Dumpster Bag or Roll-Off?
One Eco Waste bag is $308 filled (the $29 bag plus the $279 pickup); each extra bag on the same pickup adds just $29 + $179, so two bags are $516 and three are $724, the most one pickup takes. Each holds 4 cubic yards or 1 ton. One or two bags beat the cheapest roll-off ($650); for light debris, from 3 bags a 12-yard roll-off is cheaper. For up to 3 tons of concrete or dirt, three one-ton bags still beat the $775 fill-line bin; past that, the bin wins easily.
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The calculator
Your load
Together: up to 3 bags a pickup, $279 for the first bag and $179 for each bag after it on that pickup; a 4th bag starts another pickup. Separate days: $279 every time.
Bags or a roll-off
2 bags, one pickup
$516
$258 a bag
12-yard roll-off
$650
Crossover
3bags
from 3 bags, a roll-off costs less
Bags win by $134
How this was calculated
- Roll-off priced
- cheapest size that holds it
- Rental
- 14 days, no moves
- Bag pickups
- up to 3 a pickup: $279 + $179 per extra bag
- Bag overweight
- pro rata (ask us)
- Bag shipping
- free south of the 55, west of the 241
FREE bag shipment to customers located south of the 55 and west of the 241. Available only in cities within Orange County, California. Roll-off rates are for our normal service area; out-of-area deliveries cost more.
Worked example
6 cubic yards of remodel debris weighing 1.2 tons
Bags by volume: 6 ÷ 4 = 1.5, rounded up to 2. Bags by weight: 1.2 ÷ 1 ton = 1.2, rounded up to 2. So 2 bags.
Bags on one pickup: 2 × $29 + $279 + $179 = $516 (on separate days it would be $616). Roll-off: the 12-yard holds it at $650, inside its included tons.
Verdict: bags by $134. Add a third bag’s worth and they’d be $724, $74 past the roll-off.
Reference
How full a bag gets, and where the roll-off wins
| Material | lb per loose yd³ | One bag holds | Limit hit first | Crossover | Roll-off at crossover |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mixed remodel / construction debris | 484 | 4.00 yd³ | 4 yd³ | 3 bags ($724) | 12-yard $650 |
| Asphalt shingles (composition roofing) | 731 | 2.74 yd³ | 1 ton | 3 bags ($724) | 12-yard $650 |
| Drywall / gypsum board (broken) | 467 | 4.00 yd³ | 4 yd³ | 3 bags ($724) | 12-yard $650 |
| Lumber / wood (framing, decking, fencing) | 169 | 4.00 yd³ | 4 yd³ | 3 bags ($724) | 12-yard $650 |
| Mixed yard waste, loose | 250 | 4.00 yd³ | 4 yd³ | 3 bags ($724) | 12-yard $650 |
| Branches, brush and stumps | 127 | 4.00 yd³ | 4 yd³ | 3 bags ($724) | 12-yard $650 |
| Dirt / soil, dry | 2,200 | 0.91 yd³ | 1 ton | 4 bags ($1,032, 2 pickups) | 12-yard $775 |
| Concrete, broken | 2,400 | 0.83 yd³ | 1 ton | 4 bags ($1,032, 2 pickups) | 12-yard $775 |
One pickup takes up to 3 bags. Past that, the next bag goes on another pickup, which starts again at $279 for its first bag.
| Bags | Volume | Together (up to 3 a pickup) | Separate days | Cheapest roll-off | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 yd³ | $308 | $308 | 12-yard $650 | Bags |
| 2 | 8 yd³ | $516 | $616 | 12-yard $650 | Bags |
| 3 | 12 yd³ | $724 | $924 | 12-yard $650 | Roll-off |
| 4 | 16 yd³ | $1,032 (3 + 1) | $1,232 | 16-yard $785 | Roll-off |
| 5 | 20 yd³ | $1,240 (3 + 2) | $1,540 | 40-yard $825 | Roll-off |
| 6 | 24 yd³ | $1,448 (3 + 3) | $1,848 | 40-yard $960 | Roll-off |
How to use it
In 4 steps
- 1Enter the volume in cubic yards and the weight in tons or pounds.
- 2Pick what it is, so the roll-off is priced on the right line of the rate sheet.
- 3Leave the bag count blank for the fewest bags, or enter your own to see any overweight charge.
- 4Compare the two totals and the crossover.
When a bag is the better call
A bag only needs room for a 7 × 4-foot footprint, so it suits small jobs and tight spots. The math: the first bag is $308 with its pickup, and every bag after it on the same pickup adds $208. The cheapest roll-off is $650. Two bags ($516) come in under it; three ($724) don’t. One pickup takes up to 3 bags; a fourth starts another pickup at $279. Picked up on separate days, every bag is $308, so book them together.
