Free tool · Size & weight

Dumpster Size Calculator

Size a dumpster by volume first, then check the weight. Tearing out 1,000 sq ft of 1/2-inch drywall is about 1,600 lb and 3.4 loose cubic yards: our 12-yard, well under its 3 included tons. A kitchen with 20 ft of cabinets, a stone top and 150 sq ft of tile comes to about 6.7 yd³ and 1.3 tons: a 12-yard. If the load is over 85% of a bin, go one size up.

No sign-up · works on your phoneUpdated September 22, 202610 sources

The job

What are you doing?

Cabinet run (base + wall)ftFeet along the wall.

Stone or quartz topsq ftLeave 0 for laminate: the cabinet estimate is all we count for those.

Floor areasq ft

Flooring coming out

Drywall coming offsq ftWall length × height, plus ceiling.

Drywall type

Recommended size

Volume

6.7yd³

loose, in the bin

Weight

1.3tons

2,593 lb

Fills

55%

of 12 yd

12 Yard Dumpster

The smallest of our bins that holds 6.7 yd³.

Weight passes: about 1.3 t against 3 t included

$650 for 14 days. Extra tons would be rounded to the nearest ton at $135 each. Rate sheet.

Appliances: ask us first

They aren’t counted here. Call or text before you put a refrigerator, stove or dishwasher in the bin.

What we counted

Cabinets (base + wall)6.11 yd³ · 1,638 lbWorking estimate · EPA
Stone or quartz countertop (3 cm)0.16 yd³ · 430 lbPublished figure + stated analog · Caesarstone, U.S. Army
Floor tile0.38 yd³ · 525 lbPublished figure + stated analog · San Diego

One size up when over: 85% full
Cabinets (working estimate): boxes, tossed whole
Rental: 14 days

How this was calculated

Cabinets (base + wall)20 ft of run × 8.25 ft³ ÷ 27 = 6.11 yd³; × 268 lb/yd³ = 1,638 lb6.11 yd³

Stone or quartz countertop (3 cm)30 sq ft × 14.34 lb = 430 lb; 30 × 0.0984 ft ÷ 27 × 1.5 swell = 0.16 yd³0.16 yd³

Floor tile150 sq ft × 3.5 lb = 525 lb; ÷ 1400 lb/yd³ (broken brick, as the nearest published rubble figure) = 0.38 yd³0.38 yd³

Total6.11 + 0.16 + 0.38 yd³; 2,593 lb ÷ 2,0006.65 yd³ · 1.3 t

Binsmallest rated size ≥ 6.65 yd³12 yd

12-yard, debris, trash3 tons & under. $135 each additional ton.$650

Worked example

A three-room clean-out with a one-car garage

Volume: 3 rooms × 3 yd³ + 1 garage bay × 4 yd³ = 13 yd³. Those per-room figures are our working estimates for a “typical” room. We found no published figure, so the tool lets you type your own.

Weight: 13 yd³ × 300 lb (the high end of the EPA’s 250–300 lb for loose mixed household waste) = 3,900 lb, or 1.95 tons.

Size: the smallest bin that holds 13 yd³ is the 15 Yard Dumpster, but that’s 87% full, over our 85% line, so the tool also shows the 16 Yard Dumpster. Weight check: 1.95 tons rounds to 2, inside the 3 included, so $650 for two weeks.

Reference

What each job comes to, and the numbers behind it

The first table runs the calculator on a typical example of each job. The second lists every constant it uses and what it rests on: a published figure, a published figure with a stated analog, or a working estimate where nothing is published.

Worked examples by project type: loose cubic yards, tons, recommended Eco Waste bin and weight check
Job	Example	Volume	Weight	Bin	Weight check
Kitchen remodel	20 ft cabinets, 30 sq ft stone top, 150 sq ft tile	6.7 yd³	1.3 t	12 Yard Dumpster	Passes 3 t
Bathroom remodel	50 sq ft floor tile, 80 sq ft wall tile, 100 sq ft drywall, 4 ft vanity, cast-iron tub	2.1 yd³	0.58 t	12 Yard Dumpster	Passes 3 t
Carpet tear-out	500 sq ft, carpet and pad	5.4 yd³	0.31 t	12 Yard Dumpster	Passes 3 t
Tile floor tear-out	500 sq ft	1.3 yd³	0.88 t	12 Yard Dumpster	Passes 3 t
Drywall tear-out	1,000 sq ft of 1/2 in	3.4 yd³	0.8 t	12 Yard Dumpster	Passes 3 t
Deck removal	300 sq ft, Douglas-fir	10.4 yd³	0.88 t	12 Yard Dumpster (or 15)	Passes 3 t
Clean-out	3 rooms + 1 garage bay, typical	13 yd³	1.95 t	15 Yard Dumpster (or 16)	Passes 3 t
Yard clean-up	pile 12 × 8 × 4 ft, mixed yard waste	14.2 yd³	1.78 t	15 Yard Dumpster (or 16)	Passes 3 t

