What Size Dumpster Do You Need? 10 vs 15 vs 20 Yard
A 10-yard dumpster handles garage cleanouts, small remodels, and single-layer roof tearoffs. A 15-yard covers basements, attics, and kitchen or bath remodels. A 20-yard takes whole-home cleanouts, large renovations, and construction debris. Stuck between two sizes? Go up one: the jump costs less than a second haul.
Here's how to match the container to the project, using the dumpster rental sizes we deliver across the Merrimack Valley.
What does "10-yard" actually mean?
The number is volume — cubic yards of debris the container holds — not the length of the box. In pickup-truck terms: a 10-yard holds about three full-size pickup beds, a 15-yard about four to five, and a 20-yard about six.
And here is the part that decides whether it fits: all three of our sizes sit on the same 14' × 8' footprint— roughly one parking space. Only the wall height changes. So a bigger dumpster doesn't need a bigger driveway; it just holds more.
| Size | Dimensions | Included weight | Holds about | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 yard | 14' L × 8' W × 3' H | 1 ton | 3 pickup loads | Single-layer roof tearoffs, single-room remodels, small driveway cleanouts, yard cleanups |
| 15 yard | 14' L × 8' W × 4' H | 1.5 tons | 4–5 pickup loads | Basement and attic cleanouts, kitchen or bath remodels, flooring tear-outs |
| 20 yard | 14' L × 8' W × 6' H | 2 tons | 6 pickup loads | Whole-home cleanouts, large renovations, construction debris, garage demos |
What fits in each size?
10 yard.The workhorse. A garage's worth of accumulated stuff, the debris from one remodeled room, a yard cleanup — and, the one that surprises people, a single-layer roof tearoff. Shingles are a weight question more than a volume question: a tear-off reaches the weight allowance well before it fills the box, so the extra volume of a larger container buys nothing. With 3-foot walls it's also the easiest to load over the side.
15 yard.The middle size, and the one that ends the guessing. Basement or attic cleanouts, a kitchen's cabinets and counters, bath remodels, flooring tear-outs. If you're clearing a whole apartment or handling a downsizing move, start here.
20 yard.Whole-home cleanouts, multi-room renovations, construction debris, garage demos. If you're staging a house for sale and clearing years of accumulation in one shot, a 20 saves you the second trip — and with the same footprint as the 10, it still fits the driveway.
We deliver all three sizes across the area, on a date agreed when you book, including dumpster rental in Lowell, Dracut, and Tewksbury.
What size for your project?
| Project | Size to book |
|---|---|
| Garage / basement / attic cleanout | 10–15 yard |
| Roof tearoff (single layer) | 10 yard |
| Small bathroom remodel | 10 yard |
| Kitchen remodel | 15 yard |
| Flooring tear-out | 15 yard |
| Estate or whole-apartment cleanout | 15–20 yard |
| Whole-home cleanout before a sale | 20 yard |
| Garage demo / construction debris | 20 yard |
| Yard debris (brush, branches, leaves) | Any size — book it as a yard-waste load (see FAQ) |
Do you rent 30 or 40 yard dumpsters?
We carry 10, 15, and 20 yard containers — and anything bigger, we handle with 20-yard swap-outs: we drop an empty and haul the full one in the same visit, or stage multiple containers if the job calls for it. There is a practical reason not to reach for a bigger box in the first place: an oversized half-empty container costs more than a right-sized full one, and you pay for the space either way.
Weight limits and Massachusetts disposal rules
Every size includes a weight allowance — 1 ton on the 10, 1.5 on the 15, 2 on the 20. Loads over the allowance are billed by the pound off the transfer-station scale ticket; current rates are on the pricing page. Volume fills a dumpster, but weight is what the scale charges for — which is why a 20-yard of shingles is a different conversation than a 20-yard of furniture.
Two Massachusetts-specific things to know before you load:
- Heavy materials— dirt, concrete, and shingles in bulk are priced as their own load type. Tell us what you're tossing when you book and we'll set it up right.
- State Waste Ban items — mattresses and box springs, TVs, refrigerators, freezers and A/C units, propane and helium tanks, and tires carry separate state-driven handling fees; bulk yard waste is handled as its own stream too. The current item fees live on the pricing page.
Will it fit in your driveway?
Yes, in almost every case — the footprint is one parking space, and we place wood under the wheels on every delivery to protect the surface. The truck needs about 45 feet of straight-on approach to place a container, though we can sometimes work with less depending on the driveway and setup. The usual snag isn't the driveway at all; it's overhead — low wires and branches. Not sure about your spot? Text a photo when you book and we'll tell you straight.
Ready to book? Reserve your 10 yard, 15 yard, or 20 yard online, or call/text 978-225-0786 and we'll size it with you. Serving Tyngsborough and the surrounding MA and NH towns.
Frequently asked
Ready to clear it out?
Text a photo for a flat quote, or book a dumpster online.