Weight is the catch. The bag’s limit is one ton (2,000 lb). At 2,400 lb per loose cubic yard of broken concrete (San Diego’s figure), a bag hits that at about 0.8 cubic yards, about a fifth of its volume. Past the limit, pickup adds $135 a ton from the scale reading. For concrete or dirt, the roll-off to compare is the flat $775 price to the 10-cubic-yard fill line: three one-ton bags on one pickup ($724) cost less; four, on two pickups ($1,032), cost more.
Bags ship free south of the 55 and west of the 241 and are available only within Orange County. Not sure of your weight? Use the debris weight calculator. For the full roll-off bill, the dumpster cost calculator; to haul it yourself, the dump run calculator.
FAQ
Bag vs dumpster: questions
How much is a dumpster bag?
The Eco Waste bag is $29. Pickup is $279 for up to 2,000 lb, and $135 per ton over that from an on-site scale reading. So one filled bag is $308. Each extra bag on the same pickup is $179: two bags are $516, three are $724.
Is a second bag cheaper?
Yes, if it goes on the same pickup as the first: $179 instead of $279, and the same for a third. Picked up on a different day, it's its own $279 pickup. One pickup takes up to 3 bags; a fourth starts another pickup at $279.
How many bags fit on one pickup?
Up to 3. All in, one bag is $308, two are $516 and three are $724. More bags go on another pickup, which starts again at $279 for its first bag: five bags are $724 + $516 = $1,240.
How much does a dumpster bag hold?
4 cubic yards (7′ × 4′ × 4′) and up to one ton. Dense material hits the ton first: about 0.8 cubic yards of broken concrete or 0.9 of dry dirt.
Is a dumpster bag cheaper than a dumpster?
For one or two bags, yes: two on one pickup are $516 against $650 for the cheapest roll-off. For light debris, from 3 bags ($724) the roll-off is cheaper, if you have room for it.
How many dumpster bags equal a roll-off?
By price, 3 for light debris. By volume, a 12-yard roll-off holds what 3 bags do (12 cubic yards), for $650 with 3 tons included, versus $724 for three bags on one pickup.
What if my bag is over one ton?
Pickup covers up to 2,000 lb. Anything over is billed at $135 per ton from the scale reading. How that reading is rounded isn't on the rate sheet, so the tool prorates it; ask us.
Something not answered here? Call or text — it’s quicker than guessing.
Sources
Where these numbers come from
- [1]Eco Waste dumpster bags (ecowastedumpsters.com/dumpster-bags) and owner confirmation (opens in a new tab)Bag $29, 4 yd³ (7′ × 4′ × 4′), 1-ton limit; pickup $279 up to 2,000 lb, $135 per ton over (read September 23, 2026). Each additional bag on the same pickup $179, up to 3 bags a pickup: Eco Waste (Karla Bartholomew) correction, Oct 15, 2026: second bag on the same pickup is $179.
- [2]Eco Waste rate sheet, revised 07/01/2026 (PDF) (opens in a new tab)Roll-off prices, included tons and fill lines. Read September 23, 2026.
- [3]U.S. EPA, “Volume-to-Weight Conversion Factors” (April 2016) (opens in a new tab)Loose weights per cubic yard, as used by the debris weight calculator. Read 2026-09-22.
- [4]City of San Diego, “C&D Debris Conversion Rate Table” (May 21, 2008) (opens in a new tab)Loose weights per cubic yard, as used by the debris weight calculator. Read 2026-09-22.
- [5]U.S. Army FM 5-434, “Earthmoving Operations,” ch. 1, Tables 1-1 and 1-2 (opens in a new tab)Loose weights per cubic yard, as used by the debris weight calculator. Read 2026-09-22.
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Related tools
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- Dump Run vs Dumpster CostHauling it yourself to an OC landfill (gate fees, trips, miles and hours) against a dumpster.
Read more
- Construction Debris Removal for Contractors in Orange CountyBags, roll-offs or a demolition haul-off on tight lots, HOA streets and hillside driveways, plus the paperwork a permitted job needs.
- Dumpster Bags: How They Work and When They Beat a Bin4 cubic yards, one ton, $29 plus $279 pickup, $179 for each extra bag on the same pickup (up to 3 a pickup), and the jobs where a bag is the better call.
Know what you need? Book the bin.
12 to 40-yard roll-offs and $29 dumpster bags across Orange County. Call or text with the size, the city and the day — Monday to Friday, 7:30 to 4.