Dumpster guides by project
What size, what it weighs, what it costs, and what you cannot put in it — organised by the job you are actually doing.
Every project guide
- Weight-limited
Roof tear-off
20 yd³ — Shingles are dense, so weight runs out long before volume. Size to the tonnage, not the pile.
- Volume-limited
Kitchen remodel
20 yd³ — Cabinetry is bulky and light, so volume is the binding constraint — unless there is tile, in which case weight takes over.
- Weight-limited
Bathroom remodel
10 yd³ — A small footprint that produces surprisingly heavy debris. Tile, mortar bed, cast iron and a plaster wall are all dense.
- Volume-limited
Estate cleanout
30 yd³ — Decades of household contents are almost pure volume, and the job is emotionally hard enough without running out of container halfway through.
- Volume-limited
Deck removal
15 yd³ — Dimensional lumber is light for its bulk, and how well you break it down decides the size more than the deck does.
- Weight-limited
Basement flood cleanup
20 yd³ — Water is the whole story. Saturated drywall, carpet, padding and stored cardboard can weigh several times their dry weight.
- Limited by what is not allowed
Garage cleanout
15 yd³ — The size is easy. The reason this project has its own guide is that a garage contains a higher concentration of container-prohibited material than any other room in a house.
- Volume-limited
Moving cleanout
15 yd³ — Whatever did not make the truck, plus packing material. Bulky, light, and almost entirely volume.
- Weight-limited
Concrete and patio removal
10 yd³ — Always a 10, and never anything larger. Concrete is about two tons per cubic yard, so a bigger container just sells you space you are not legally allowed to fill.
- Limited by both
Whole-house gut renovation
30 yd³ — Volume and weight both bind, at different stages. Plan two or three containers in sequence rather than one enormous one.
- Limited by material separation
Yard and landscaping cleanup
15 yd³ — The size is straightforward; the trap is mixing green waste with soil and sod, which have completely different outlets and rates.