What Size Dumpster Do You Actually Need? A Straight Answer
Every dumpster company says "we'll help you pick a size." Here is the actual math, so you can pick one in two minutes. The short version: most home projects in Connecticut fit a 20 yard, small single-room jobs fit a 12 yard, and whole-house jobs need a 30 yard. The rest of this guide shows you how to tell which one you are.
The three sizes, translated into real life
A 12 yard (12×5×8 ft, $449) holds about three to four pickup truck loads. That's one packed garage, one finished-basement teardown, or one bathroom taken down to the studs. Its lower sidewalls also make it the easiest container to load by hand.
A 20 yard (15×6×8 ft, $649) holds about six pickup loads. This is the size roofers order for a full tear-off on an average Connecticut colonial, and the size we deliver most. Kitchen renovation, deck demolition, multi-room cleanout: this is your container.
A 30 yard (19×6×8 ft, $849) holds nine to ten pickup loads. Whole-house cleanouts, estate clearances, additions, major demo. If the word "everything" appears in your project description, start here.
Size by project: a quick chart
| Project | Usual size | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Bathroom gut to the studs | 12 yard | Tile and old plaster are heavy; two bathrooms usually means a 20 |
| Kitchen renovation | 20 yard | Cabinets and counters are bulky; add flooring and it fills fast |
| Roof tear-off, one layer | 12 yard up to about 8 squares; 20 yard up to about 16 | Count squares, not house size |
| Roof tear-off, two layers | 20 or 30 yard | Weight, not space, is the limit |
| Garage or attic cleanout | 12 yard | A two-car garage packed to the ceiling can need a 20 |
| Basement cleanout | 12 or 20 yard | A finished basement with carpet and drywall coming out is a 20 |
| Whole-house or estate cleanout | 30 yard | Big houses sometimes need a scheduled swap for a second box |
| Deck demolition | 20 yard | Framing is long; cut boards to lie flat |
| Brush, limbs, and storm cleanup | 20 yard | Bulky but light; cut big limbs so they pack down |
| Concrete, brick, or clean dirt | Call first | Very heavy; we confirm weight and the right container before delivery |
The weight math matters more than the volume math
Each size includes disposal tonnage: 1 ton on the 12, 2 tons on the 20, 3 tons on the 30. Overage runs $160 per additional ton, weighed at the facility after pickup. Light, bulky debris (furniture, cabinets, trim) hits the volume limit first. Dense debris (shingles, plaster, tile) hits the weight limit first.
Roofing is where people guess wrong most often. A single layer of asphalt shingles weighs roughly 250 to 400 pounds per square (100 square feet of roof). That means 1 ton covers about 5 to 8 squares, 2 tons about 10 to 16, and 3 tons about 15 to 24. A roof with two layers weighs about twice as much per square, so size by squares and layers, not by how big the house looks from the street.
Older Connecticut houses add one more wrinkle: plaster and lath. A plaster gut weighs far more than the same rooms of drywall, so on pre-war homes the 20 yard's 2 tons is usually the safer pick over a 12.
Will it fit in my driveway?
All three sizes are 6 feet wide or less and sit on a normal driveway. The 12 yard is 12 feet long, the 20 is 15 feet, and the 30 is 19 feet. Leave room for the truck to back in straight and around 20 feet of clearance overhead to tilt the bed, and tell us about low wires, branches, or a steep slope when you book. Our drivers set boards under every contact point to protect pavement and lawn.
How long do I get?
The 12 yard includes 5 days and the 20 and 30 include 7. Weekend days count toward the rental period like any other day. Extra days are $10 each, and pickups run Monday through Friday, so plan the pickup day when you book.
The one rule when you're between sizes
Go up. The jump from a 12 to a 20 costs $200; a second delivery costs another full rental. Nobody has ever finished a cleanout and said "we had too much dumpster." If you're torn, the bigger box is the cheaper mistake.
What can't go in any size
Paint, chemicals, oil, and other hazardous materials have to stay out of every container, and mattresses and tires carry a small fee. The full list is in our guide to what can't go in a dumpster in Connecticut.
Still not sure?
Call us at (203) 268-3739 and describe the project. We size these all day, and we'd rather send the right container than upsell you into the wrong one. Or just book online; it takes about two minutes, and you see the full price for your town before you pay. Prices and what is included are on our dumpster sizes page.
Ready to get the box? Book now in about two minutes, or call (203) 268-3739.