-out. Even a rough guess helps us quote it right the first time.
For a full concrete removal, a large fill-dirt job, or a full roof tear-off, a dedicated heavy-material container sized for tonnage is often cheaper than pushing weight through a standard mixed-debris load.
Because it would weigh far more than any container can legally haul long before it looked full. Concrete runs roughly 150 pounds per cubic foot — a 20 yard dumpster filled solid with it would weigh many tons over its weight allowance. That's why we accept concrete, brick, and asphalt only in smaller quantities, or in a dedicated heavy-debris container sized specifically for the tonnage.
It depends on your container size and what else is going in. A few hundred pounds of broken concrete or a couple wheelbarrows of dirt mixed into a load of general renovation debris is usually fine within a standard weight allowance. If you're removing a full driveway, patio, or a significant amount of fill dirt, call us first — we'll size it as a dedicated heavy-material job instead of guessing at the weight after the fact.
A 20 yard dumpster typically covers up to about 20 squares of a single-layer tear-off. Go with a 30 yard for a two-story home, a steep roof, or multiple layers — older Bowling Green roofs often have two or three layers stacked from past reroofing jobs, and each layer adds significant weight, not just volume. See our roofing dumpster guide for sizing by roof type.
Yes, mixed construction loads are normal and we expect it on most renovation and roofing jobs. The only thing to track is total weight, since shingles and concrete are far heavier by volume than lumber or drywall. If a load is mostly shingles or concrete with a little of everything else mixed in, we size the container by expected weight rather than by how full it looks.
You're billed an overage fee based on the extra weight, calculated the same way as any other overage — it's not a penalty specific to these materials, just a reflection of how tipping fees work. The container still gets picked up as long as it's level at the top. If you know upfront you're dealing with a heavy concrete, dirt, or full roof tear-off job, tell us when you book so we can size it correctly and avoid a surprise at pickup. See our pricing guide for how overage fees are calculated.
Tell us what's coming out — concrete, dirt, a full roof, or a mix — and we'll quote a container that fits the weight, not just the space.
Rather put it in writing? Email bgdumpsters@gmail.com and we'll follow up.
