Disposing of an Old Roof in Henderson County, NC

The published rate

Henderson County's Solid Waste department publishes its Transfer Station rates for the fiscal year that began July 1, 2026. Construction and demolition debris, the category old shingles, underlayment, nails and damaged decking fall into, is $70.00 per ton. Loads of 320 pounds or less pay a minimum scale fee of $10.00. Clean, unpainted concrete and masonry debris is $55.00 per ton.

The county's Transfer Station page says all construction and demolition material must be weighed, and that permitted solid waste companies with charge accounts and contractors' vehicles must be weighed as well.

That rate is what a roofer or dumpster hauler pays at the scale. It is not the whole cost of disposal, but it is the part set in public.

Short answer: the table below runs from $10.00 (Minimum scale fee, 320 lbs or less) up to $70.00 (Construction and demolition debris), according to Henderson County Solid Waste rates. These are published government figures; labor and materials for the job come from a written quote.

Worked examples by weight

Because the charge is per ton, the arithmetic is simple. A small load of 300 pounds pays the $10.00 minimum. One ton is $70.00. Two and a half tons is $175.00. Four tons is $280.00. The table shows these figures, calculated from the published rate.

How much does a roof weigh? It depends on the material and the number of layers, and roofers estimate it from the square count and their own experience. Asphalt shingles are the most common tear-off in Henderson County, and a second layer roughly doubles the weight coming off. Ask your roofer for their estimate in tons, then run it against the rate.

Use the calculator to get a square count first.

Why a quote's disposal line is higher than the tipping fee

A roofer's disposal line usually covers dumpster or trailer rental, delivery and pickup, the hauler's time and fuel, and the tipping fee at the scale. Some roofers own their trailers and dump runs; others rent roll-off containers from a hauler. Either way the public rate is only one piece.

Still, knowing the rate helps you judge whether a disposal charge is in a sensible range for the tons involved. If a quote shows disposal far above what the weight and a container rental would explain, ask what it includes.

If a quote does not mention disposal at all, ask whether it is included. Debris left behind becomes your problem.

Doing a small repair yourself

If you replace a few shingles or a section of flashing yourself, a small load to the Transfer Station may come in under 320 pounds and pay only the $10.00 minimum. Keep roofing debris separate from yard debris and household trash, since the county handles those differently.

Keep clean, unpainted concrete or masonry, such as a broken chimney cap, separate from shingles: the county takes it at $55.00 per ton rather than the C&D rate.

Wear gloves and eye protection when handling old roofing, and use a magnet sweep to pick up nails around the house.

Before tear-off day

Ask the roofer where the dumpster or trailer will sit, whether it can damage the driveway, and whether they use boards under it. On steep or narrow mountain driveways, a trailer may be the only option.

Ask how they protect landscaping, decks and windows during tear-off, and how they will clean up. A magnet sweep of the lawn and driveway at the end of each day should be part of the job.

If the house was built before 1981, ask whether any roofing materials might contain asbestos; some older felts and coatings did. The county Transfer Station rules and state rules on regulated materials apply to those.

Recycling and separating materials

Not everything that comes off a roof has to go in the mixed load. Aluminum gutters, downspouts and some flashing are scrap metal. Henderson County's rate sheet lists white goods and scrap metal as no charge, and keeping metal out of the C&D load reduces the weight that pays the per-ton rate.

Clean concrete or masonry from a chimney repair has its own lower rate. Old shingles, felt underlayment, nails and damaged decking are the C&D load.

Ask your roofer whether they separate metal and masonry on the job. Some do as a matter of course; others put everything in one container. On a big tear-off the difference can be noticeable.

If your roofer hauls debris in their own trailer, ask whether they take it to the Henderson County Transfer Station or elsewhere. Licensed haulers and permitted facilities handle construction debris legally; debris dumped on vacant land creates problems that can trace back to the property it came from, so it is a fair question to ask.

Permits and the tear-off

A tear-off can uncover rotten decking or framing. Henderson County lists repair or replacement of load-bearing structures among the work that needs a permit, so find out ahead of time how your roofer handles that situation with the county.

The minimum permit fee is $75.00 if a permit applies. See the permit page for the rules.

And see the roof cost page for the full list of lines to compare on a quote.

Figures on this page come from: Henderson County, NC Solid Waste: Rates (FY 26-27 approved fee schedule, effective July 1, 2026); Henderson County, NC Solid Waste: Transfer Station (C&D debris must be weighed); Henderson County, NC Permits & Inspections: Frequently-Asked Questions; Henderson County, NC Permits & Inspections: 2026-2027 Fee Schedule (PDF). Checked 2026-11-04.