Roof Tear-Off Containers
Chicago has more flat roofs than pitched ones, and tar and gravel is in a weight class of its own.
(619) 658-9555Tell us flat or pitched, and the layersMost Chicago roofs are flat, and that changes everything
On a two-flat, a three-flat, a greystone or a courtyard building, the roof is flat or very low slope, and what is coming off is not shingle. It is layers of built-up roofing — felt, tar, gravel, and often several complete systems laid over each other across a century.
That material is dense in a way asphalt shingle is not. Tar-saturated felt is heavy to begin with, the gravel ballast on top of it is heavy by definition, and when there are three or four systems stacked up you are removing something closer to a thin concrete slab than to a roof covering. A 15 yard container reaches its legal travelling weight on a surprisingly small flat roof.
Pitched roofs on bungalows and frame cottages behave like roofs anywhere — size by the square and by how many layers are up there. The two jobs need completely different conversations, which is why the first question is always which one you have.
Two tables, because they are two different jobs
Flat roofs — built-up, tar and gravel, membrane
| Roof | One system | Two or more systems |
|---|---|---|
| Garage or small rear addition | 10 yard | 10 yard |
| Two-flat, typical city lot | 15 yard | 15 yard plus a swap |
| Three-flat or larger | 15–20 yard | 20 yard plus swaps |
| Courtyard building section | 20 yard | Multiple containers |
Pitched roofs — asphalt shingle, by the square
| Roof | One layer | Two layers |
|---|---|---|
| Bungalow or cottage, up to 20 squares | 10–15 yard | 15 yard |
| Larger house, 25–30 squares | 15 yard | 20 yard |
| Complex or multi-section roof | 20 yard | 20 yard plus a swap |
A roofing square is 100 square feet of roof surface. On a flat roof, the roof area is close to the footprint; on a pitched roof, add for the slope.
Nobody knows how many layers are up there
On a Chicago flat roof you frequently cannot tell what you are dealing with until the first section is open. Buildings here have had roofs replaced by overlaying rather than tearing off for the best part of a century, and three systems is common, four not unusual.
The giveaway from the ground is the height of the edge detail and the depth of the parapet flashing — a roof that has been overlaid repeatedly sits noticeably higher than the parapet was built for. If you are not sure, assume more rather than fewer and tell us, because a tear-off is the one job you genuinely cannot stop halfway through.
It matters more here than with shingle because the weight scales so hard. Going from one built-up system to three does not add fifty percent; it can more than double the tonnage. Planning for a swap you turn out not to need is far easier than finding a container at two in the afternoon with a flat roof open and rain forecast.
The other common find is asbestos. Tar-based roofing products from the middle of the century can contain it, and on a pre-1980 building it is worth establishing before the tear-off rather than during it.
Getting the debris from a flat roof to the container
- The container goes in the alley, almost always It is the back of the building, it is where the chute comes down, and on a city lot there is nowhere at the front for it. That means a permit, which is ours.
- Plan the chute before the day A debris chute off the back of a flat roof needs somewhere to land, and that spot has to be the container, not next to it. Tell us where the chute will be and we will set the container to suit.
- Protect the porch Chicago rear porches are timber structures with a load rating. A chute braced off one, or debris landing on one, is a genuine problem. Plan around it.
- Keep the alley passable Your neighbours still need their garages. A container plus a chute plus a crew can occupy an alley completely, and that is a conversation to have with the block first.
- Stop at the rail Gravel ballast makes it very easy to overload without the container looking full. Level with the top rail, and on tar and gravel usually well below it.
When to do a Chicago roof
The practical roofing window here runs from roughly late April to mid-October, and the shoulders are genuinely risky. Built-up and membrane systems need temperature to go down and bond properly, and a flat roof opened in a Chicago November can sit unfinished for weeks while the weather decides.
That compresses the whole city's roofing into five months, which is why tear-off containers are hardest to get at short notice in August and September. If your job has a fixed date in that window, book the container when you book the crew rather than the week before.
Storm work is the exception and we treat it as one. After a significant wind or hail event the call volume goes vertical for about ten days. Say it is storm damage when you ring — it changes how we schedule.
What people ask when they call
Why is tar and gravel so much heavier than shingle?
Because you are removing a built-up system rather than a covering — saturated felt, bitumen and a gravel ballast layer, often several systems stacked. A small flat roof can fill a 15 yard by weight.
How do I know how many layers my flat roof has?
Often you cannot until it is open. The clue from the ground is the roof sitting high against the parapet. Assume more rather than fewer and tell us, because you cannot stop a tear-off halfway.
Where will the container go?
The alley, in nearly every case — it is where the chute comes down. That is a public way placement, so the permit is ours to hold.
Can the old roof contain asbestos?
Tar-based roofing products from the middle of the century can. On a pre-1980 building it is worth establishing before the tear-off starts, because it cannot go in any container.
Can you deliver early for a crew start?
Ask when you book. Early delivery is often workable if it is arranged in advance, and roofing crews here start early in summer for good reason.
What if there is a third layer we did not expect?
Ring the moment you know. A swap the same day is often possible, and on an open flat roof it is not a thing to leave until tomorrow.
Tearing off a roof in the city?
Flat or pitched, the area, and what you think is under it. If you do not know the layers, say so and we will plan for both.
(619) 658-9555Mon–Sat 6am–6pmWorth reading before you book
