Here at LeBoeuf, we’re often called on to help customers choose the right sized dumpster for their home project, from house cleanouts to remodels. While many see our smallest 10 cubic yard size as ideal for their needs and budget, we often find by the end of their project that their dumpster wasn’t enough, either exceeding the capacity or weight limits of the dumpster or leaving them with excess waste that can be hard to dispose of conventionally. In this blog, we’re going to go over all the considerations so you don’t pick too small a dumpster for your next project.

Properly Estimating Needed Dumpster Size

There are many reasons you might need a dumpster at home, from cleanouts to demolition. As a rule of thumb, one cubic yard can hold about 5-6 13-gallon trash bags. Fifty trash bags might sound like a lot, but you’d be surprised how quickly that 10-yard dumpster can fill up.

• Waste Formula: A common formula used in demolition for how much waste will be generated is: Length (x) width (x) height (x) 1/3 (/) 27, with the “1/3” being airspace and the “27” converting the value into cubic yards. This formula can also be used for non-demolition purposes if you’ve got an estimate of the amount generated.

If you’re a current LeBoeuf customer, you can also utilize our bulk-item pickup to keep larger appliances and furniture from taking up space in the dumpster. To learn more about sizing, check out our blog, Picking the Right-Sized Dumpster for Your Project.

What Happens if I Pick Too Small a Dumpster?

If you pick too small a dumpster for your project, you may be tempted to overfill the current one. Dumpsters should be loaded level full with nothing exceeding the top. Failure to do so may require items to be unloaded before the dumpster is taken away, meaning more work and additional garbage to deal with. Likewise, dumpsters have a weight allotment (1 ton per 10 yards storage; for example, 15 cubic yards has a max weight of 1.5 tons). If you go over it, there will be additional charges. To learn more, see best practices on our dumpster rental page.

Other Considerations for Your Dumpster

Of course, sizing isn’t the only factor you should be thinking about when it comes to picking the right dumpster. The following can cause additional fees and delays:

• Materials: The material you pick isn’t only important for sizing; disposing of banned materials can also result in more fees.
• Time: All dumpster rentals are allotted for a specific time. For us, every day you’ll need it past ten days is another charge, so plan your project accordingly.

Dumpster rentals can be a challenge, especially for first-time users. But here at LeBoeuf Rubbish Removal, we make it easy. With years of experience and a large fleet of trucks and dumpsters, we can help you size the perfect roll-off container to fit your needs, including open-top dumpsters in 10, 15, 20, 30, and 40 cubic yards. Learn more about our residential and commercial services, and contact us today to get started on your next big project! We’re at your disposal.