Constants used by the dumpster size calculator, with their basis and source
Item	Weight	Loose volume	Basis	Source
Drywall 1/2 in, standard (older homes)	1.6 lb/sq ft	÷ 467 lb/yd³	Published figure	San Diego; EPA
Drywall 1/2 in, lightweight	1.25 lb/sq ft	÷ 467 lb/yd³	Published figure	USG WB2501; EPA
Drywall 5/8 in, Type X (garages, ceilings)	2.2 lb/sq ft	÷ 467 lb/yd³	Published figure	USG WB2964 (San Diego: 2.1); EPA
Carpet / pad	1 / 0.25 lb/sq ft	÷ 147 / 62 lb/yd³	Published figure	San Diego; EPA
Ceramic tile	3.5 lb/sq ft	÷ 1400 lb/yd³ (broken brick as the analog)	Published figure + stated analog	San Diego
Hardwood floor, 3/4 in red oak	2.75 lb/sq ft	solid × 5.36	Published figure + stated analog	USDA FPL; EPA
Stone / quartz top, 3 cm	14.3 lb/sq ft	solid × 1.5 (broken-rock swell as the analog)	Published figure + stated analog	Caesarstone; U.S. Army
Cast-iron tub	316 lb	outside box, whole	Published figure	Kohler K-715
Deck framing	0.175 ft³ solid per sq ft × 33.6 lb/ft³ (Douglas-fir)	solid × 5.36	Published figure + stated analog; +25% for beams and posts is a working estimate	NIST PS 20; USDA FPL; EPA
Cabinets, per foot of run	at 268 lb/yd³	8.25 ft³ (base + wall boxes)	Working estimate	EPA density; box sizes ours
Clean-out room / garage bay	at 300 lb/yd³	1.5–5 / 2–8 yd³	Working estimate	EPA density; volumes ours

How to use it

In 4 steps

1Pick the job. Roof tear-offs and concrete have their own calculators; the tool links to them.
2Enter the sizes you know: square feet of floor or wall, feet of cabinets, rooms to clear.
3Read the loose cubic yards, the tons and the smallest bin that holds it.
4Check the weight line: under the included tons, or how many extra tons and what they cost.

Volume first, weight second

A bin is full when it’s full, so start with volume. Most of what comes out of a remodel is bulky and light: a loose cubic yard of broken drywall is about 467 lb and a yard of lumber about 169 lb (EPA). A 12-yard full of drywall is about 2.8 tons; full of lumber, about 1. Both are inside the 3 tons included.

Tile and stone are the opposite: small and heavy. That’s why the tool weighs every line. When a job goes over the included tons, the extra is rounded to the nearest ton and billed at $135 each. A bigger bin doesn’t help with weight: every size from 12 to 25 yards includes the same 3 tons.

Where a published figure exists we use it and name it. Where it doesn’t (how much junk is in a “typical” room, how big a torn-out cabinet is), the line says working estimate and you can change it. Small jobs that come in under 4 yd³ and 2,000 lb also fit a $29 Dumpster Bag.

FAQ

Size calculator: questions

What size dumpster do I need for a kitchen remodel?

It depends mostly on the cabinets. Our worked example (20 ft of cabinets, a 30 sq ft stone top and 150 sq ft of tile floor) comes to about 6.7 cubic yards and 1.3 tons, which fits a 12-yard. Add drywall and the volume climbs fast.

What size dumpster for a bathroom remodel?

Our worked bathroom (tile floor and walls, some drywall, a vanity and a cast-iron tub) is about 2.1 cubic yards and 1,159 lb. That fits a 12-yard or, being under 4 cubic yards and 2,000 lb, a $29 Dumpster Bag.

How much does a drywall tear-out weigh?

About 1.6 lb per square foot for standard 1/2-inch board (City of San Diego's table), 1.25 lb for USG's lightweight 1/2-inch and 2.2 lb for 5/8-inch Type X. 1,000 sq ft of standard 1/2-inch is about 1,600 lb and 3.4 loose cubic yards.

How big a dumpster for a deck removal?

A 300 sq ft Douglas-fir deck (5/4 boards on 2×8 joists at 16 inches, plus 25% for beams and posts) is about 1,762 lb of wood, but it bulks up: about 10.4 loose cubic yards, using the EPA's 169 lb per loose cubic yard of lumber. Cutting boards short and stacking them takes less room.

Should I get the next size up?

If your estimate is over 85% of a bin, the tool shows the next size too. Estimates are estimates, and debris rarely packs as neatly as the numbers. From 12 to 25 yards the base price is the same.

Something not answered here? Call or text — it’s quicker than guessing.

(949) 701-0206 Send it in writing

Sources

Where these numbers come from

[1]U.S. EPA, “Volume-to-Weight Conversion Factors” (April 2016) (opens in a new tab)Read 2026-09-22.
[2]City of San Diego, “C&D Debris Conversion Rate Table” (May 21, 2008) (opens in a new tab)Read 2026-09-22.
[3]USG Sheetrock UltraLight Panels submittal sheet WB2501 (rev. 4-20) (opens in a new tab)Read 2026-09-22.
[4]USG Sheetrock Firecode X Panels submittal sheet WB2964 (rev. 3-20) (opens in a new tab)Read 2026-09-22.
[5]Caesarstone Technical Data Manual (2021) (opens in a new tab)Read 2026-09-22.
[6]Kohler K-715 Villager cast-iron bath specification sheet (2020) (opens in a new tab)Read 2026-09-22.
[7]USDA Forest Products Laboratory, Wood Handbook FPL-GTR-282 (2021) (opens in a new tab)Read 2026-09-22.
[8]NIST Voluntary Product Standard PS 20-20 (Rev. 1, Oct. 2021), American Softwood Lumber Standard, Table 3 (opens in a new tab)Read 2026-09-22.
[9]U.S. Army FM 5-434, “Earthmoving Operations,” ch. 1, Tables 1-1 and 1-2 (opens in a new tab)Read 2026-09-22.
[10]Eco Waste rate sheet, revised 07/01/2026 (PDF) (opens in a new tab)Read 2026-09-23. Sizes, included tons, $135 per extra ton rounded to the nearest ton, and the Dumpster Bag.

Last reviewed September 22, 2026. Spot something wrong? Text (949) 701-0206 and it gets fixed.

Related tools

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