How Should You Decide on a Dumpster Rental Size?

How Should You Decide on a Dumpster Rental Size?

Projects such as cleanouts, renovations, and construction can generate a lot of waste, far more than a standard trash removal service can or will handle. Disposing of that waste, then, can mean several trips to a landfill, which can get tiresome and expensive. And at the end of the day, this is only relevant if you even have a dump available to you.

Even if that’s the case, a better solution is a residential or commercial dumpster rental. It’s easier, safer, more convenient, and less expensive.

Renting from a residential or commercial dumpster service means choosing the right size bin for the job. If your rental dumpster is too small, you’ll be stuck with leftover trash that you’ll have to haul off yourself, or you might have to spend more on an additional rental. On the other hand, if your dumpster rental is too large, then you’re paying for space you don’t need and not getting the best value from your rental.

Choosing the right dumpster size comes down to the amount of waste you need to dispose of, and what type it is, so we’ve put together this guide to help you figure out which size is right for you. However, when you rent a dumpster from RGH Waste & Disposal, our experienced staff will know the right questions to ask so that you’re sure to get the dumpster size you need for your commercial or residential site.

Dumpster Rental Sizes

Here at RGH, we offer two dumpster rental sizes: 20 cubic yards and 30 cubic yards of capacity. Let’s look at their specs, features, and recommended uses.

Our 20-yard dumpsters are 21’ 11” in length, 7’ wide, and 3’ 6” high. To put 20 cubic yards into perspective, that’s the holding capacity of 300 standard 13-gallon kitchen bags, 92 standard 43-gallon contractor bags, or ten pickup truck loads.

They’re suitable for the following:

  • Construction projects
  • Remodels and renovations of homes and buildings
  • Roof replacements
  • Community events
  • Community and home cleanups and cleanouts
  • Landscaping projects
  • Cleanups following fires, floods, and other natural disasters such as hurricanes

Our 30 yard-dumpsters are almost identical in length and width to the 20-yard dumpsters, but there is a significant height difference. They measure 22’ L, 8’ W, and 6’ H.

The 30-yard dumpsters are ideal for the following situations:

  • Large-scale construction projects
  • Demolitions
  • Construction of new houses
  • Major home and building renovations that involve multiple rooms
  • Commercial and community cleanups (following natural disasters, for example)
  • Waste removal following special events
  • Junk removal, including large items such as furniture

Dumpster Rental Features

When it comes to a rental dumpster, you may have in mind the image of the standard dumpster you find in places such as apartment buildings and restaurants. They’re shaped like cubes and have lids, and they’re made to handle everyday trash.

That’s not what you get with our dumpster rentals.

Instead, you get a rectangular unit with an open top and locking wheels. This facilitates the disposal of large and heavy objects, and it also has a sturdier build suited to the types of projects it accommodates.

In addition, these dumpsters are roll-off dumpsters, meaning that at delivery, a truck with a hydraulic bed lifts and then lowers the dumpster into place. Those same trucks easily remove the dumpsters from your property at pickup time.

Other Considerations

When choosing a rental dumpster, you also have to consider what we in the industry call “level loads” and “tonnage.”

Here’s a simple way to explain these terms:

By law, the load in a dumpster cannot exceed the dumpster’s height. Also, by law, the load cannot exceed the dumpster’s weight limits.

Say you have a cleanout project where the total weight isn’t that great, but the size is. In that case, you might need a 30-yard dumpster not because of the weight but because of the size.

Likewise, you might be doing a roof replacement. The removed shingles will be flat and won’t take up much space, but they do make a lot of accumulated weight. So you might need a larger dumpster even if the waste doesn’t fill it.

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If you need a rental dumpster, RGH has you covered, and we’ll make sure you get the exact size you need for your project.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Lisa Flemister

Lisa is the General Manager of RGH Waste and Disposal LLC. After many years of working in waste management, Lisa has ‘seen it all’ and then some! She knows the 'ins' and 'outs' of waste disposal and has a wealth of experience from years of working with first-time dumpster renters to seasoned commercial clients.