Size Calculator: Choosing the Perfect Roll-Off Dumpster Size for Your Project
Are you planning a project that requires a roll-off dumpster rental, but you’re unsure about the right size for your needs? Selecting the appropriate container size is crucial to ensure your project goes smoothly and efficiently. To help you make an informed decision, let’s compare our three dumpster sizes – 10 yards, 15 yards, and 20 yards – using everyday items to illustrate their capacities.
10-Yard Dumpster: The Mini Marvel
Capacity
Approximately equal to 3 pickup truck loads.
Common Comparison
Picture a 10-yard dumpster as capable of holding about 4 standard living room sofas. It’s perfect for small-scale projects like a bathroom remodel, small kitchen renovation, or yard clean-up. This compact dumpster is easy to place in tight spaces, making it a great choice for urban locations.
15-Yard Dumpster: The Mid-Range Warrior
Capacity
Roughly equivalent to 4.5 pickup truck loads.
Common Comparison
Picture a 15-yard dumpster as capable of holding about 8 standard living room sofas. This size is ideal for medium-sized projects such as a garage cleanout, a room addition, or flooring replacement. It offers a bit more space for larger debris while remaining manageable in most residential settings.
20-Yard Dumpster: The Heavy-Duty Hero
Capacity
Approximately equal to 6 pickup truck loads.
Common Comparison
Picture a 20-yard dumpster as capable of holding about 12 standard living room sofas. This size is perfect for significant projects like a whole-house renovation, large-scale cleanouts, or construction debris removal. It provides ample space for bulky items and can handle substantial volumes of waste.
Everyday Materials and Their Volumes
Wondering how much space those materials actually occupy? Let’s break it down:
Concrete
Concrete is heavy, so it doesn’t take up as much space as you might think. However, when you’re loading up concrete rubble volume isn’t the issue, it’s the weight that’s the concern. To avoid overloading a dumpster and paying for overages, pay close attention to the amount of weight you’re loading up.
Drywall
Drywall sheets are large but relatively thin, so they stack well. Typically, a standard bedroom has about 4-yards worth of drywall if neatly stacked. Be careful when estimating your dumpster requirements though because we rarely ever take the time to stack the materials neatly when renovating a room.
Roofing Shingles
They’re compact, but a roofing project can generate quite a pile. Carefully consider the total square footage of your roof to get an estimate of the quantity of shingles you’ll be removing. Then consider the other waste that will be generated from your project like plywood, lumber, pallets, and fascia. A 10-yard dumpster will hold about 2,500 square feet of shingles.
Furniture
Sofas, dressers, beds, and tables vary greatly in their volume. However, it’s a safe bet that the furniture in a single room of your home will require about 8 yards of space. As such, you should consider the number of rooms you will be clearing out. Always overestimate the size of dumpster you will need to account for the irregular shapes of furniture. Remember, furniture can vary in size, so consider it a ballpark estimate.
| 1 Cubic Yard of Material | Weight in Pounds |
|---|---|
| Household debris | 150 to 300 |
| Scrap wood | 300 |
| Drywall | 500 |
| Mulch | 600 to 1,000, depending on moisture content |
| Scrap metal | 1,000 |
| Soil | 2,000 |
| Carpet | 2,300 to 3,200 |
| Sand | 2,700 |
| Gravel or Rock | 3,000 |
| Concrete | 4,000 |
| Asphalt | 4,000 |
These estimates should give you a better idea of how much space your materials will occupy in the dumpster. Keep in mind that the shape and density of your waste can affect how much you can fit, so it’s always a good idea to leave a little wiggle room when selecting your dumpster size.
What’s Next?
Now that you have a clearer picture of each dumpster’s capacity, here are some additional tips to help you choose the best Alabama dumpster rental for your project.
By using these real-world comparisons and considering your specific project needs, you’ll be better equipped to choose the perfect roll-off dumpster size. If you’re still unsure, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team for expert guidance answering your dumpster rental questions.