Kitchen remodel: container, weight and what you cannot throw in
A 20 yard container. Cabinetry is bulky and light, so volume is the binding constraint — unless there is tile, in which case weight takes over. Expect $325 to $775 for the rental, and check the material list below before you start — this job produces 4 things worth verifying.
- Recommended
- 20 yd³
- Constraint
- Volume-limited
- Weight limit
- 2–4 tons
- Typical cost
- $325–$775
How much debris this job produces
A full gut of a typical kitchen — cabinets, countertops, appliances, flooring and drywall — generally lands between 12 and 18 cubic yards. Tile floor and mortar bed can add a ton or more on their own.
Why this size and not the next one
Cabinetry is bulky and light, so volume is the binding constraint — unless there is tile, in which case weight takes over. The 20 yard is the most-rented size in the country and it is still 4 feet tall, so you can throw over the side instead of walking the door. That combination is why it is the safe default.
What goes wrong on this job
- The refrigerator cannot go in the container — Section 608 requires refrigerant recovery first
- Granite and quartz countertops are far heavier than they look; a single slab section can be several hundred pounds
- Break cabinet boxes apart, or you will pay for the air inside them
Materials from this job that need checking
- Prohibited
Refrigerators, freezers and AC units
Federal law, not hauler preference. Under EPA Section 608, the last person in the disposal chain — the scrap processor or landfill — has to make sure the refrigerant was recovered before the appliance is disposed of. If they accept a unit that no longer holds a charge, they must keep a signed statement naming the person who recovered the refrigerant, their address, and the date it was done, or a contract with their supplier committing to recovery before delivery.
Federal rule Appliances - Conditional
Drywall and gypsum board
Accepted in general C&D loads in most of the country, but clean gypsum wallboard is banned from disposal in Massachusetts, where it has to be separated for recycling.
Massachusetts: Clean gypsum wallboard is a banned material. Loads containing it can be rejected at the transfer station. (310 CMR 19.017)
We have not verified this material against your state’s own regulator. That means unknown, not allowed — check with your state before you load it.
Varies by state Construction debris MA - Conditional
Untreated lumber and wood
Standard C&D material nearly everywhere. Massachusetts bans wood from disposal, so in-state it is separated for processing rather than landfilled.
Massachusetts: Wood is a banned material under the state disposal bans. (310 CMR 19.017)
We have not verified this material against your state’s own regulator. That means unknown, not allowed — check with your state before you load it.
Varies by state Construction debris MA - Conditional
Washers, dryers, stoves and water heaters
Large appliances without refrigerant are the easy case — no federal recovery rule applies, so most haulers take them, sometimes at a per-item fee, and many would rather you set them beside the container for scrap. Massachusetts bans white goods from disposal.
Massachusetts: White goods — large appliances — are banned materials. (310 CMR 19.017)
We have not verified this material against your state’s own regulator. That means unknown, not allowed — check with your state before you load it.
Varies by state Appliances MA
Sources
- Primary source Appliance Disposal — Section 608 refrigerant management — US Environmental Protection Agency · last reviewed 2026-08-17
- Primary source Stationary Refrigeration Safe Disposal Requirements — US Environmental Protection Agency · last reviewed 2026-08-17
- Primary source What Local Governments Need to Know About Appliance Disposal (901-F21-006) — US Environmental Protection Agency · last reviewed 2026-08-17
- Primary source MassDEP Waste Disposal Bans — Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection · last reviewed 2026-08-17
mass.gov refuses automated requests from this build environment (HTTP 403). The ban list was read from the publisher’s own guide through a search index and cross-checked against the October 2021 amendment document below.