Size guide
Roll-off dumpster sizes
Five sizes cover nearly every home job. The numbers below are typical, not fixed: each company builds or buys its own containers and confirms the real measurements when you call.
Answered Mon–Sat 8am–8pm, Sun 8am–1pm (Eastern)
At a glance
What each roll-off size is like
| Size | Often about | Typically holds | Common fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 yard | 12 ft long, 8 ft wide, 3½ ft high | A single room or a small bathroom tear-out | Concrete, dirt, brick and tight driveways |
| 15 yard | 16 ft long, 8 ft wide, 4 ft high | A one-car garage or a small kitchen | Jobs that would overflow a 10 |
| 20 yard | 22 ft long, 8 ft wide, 4 ft high | Several rooms of household goods | Whole-house cleanouts and many roof tear-offs |
| 30 yard | 22 ft long, 8 ft wide, 6 ft high | A full kitchen remodel or large estate | Bulky, lighter debris |
| 40 yard | 22 ft long, 8 ft wide, 8 ft high | Major renovation volume | Big projects with room for a long container |
The bar in each row shows volume relative to the 40-yard container. Length on the 20, 30 and 40 is often the same; the walls get taller.
Wall height changes how you load
Most of the sizes share a footprint, so the difference between a 20 and a 40 is mostly how high the sides are. Low walls let you toss bags and boards over the edge from the driveway. Tall walls hold more but mean lifting debris shoulder high or carrying it in through the rear door.
Many roll-offs have a swing door at the back. Load long, heavy pieces through it first and lay them flat, then fill the gaps with smaller things. A container packed this way takes noticeably more than one filled by tossing.
Weight allowance, the number people forget
Every size comes with a weight allowance included in the price. Go past it and the company bills for the extra at the landfill scale. Household goods rarely reach the limit; shingles, plaster, tile, soil and concrete reach it fast.
That is why heavy debris goes in a 10-yard container even when a bigger one would hold the volume: the truck and the landfill set a ceiling on what one load can weigh. Ask for the allowance in writing along with the price.
Matching a size to your project
- Garage, basement or attic cleanout: 10 to 20 yards
- Kitchen or bathroom remodel: 10 to 30 yards
- Roof tear-off: sized by roof area and layers
- Yard and landscaping: 15 to 30 yards for brush
- Concrete, dirt and brick: 10 yards, filled partway
Still unsure? Work it out step by step.
Size questions
What does one cubic yard look like?
Picture a box three feet on each side. A 20-yard container holds twenty of those.
Will a 40-yard fit in my driveway?
Often not. It is as long as a 20 but needs the same room for the truck to tip it off. Measure first and tell the company.
Talk to a local dumpster company
Have your address, the project and a rough start date handy. The company will suggest a size and tell you the price, the weight allowance and when it can bring the container.
Answered Mon–Sat 8am–8pm, Sun 8am–1pm (Eastern)
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