15 yard dumpster
15 yard dumpster: size, weight limit and what fits.
About 405 cubic feet, or six and a half pickup truck loads, on a footprint about the length of a 10. It's the middle size for a big bathroom, a small deck, a mid-size roof or a cleanout that's past a 10.
Last reviewed October 27, 2026.
Dimensions
- Length
- 14′9″ to 16′9″
- Width
- about 8′
- Height
- 4′7″ to 4′10″
A pickup truck load is a standard 6½ ft truck bed filled level, about 2.3 cubic yards.
Most 15-yard quotes include 2 to 3 tons, and 2 tons is both the median and the most common figure. That's from 1,030 15-yard orders with tons on the quote, out of 1,066 15-yard deliveries our provider network made from October 2024 through October 2026.3
Is a 15 the one?
When the middle size works.
Bigger bathrooms, small decks, cleanouts
A 300 sq ft deck is about 11 cubic yards and 1 ton. Five or six pickup truck loads of household junk fit with room to spare.
Roofs and drywall
A single-layer roof of 20 squares is about 7 cubic yards and 2.4 tons, over the typical 2 tons included. Ask for 3 tons on the quote.
Concrete, brick and dirt
Use a 10 quoted for heavy debris. On our 10-yard orders for these loads, the median was 10 tons included.
Fit check
Will it fit in a 15?
A 15 fills the gap between a 10 and a 20. Set your material and volume to see whether it carries the job on the usual 2 tons, or whether a size either side does it better.43
Your load
Within a typical quoteFits, with weight to spare.
About 1.9 tons of mixed construction, inside the typical 2 tons included on a 15. You would reach 2 tons at about 9 cubic yards.
Either side
The 15 next to the 10 and 20.
| 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 (this page) | 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 |
About the length of a 10 with half again the volume. A 20 is the fallback where no one stocks 15s.13
Weight versus room
How full a 15 gets at 2 tons.
Household trash and lumber fill a 15, or come close, before they weigh 2 tons. Drywall and shingles get there with about 40 to 60% of the box still empty.43
| Debris | Lb per loose cu yd | In a 15 at 2 tons |
|---|---|---|
| Clean lumber | 169 | Fills by volume first; level full is about 1.3 tons |
| Household trash | 275 | Reaches 2 tons at about 14.5 cu yd, 97% full |
| Mixed construction | 417 | Reaches 2 tons at about 9.6 cu yd, 64% full |
| Drywall | 467 | Reaches 2 tons at about 8.6 cu yd, 57% full |
| Asphalt shingles | 731 | Reaches 2 tons at about 5.5 cu yd, 36% full |
Need a material that isn't listed? The debris weight calculator covers 20 of them, heavy ones included.
On site
Clearance, roofs and stock.
Short footprint, taller walls
A 15 is about as long as a 10, 14 ft 9 in to 16 ft 9 in, with walls of 4 ft 7 in to 4 ft 10 in. It fits spots a 20 won’t, and you can still load it over the side.1
Room to tip it off
When the truck sets the box down, its hoist rises about 18 to 20 ft above the ground. Check for branches, eaves and wires over the spot, and stay at least 10 ft from power lines.56
Roofs run out of tons
At about 240 lb a square, a single-layer roof reaches 2 tons at about 16 squares. On a bigger roof, ask for 3 tons on the quote.7
How big is a 15 yard dumpster?
About the length of a 10 with taller walls: 14 ft 9 in to 16 ft 9 in long, about 8 ft wide and 4 ft 7 in to 4 ft 10 in tall outside. Inside, the walls are 3 ft 7 in to 4 ft.
What's the weight limit on a 15 yard dumpster?
Most quotes in our provider network include 2 to 3 tons, and 2 is the usual figure. Past that, you pay per ton from the scale ticket.
How many pickup truck loads is a 15?
About 6½. That's 405 cubic feet at about 2.3 cubic yards for each 6½ ft bed filled level.
Can a 15 take concrete?
Only a little. Filled level with broken slab, a 15 would weigh about 17.8 tons, so concrete belongs in a 10 or a part-filled 20 quoted for heavy debris.
Should I get a 15 or a 20?
A 15 covers jobs of about 8 to 14 cubic yards where the market stocks one. Close to 15 yards, or with no 15 nearby, take the 20. You can load either one by hand over the side.
How long can I keep a 15?
Our 15-yard orders had a median of 10 days included, and 7 days was the most common. Need longer? The quote shows the daily rate after the included days.
Comparing quotes
How a 15-yard quote is built.
Most 15-yard quotes are a flat rate per haul. Because the included tons are low, usually 2, the per-ton overage is the number to compare across quotes. Our 15-yard orders had a median of 10 days included, and 7 days was the most common.3
- Compare the per-ton overage, not just the haul rate.
- Ask whether a 20 at the same tons is available nearby.
- Ask about a dry-run charge if the spot might be blocked on delivery day.
For the full list of fees a 15 can pick up, see how dumpster rental is billed, with a sample invoice.
There are no prices on this page. The rate, the tons and the days for a 15 depend on the provider and the market, and the written quote shows each one.
Market availability
Not every market stocks 15s
321 providers in our network delivered 15-yard containers from October 2024 through October 2026, against 886 for 20s. Many markets skip the 15 and go straight from a 10 to a 20. Where that's the case, we'll quote a 20 with the tons your job needs.3 Check your state's coverage page.
Sources
- Container manufacturer spec sheets: Wastequip rectangular roll-off brochure; Custom Container Solutions standard rectangular roll-off; Rudco roll-off containers; American Made Dumpsters rectangular roll-off product sheet. Accessed Oct 27, 2026.
- Ford, 2026 F-150 specifications: cargo volume 52.8 cu ft (5.5 ft bed), 62.3 cu ft (6.5 ft bed), 77.4 cu ft (8 ft bed).
- Detritus provider network order records, 10-, 15-, 20-, 30- and 40-yard standard containers and 10-yard heavy-load containers delivered Oct 26, 2024 to Oct 26, 2026, canceled orders excluded.
- US EPA, Volume-to-Weight Conversion Factors, April 2016.
- Roll-off hoist spec sheets: JWR AFCD-OR-22/24 and Galbreath AF series (raised height above frame 173 to 191 in, frame 45 in above ground, tire width 98 to 101.5 in, hoist length 281.5 to 305.5 in).
- eCFR: 23 CFR 658.17 (vehicle weight); 29 CFR 1926.600(a)(6) (equipment near power lines); 40 CFR 82.155 (refrigerant recovery before appliance disposal).
- CertainTeed Landmark technical data sheet, 229 to 300 lb per square.
- FHWA, earthwork density and swell table (Exhibit 5-1A): broken concrete 3,960 lb per in-place cu yd, 2,370 lb loose, 67% swell; asphalt 3,240 lb in place, 50% swell; topsoil 2,430 lb in place, 56% swell.
Want a 15?
Send the ZIP and the job. We'll check who stocks a 15 near you and quote it, or a 20 with matching tons.