Dumpster size guide
A 10 yard is about 15 ft long. The 20, 30 and 40 yard are all about 23 ft long and 8 ft wide, and only the walls change: about 4.5, 6 and 8 ft tall. Dense loads like shingles, drywall and concrete fill the weight allowance long before the container looks full. Light, bulky debris fills the volume first. Here is how the five sizes compare, and which one your job needs.
Last reviewed October 27, 2026.
Side elevation, to scale
Same footprint from 20 to 40. Only the walls change. The 10 and 15 are shorter boxes.about 9 pickup truck loads3
A pickup truck load is a standard 6½ ft truck bed filled level, about 2.3 cubic yards.
Find your size
Pick the job closest to yours. The suggestion uses the typical volumes and weights from our provider network.
We would start with
Shingles are heavy, so weight runs out before volume. A 20 holds roughly 55 squares by volume, within about 25 squares at 3 tons included. Multi-layer roofs need more weight capacity: plan a swap.
Weight versus volume
Each bar is a container, drawn to its volume. The shaded part is how full you can load it before you reach the tons a typical quote includes. Past that, weight is billed per ton from the scale ticket.42
Assumptions: EPA's job-site rates (bathrooms 72.1, kitchens 64 and whole-house remodels 19.55 lb per sq ft; new homes 4.39 and new commercial 4.34 lb per sq ft; wood-frame demolition 50 lb per sq ft) and loose densities (mixed C&D 417, household trash 250 to 300, yard waste 250 lb per cubic yard).54 Roofing at 240 lb a square, with 229 to 300 across shingle types.6 Decks in southern pine, 1.5 in decking on 2x8 joists at 16 in.78 Slabs and soil from FHWA in-place densities and swell factors: concrete 3,960 lb per in-place cubic yard swelling 67%, asphalt 3,240 swelling 50%, topsoil 2,430 swelling 56%.9 Kitchen figures assume a full gut down to the studs. If you're keeping the walls and ceiling, you'll produce far less, and a 20 may be enough. A 20-yard container handles roughly 55 squares of single-layer shingles by volume, within about 25 squares at 3 tons included. Heavy-debris hauls are capped at 10 tons and 10 cubic yards each.2
Comparing quotes
A low base price without these is incomplete. We put all four on every quote.
How many days the base price covers. We see terms of 7, 14 and 30 days. The median on our orders is 14 days.
The disposal weight inside the base price. Examples from our orders: 2 tons on a 10, 3 tons on a 20 or a 30, 4 tons on a 40, and 10 tons on a heavy-debris container.
What each ton over the allowance costs, from the scale ticket.
What each extra day costs once the rental period ends.
Billing model one
Flat rate per haul. Delivery, pickup, disposal up to the included tons and a set number of days.
Billing model two
Base rate plus per-ton disposal. Disposal is billed from the scale tickets. Ask about swap delivery, dry-run, relocation, overfill, permit and special-item charges.
Sample invoice
Amounts are left out on purpose. Your quote sets them. In this example, three hauls with 3 tons included each came to 11.4 tons on the scale tickets, so 2.4 tons were billed as overage.
| Line | Quantity | Unit | Rate | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 yard roll-off, haul rate (includes delivery, pickup, 3 tons, 14 days) | 1 | haul | per quote | Delivery and pickup dates |
| Swap, 30 yard | 2 | haul | per quote | Swap dates |
| Tonnage overage | 2.4 | ton | per ton | Three scale tickets |
| Extra days | 5 | day | per day | Delivery and final pickup dates |
| Mattress | 1 | item | per item | Driver note or photo |
| Dry run | 1 | trip | per trip | Driver note and photo of the blocked spot |
| Permit | 1 | permit | pass-through | City permit |
| Tax | where applicable |
Rates, tons included and rental days vary by provider, market and material. We don't publish prices in this guide. Your written quote lists every rate that applies to your job.
Before it arrives
Check access width, a straight run for the truck, overhead clearance and firm, level ground. Keep the container at least 10 feet from power lines. Many contractors lay plywood or boards under the rails and rollers. That's common contractor practice, not a manufacturer requirement.
Street placement usually needs a permit, and rules vary by locality. Hazardous waste, batteries, fluorescent bulbs, asbestos, refrigerant appliances, liquids and fuels are excluded. Tires, mattresses and electronics often go for a per-item fee.
Heavy, flat items first. Spread the weight evenly and stop at the top rail. Schedule a swap before the container is full, not on the last day. Wet or storm debris weighs more: step down a size.
