Dumpster Rental Size Guide: What Size Do You Need? - Moving.com (2024)

A dumpster rental is a great option when you’re renovating, cleaning out your home before a move, or just getting rid of junk. But how do you know what size to get?

What size dumpster you rent depends on how much stuff you need to put in it. Fortunately, dumpster rental sizes tend to be pretty standard from company to company. The hardest part then of choosing a dumpster size is anticipating how much space you’re going to require. Below, we’ll go over how to figure out what size dumpster you’ll need so that you can get to work on next steps.

How Dumpster Rental Works

First, a quick overview of what you can expect with a dumpster rental. Similar to moving companies, dumpster rental companies have variances in cost, availability, and added features, but they still offer very similar services: you book a dumpster rental and they’ll drop it off on site for you to fill up. From there, you can either fill it up yourself and have them return to haul it off, or you can have them load it up for you.

There are a lot of advantages to opting for a dumpster rental when you’ve got a lot of stuff to get rid of. Not only do you not have to worry about how you’re going to haul off the junk yourself, you also get assurance that it will be properly taken care of. The majority of junk removal companies do what they can to donate salvageable items and keep them out of a landfill.

Quick Guide to Standard Dumpster Rental Sizes

In addition to the services offered, another thing that most dumpster rental companies have in common is the range of dumpster sizes that they offer. You might see a bit of a difference based on the company you’re looking at and the unit availability in your area, but use these guidelines when determining what general size dumpster rental your job is going to require.

10 Cubic Yard Dumpster: About 17 ft x 7.5 ft x 3.5 ft and able to hold 4,000 to 6,000 pounds. Good for small home pre-move junk removal and small to medium landscaping projects.

15 Cubic Yard Dumpster: About 16 ft x 7.5 ft x 4.5 ft and able to hold 4,000 to 6,000 pounds. Good for small remodels, roofing jobs, and large landscaping projects.

20 Cubic Yard Dumpster: About 22 ft x 7.5 ft x 4.5 ft and able to hold up to 6,000 pounds. Good for kitchen and other extensive room remodels as well as large home pre-move junk removal.

30 Cubic Yard Dumpster: About 22 ft x 7.5 ft x 6 ft and able to hold 7,000 to 10,000 pounds. Good for renovations and other whole house construction projects, as well as whole house cleanouts.

40 Cubic Yard Dumpster: About 22 ft x 7.5 ft x 8 ft and able to hold 10,000 to 12,000 pounds. Good for major construction projects, demolitions, and large scale renovations.

Selecting a Dumpster Rental Size

Now that you know what sizes are offered, it’s time to figure out what size you’ll need to rent. Here are some ideas for narrowing it down.

1. Consider your type of project
   

   The dumpster rental size you choose depends largely on what type of job you require it for. If you’re doing a whole house renovation, for example, you are definitely going to need more space than if you were just getting rid of some furniture ahead of a move.

   Try to determine the scale of your project as well as you can before you reach out to a dumpster removal company. This way, they can help point you in the right direction from the get go.

2. Take inventory of what you need to throw away
   

   Some of the hardest jobs to figure out dumpster rental sizes for are pre-move cleanouts. In situations like that, taking inventory of the specific items that are going to have to go in the dumpster will be the best way to anticipate what size you’ll want to rent.

   You don’t need to start pulling things out of closets and drawers quite yet, but do go room by room, closet by closet, and so on, and take a mental inventory of what you’re going to get rid of. Does the list include bulky and/or large items like furniture, appliances, or rugs? Are you going to clean up the yard along with the house? Keep these questions in mind, since the more items—and the more large items—that you have to toss, the bigger the dumpster rental you’re going to need.

3. Ask for an on-site inventory
   

   Nobody knows how to anticipate dumpster rental sizes better than the people who rent them to you in the first place. When choosing a company to rent from, ask if they do on-site inventories. Most of them will be glad to come out to your property, assess your needs, and make a recommendation based on what they see.

   Do note however that on-site inventories are just estimates, and not guarantees. If you add on more stuff and the dumpster isn’t big enough, it’ll be on you to cover the cost of a back-up.

What If Your Dumpster Is Too Small?

We all make mistakes, and sometimes that mistake is renting too small of a dumpster. If that’s the case, there are two standard remedies:

Increased disposal costs. You might be able to squeeze 25 cubic yards worth of junk and debris into a 20 cubic yard dumpster, but you’ll get an added fee for exceeding the load limit.

You’ll get a “switch out.” A switch out is when the dumpster rental company comes and picks up your filled dumpster and drops off a new one. You’ll be charged the price for your initial dumpster rental, as well as the additional dumpster that they swapped in.

Other Things to Know About Dumpster Rentals

By this point you hopefully have a good idea what size dumpster rental you’ll need to get—or at least how to go about figuring it out. Before you make your booking, keep these other factors in mind:

• • You can’t put just any item in the dumpster. The general dumpster rental process of “if you can fit it, we’ll take it” doesn’t apply to everything, since hazardous materials are not allowed. This includes anything flammable or toxic—think old cans of paint or gasoline, chemical solvents, and oil drums and tanks.
  • Costs vary. As you might expect, costs for a dumpster rental can vary greatly depending on what size dumpster you need and how long you need it for. According to HomeGuide, the average amount that people spend for junk removal services is between $150 and $350, though prices can range from about $70 to $750.The biggest determining factor when it comes to cost is usually how much space you ultimately fill up in the dumpster.
  • Truck hauling is another option. If you need junk removal but don’t need a dumpster living on site, then you could consider booking a truck haul instead. This service, which is offered by many of the same companies offering dumpster rental, has the pros coming to your property with the dumpster attached to the back of a truck. They then fill it up and remove it all in one fell swoop.

If you’re moving, renovating, or simply doing some much needed cleaning, there’s a strong chance that a dumpster rental will be on your to do list. Follow the advice above to choose which size you’ll need, and be sure to compare at least three dumpster rental companies based on cost, services, and reviews to choose the best fit for your needs.

Resources

• Best Junk Removal Companies
• 1-800-GOT-JUNK? Review 2022
• College HUNKS Hauling Junk Review
• Junk King Review
• LoadUp Junk Removal Review
• Waste Management Dumpster Review