Which dumpster size do I need?
Pick the project, enter its size, and get a container size plus an estimated weight. Weights use US EPA volume-to-weight factors for loose debris.
- Founding price: $99/mo flat, up to 3 trucks
- Your $49 deposit counts toward your first month
- Confirmation emailed to you after purchase
Your founding-member confirmation is emailed to you after purchase. Your $49 counts toward your first month and is fully refundable any time before you start. Refund policy
Estimate only. Heavy debris (dirt, concrete, shingles) usually hits the weight limit before the container is full, and many haulers restrict heavy loads to 10-yard containers. Confirm with your hauler.
- Founding price: $99/mo flat, up to 3 trucks
- Your $49 deposit counts toward your first month
- Confirmation emailed to you after purchase
Your founding-member confirmation is emailed to you after purchase. Your $49 counts toward your first month and is fully refundable any time before you start. Refund policy
Debris weights behind the estimate (US EPA)
| Material (loose) | Lbs per cubic yard |
|---|---|
| Mixed construction & demolition (C&D) | 417 |
| C&D bulk | 484 |
| Composition / asphalt roofing | 731 |
| Gypsum board (clean or demo) | 467 |
| Dimensional lumber / painted or treated wood | 169 |
| Engineered wood | 268 |
| Concrete (large or small, with or without rebar) | 860 |
| Asphalt paving | 773 |
| Dirt and sand | 929 |
| Rock / gravel | 999 |
| Mixed yard waste, uncompacted | 250 |
| Leaves | 250-500 |
| Branches and stumps | 127 |
| Mixed MSW, uncompacted (residential/commercial) | 250-300 |
| Major appliances | 145 |
| Carpet | 147 |
Assumptions (ours, not EPA's)
- Roof: 0.34 cu yd of torn-off shingles per roofing square (100 sq ft) per layer, weighed at EPA’s 731 lbs/cu yd for composition roofing.
- Interior demo: 0.05 cu yd per sq ft of floor area gutted (a 200 sq ft kitchen ~ 10 cu yd), at 417 lbs/cu yd mixed C&D.
- Cleanout: 3 cu yd per furnished room, at 275 lbs/cu yd (mid-point of EPA’s 250-300 for loose mixed MSW).
- Pickup-truck load: about 3 cu yd (Dumpsters.com equates a 20-yard to about 6 pickup loads).
- Allowances: 2 tons (10-15 yd), 3 (20), 4 (30), 5 (40) - typical, not universal.
Related
Operators: embed this calculator on your site
Run a roll-off company? Put the size calculator on your own website so customers can work it out before they call. Free: enter your details and the copy-paste embed code appears right here. It works in WordPress, Wix, Squarespace or plain HTML. (Branded, book-it-now ordering is what RollOffDesk online ordering is being built to do.)
Software for roll-off operators
- Founding price: $99/mo flat, up to 3 trucks
- Your $49 deposit counts toward your first month
- Confirmation emailed to you after purchase
Your founding-member confirmation is emailed to you after purchase. Your $49 counts toward your first month and is fully refundable any time before you start. Refund policy
Frequently asked questions
What size dumpster do I need for a roof?
By volume, one layer of shingles on a 25-30 square roof is about 9-11 cubic yards, but at our estimate of about 250 lbs per square per layer (0.34 cu yd at the EPA factor of 731 lbs/cu yd for roofing) it weighs roughly 3-4 tons. Many haulers put roofs in a 10- or 15-yard with a higher tonnage allowance.
What size dumpster for a kitchen remodel?
A typical 150-250 sq ft kitchen gut is about 8-13 cubic yards of debris - a 10- or 15-yard dumpster.
How many tons can a 20-yard dumpster hold?
It depends on the hauler’s allowance and road-weight limits, not just the box. Published allowances run 2-4 tons for a 20-yard.
Can I put this calculator on my website?
Yes, free. Fill in the embed form above and the copy-paste code appears instantly; paste it into any page builder that accepts HTML.
Sources
- US EPA - Volume-to-Weight Conversion Factors for Solid Waste (April 2016) (accessed 2026-09-23)
- Dumpsters.com - Roll-off dumpster sizes (accessed 2026-09-23)
- Sourgum - Dumpster sizes (accessed 2026-09-23)