Dumpster size calculator

Roll-off dumpsters are sold by volume: usually 10, 15, 20, 30 or 40 cubic yards. Pick a project or enter what you’re throwing out to get an estimate of the size you need.

Project (fills in typical amounts) Main material Trash bags (33 gal)Pickup-truck loadsSofas / large furnitureChairs / small furnitureMattressesAppliancesTVsMoving boxesRoofing squares (1 layer)

The assumptions behind the estimate

These are rule-of-thumb estimates, not measurements. Your items may be bigger or smaller, and some pack flatter. When in doubt, go one size up or ask the rental company.

Geometry: a 33-gallon bag ≈ 0.16 cu yd; a full-size pickup bed filled level ≈ 2 cu yd; a moving box (about 1.5 cu ft) ≈ 0.06 cu yd.
Our rough estimates: sofa or other large piece ≈ 1.5 cu yd; chair or small piece ≈ 0.5; mattress ≈ 0.75; appliance ≈ 1; TV ≈ 0.25; one roofing square of asphalt shingles (100 sq ft, one layer) ≈ 0.33 cu yd and about 250 lb.
Project presets are just starting points. Edit the amounts to match your job.
We add 15% because furniture and debris don’t pack tightly.
Weights use U.S. EPA volume-to-weight factors (household trash 275, yard waste 250, construction debris 484, concrete 860 lb per cu yd).

Household trash, loose: 275 lb per cubic yard (EPA lists 250–300 for uncompacted mixed residential waste).
Yard waste, loose: 250 lb per cubic yard (EPA: mixed yard waste, uncompacted).
Construction debris, mixed: 484 lb per cubic yard (EPA: C&D bulk).
Concrete, broken: 860 lb per cubic yard (EPA 2016 table; older EPA tables list loose scrap concrete as heavy as 1,855, so real loads may weigh much more).
Volumes are geometry, not data: a full-size pickup bed filled level with the sides is about 2 cubic yards (roughly 6.5 ft × 5 ft × 1.7 ft); a 6×10 ft utility trailer filled 2 ft deep is about 4.4 cubic yards; a 33-gallon trash bag is about 0.16 cubic yards.

Weight factors: U.S. EPA, Volume-to-Weight Conversion Factors (April 2016). Real loads vary a lot; the scale at the gate decides.

Common dumpster sizes

10 yard: Small cleanouts, a bathroom remodel, or heavy material like concrete or dirt.
15 yard: A garage or a couple of rooms.
20 yard: The most common size for kitchen remodels, flooring and larger cleanouts.
30 yard: Whole-house cleanouts and additions.
40 yard: Big demolition or commercial jobs.

Sizes and typical uses vary by company. We don’t list dumpster prices because they vary by market and we only publish numbers we can source.

Only a load or two? It may be cheaper to haul it yourself. Try the dump cost calculator or find the nearest dump.

Don't want to haul it yourself? Get a junk removal quote

Junk removal crews load and dispose of it for you, usually priced by how much of the truck you fill.

Tip: get two or three quotes from local junk removal companies, and ask whether the price includes the dump fee and labor.

Bigger project? Estimate the dumpster size you need.