Dumpster size guide
Typical industry figures. Each hauler’s boxes vary; the hauler’s own included and maximum tons are on its price card.
10-yard dumpster
About 12 × 8 × 3.5 ft · 3-4 pickup loads · typically 1-2 tons included
About 3-4 pickup-truck loads. The right size for a single-room cleanout, a small bathroom remodel, or heavy material like concrete, brick and dirt where weight, not volume, is the limit.
- Garage or attic cleanout
- Small bathroom remodel
- Roofing up to about 25 squares of shingles
- Concrete, brick or dirt (heavy-debris loads)
Fits in a standard driveway; low walls make it easy to load by hand.
15-yard dumpster
About 16 × 8 × 4 ft · 4-5 pickup loads · typically 1.5-2 tons included
About 4-5 pickup-truck loads. A step up for a multi-room cleanout, flooring removal through most of a house, or a deck tear-down.
- Multi-room decluttering
- Flooring or carpet removal
- Small deck removal
- Yard cleanup with branches and fencing
Still driveway-friendly; needs about 16 ft of straight space plus room for the truck to back in.
20-yard dumpster
About 22 × 8 × 4.5 ft · 6 pickup loads · typically 2-3 tons included
About 6 pickup-truck loads. The most-rented size: a kitchen remodel, a whole-house cleanout, roofing on an average home, or renovation debris from a few rooms.
- Kitchen remodel
- Whole-house cleanout or estate cleanup
- Roof replacement on an average home
- Window, siding or door replacement
Needs about 22 ft of length and roughly 60 ft of straight access for the truck; the 4.5-ft walls are easy to load over.
30-yard dumpster
About 22 × 8 × 6 ft · 9 pickup loads · typically 3-4 tons included
About 9 pickup-truck loads. For bulky, lighter debris: a major remodel, new construction framing scrap, large furniture and demolition of a garage or shed.
- Major home renovation or addition
- New construction debris
- Garage or shed demolition
- Commercial cleanouts
Same footprint as a 20 with 6-ft walls; a walk-in door makes loading heavy items easier if the hauler has one.
40-yard dumpster
About 22 × 8 × 8 ft · 12 pickup loads · typically 4-5 tons included
About 12 pickup-truck loads. The largest standard box for commercial jobs and whole-building cleanouts with light, bulky material; not for heavy debris because the truck would exceed road weight limits long before it is full.
- Commercial construction and demolition
- Large estate or multi-unit cleanouts
- Roofing on large commercial buildings
- Bulky packaging and pallets
8-ft walls mean loading from a dock, a ladder or by machine; confirm overhead clearance for the truck.
Roofing rule of thumb: 25 squares of one-layer asphalt shingles weigh about 3 tons.