Specifications
| Size | Length | Width | Height | Volume | Tons included |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 yard | about 14 ft 9 in | about 8 ft | about 4 ft | 270 cu ft | 1 to 3 |
| 15 yard | 14′9″ to 16′9″ | about 8 ft | 4′7″ to 4′10″ | 405 cu ft | 2 to 3 |
| 20 yard | 22′9″ to 23′ | 7′9″ to 8′ | 4′3″ to 4′7″ | 540 cu ft | 2 to 4 |
| 30 yard | 22′9″ to 23′ | 7′9″ to 8′ | 5′11″ to 6′2″ | 810 cu ft | 2 to 4 |
| 40 yard | 22′9″ to 23′ | 7′9″ to 8′ | 7′7″ to 8′ | 1,080 cu ft | 3 to 5 |
Approximate outside dimensions from manufacturer spec sheets; included tons from quotes in our provider network. Both vary by provider and market. Pickup truck loads for a 6½ ft bed filled level, about 2.3 cubic yards each, are about 4, 6½, 9, 13 and 17.3 A full container of mixed construction debris is about 2.1, 3.1, 4.2, 6.3 and 8.3 tons at 417 lb per loose cubic yard.4
| Debris | Pounds per loose cubic yard | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Clean lumber | 169 | US EPA |
| Mixed household trash, loose | 250 to 300 | US EPA |
| Mixed construction debris | 417 | US EPA |
| Drywall | 467 | US EPA |
| Asphalt shingles (tear-off) | 731 | US EPA |
| Concrete pieces, as hauled | 860 | US EPA |
| Dirt and sand, as hauled | 929 | US EPA |
| Topsoil, dug and loose | 1,620 | FHWA |
| Earth (loam), dug and loose | 2,070 to 2,360 | FHWA |
| Broken concrete slab, loose | 2,370 | FHWA |
Questions
Start with the material weight, not its volume. Light, bulky debris such as framing, drywall, and general construction waste usually fills a 30 or 40-yard container before it gets too heavy. Concrete, dirt, asphalt, and roofing shingles can hit the weight limit while a container still looks half empty, so they generally belong in a 10 or 20-yard. One customer asked for a 30-yard for shingles; we recommended a 20 because of the weight.
Because disposal is billed by the ton and trucks have axle weight limits. A 30-yard container full of concrete cannot legally or safely be hauled. Putting dense material in a smaller container is not a downgrade, it is the only configuration that works, and it usually costs less than the overage you would otherwise pay.
It is the disposal weight bundled into the base price. Anything over that amount is billed per ton from the scale ticket. Our orders range from 2 included tons on a 10-yard to 10 tons on a 30-yard sized for concrete. A quote with no stated tonnage is a haul price, not an all-in price.
Shingle jobs are measured in squares and are usually limited by weight. A 20-yard container handles roughly 55 squares of single-layer shingles by volume, within about 25 squares at 3 tons included. A 10 or 12-yard handles roughly 25 to 30 by volume. Multiple-layer tear-offs reduce those figures substantially. Ask for more included tonnage than the standard allowance, which is usually based on lighter debris.
The rental period, the tons included, the per-ton overage rate, and the per-day rate once the rental period ends. If you do not have all four from both vendors, you are not comparing prices. This is where a cheaper-looking base rate becomes the more expensive invoice.
Liquids, fuels, batteries, pesticides, and asbestos do not go in a standard roll-off. They are handled as regulated material, with documentation. Wet concrete slurry is a liquid, so it is not a dumpster load either. Hardened concrete, dirt, and shingles can go in, and they go in a 10-yard or 20-yard because of weight.
A 20 for most single-layer roofs up to about 25 squares. Shingles weigh 229 to 300 lb a square, so weight runs out long before the container fills. Ask for more tons included on bigger or multi-layer roofs.
10, 15, 20, 30 and 40 yards. In our provider network, the 30 is the most ordered by a wide margin.
Yes, partly. Most quotes include a set number of tons, and weight over that is billed per ton from the scale ticket. Some providers bill all disposal by the ton.
It depends on the quote, not the container. Most quotes in our network include 2 to 4 tons on a 20 or 30 and 3 to 5 on a 40. Heavy-debris containers are often 10 tons.
No, not on your own driveway or private property in most places. Yes, usually, on a public street or sidewalk. Check your state's coverage page.
A dry run is a trip the driver couldn't complete because the spot was blocked, a gate was locked or the container was overfilled. Some providers bill it as a flat trip fee.
Tell us the job, the material and the ZIP. We size it, quote the four numbers and schedule the drop, in every state.