How To Pick the Right-Sized Dumpster for Any Job
The kinds of projects that require a dumpster can range from small remodeling jobs to whole-house renovations, new construction to home clean-outs. Knowing how to pick the right-sized dumpster for any job will help get you through a lifetime of projects.
Why Rent a Dumpster?
It’s possible to underestimate the amount of debris even a small remodeling project can generate. There’s a lot of stuff to get rid of to make room for new finishes, including old drywall, cabinets, countertops, tile, and appliances.
This isn’t the kind of garbage you can just park out on the curb. In fact, many towns and cities—and the waste haulers they contract with to collect garbage—have rules about what kinds of things you can throw in your household trash. Dishwashers, roof tiles, concrete, electronics, and pipes are usually not among them.
Sometimes, you might be allowed one “bulk item” per weekly pickup, but where are you going to put all the other old junk you dug out of your basement or attic? Waiting to set it out for collection, one item at a time, for weeks on end just doesn’t make sense. A dumpster solves that dilemma by giving you a single receptacle that can accommodate many kinds of debris. This includes construction debris, old broken furniture and toys, and rusty old tools you found in a back corner of the shed.
How the Dumpster Rental Process Works
Reputable dumpster rental companies will be licensed and insured, and they’ll know about landfills and facilities where your solid waste can legally be deposited. They’ll provide a detailed contract listing the extent of their services. These should include dumpster drop-off and collection, a specified amount of time you may keep the dumpster at your property or construction site, and a price.
Be aware that in addition to the rental cost, there could be fees for the dumpster company to dispose of your garbage at the landfill or waste processing facility. These are called “tipping” fees. On top of that, you should be aware of potential charges for overfilling the dumpster you rent or putting prohibited items like electronics or food waste into the dumpster. That’s why it’s important to know how to pick the right-sized dumpster for any job. That way, you can match the dumpster rental services with the kind of job you need the dumpster to do.
Business vs. Residential Rentals
Many businesses—especially restaurants and office buildings—may enter into ongoing dumpster rental contracts with weekly or bi-weekly pickups. These contracts may spell out who is responsible for cleaning the dumpster after collection or when it’s dropped off. Starting with a clean dumpster is especially important for pest control around dumpsters that may contain food items, as is proper positioning away from vegetation and off the streets. Some cities require enclosures of a specified height to conceal dumpsters in parking lots or near loading docks—wherever they may be positioned on a commercial property.
By contrast, residential uses for dumpsters are short-term, one-project-at-a-time affairs. The dumpster rental company drops off the dumpster and comes back to collect it on the date listed in the contract. That’s fine, but how do you know how to pick the right-sized dumpster for any job in the first place?
Understanding Dumpster Sizing
Dumpster size is measured in volume, meaning the amount of material it can hold measured in cubic yards. Imagine a 3-foot wide by 3-foot long by 3-foot tall cube sitting in your driveway—something about the size of a standard oven. Now, imagine 10 of them packed together in a group, say, two lines of five each, butting up against each other. That’s the size of a 10-cubic foot dumpster.
Most residential jobs will do fine with a 10- or 20-foot dumpster. However, it’s important to note that the measure of the dumpster’s capacity by volume isn’t the only relevant number: you must also consider the maximum allowable weight. Once they’re full, roll-off dumpsters must fit back onto the kind of truck that delivered them. If the contents exceed the weight limit, the truck might not be able to legally transport the dumpster to the landfill to empty it.
So if your job involves disposing of heavy materials like roofing shingles, concrete, lots of metal, or bricks, you’ll have to be careful not to overload the dumpster. Your dumpster rental company can advise you about the maximum fill line in the receptacle to ensure you don’t inadvertently overload your dumpster.
It’s unlikely that a residential job would need a 30-yard roll-off dumpster unless there’s a great deal of demolition or construction waste involved. For example, if you’re replacing an entire roof, drilling up a concrete patio, and remodeling several rooms with new appliances, furnishings, and carpet, the debris can be substantial. Ask your rental company’s advice about the size of dumpster you’ll need.
Dumpster Placement and Dimensions
If there isn’t enough room in your driveway for the size dumpster you need, you may have to acquire a permit to place the dumpster in the street in front of your house. Measurements for 10-, 20-, and 30-yard dumpsters may vary depending on the rental company, but the length, width, and height of the dumpsters should be listed on their websites and in any contract you sign. At Delta Solid Waste Management, our dumpster dimensions are:
12 ft. long by 7 ft. wide by 3.5 ft. high 10-yard dumpster—holds about 3 pickup trucks worth of junk
22 ft. long by 8 ft. wide by 3.5 ft. high 20-yard dumpster—holds about 6 pickup truck-sized loads
22 ft. long by 8 ft. wide by 6 ft. high 30-yard dumpster—holds about 9 pickup truck-sized loads
22 ft. long by 8 ft. wide by 8 ft. high 40-yard dumpster—holds about 12 pickup truck-sized loads
Final Thoughts
The size dumpster you need for your job depends on what you’re throwing away, how much of it there is, how heavy it is, and where you’re going to place the dumpster. You want to avoid multiple trips because you’ll have to pay for each delivery and pickup separately. When in doubt, choose the next size up. This is better than overfilling a dumpster and having an irate truck driver tossing debris out of your dumpster to make it legal to haul away. If you overfill, the rental company may charge you an overfilling fee. Plus, you’ll need to have them come back to pick up the garbage you removed from the dumpster to make it legal to haul.
Choosing the right-sized dumpster is sometimes more art than science. But if you call Delta Solid Waste Management, we will do our best to help you select the appropriate size dumpster. We’ll base our recommendation on your description of the job and the kinds of debris you’ll be throwing out.
