What Size Dumpster Do I Need?

Start with the densest material

If your load includes concrete, brick, tile, plaster, dirt, rock or roofing shingles, start at a 10 yard container regardless of volume. A 30 yard filled with concrete cannot legally leave your property. Dense material always drives you toward smaller containers with dedicated heavy allowances.

Then estimate volume in truck loads

A standard pickup bed holds roughly 2 to 3 cubic yards heaped. Count how many truckloads your pile would fill and add a third for the air you cannot compress. Three loads points to a 10 yard, six to a 20, nine to a 30, twelve to a 40.

Project-by-project starting points

Single-room remodel or small roof: 10 yard. Whole-home cleanout, flooring removal, deck teardown or mid-size kitchen remodel: 20 yard. New construction, additions, large estate cleanouts and commercial renovation: 30 yard. Bulky lightweight debris such as furniture, packaging and insulation at scale: 40 yard.

When in doubt, size up once

The cost difference between adjacent sizes is far smaller than the cost of a second delivery and haul. Sizing up one step is usually the cheaper mistake, unless the debris is heavy, in which case the extra volume does you no good and the extra tonnage costs real money.

Talk it through with a dispatcher

Every project has a detail a guide cannot cover. Call 1-800-555-0147 or request a quote and we will work through the specifics with you before anything is scheduled.