What Size Dumpster Do I Need? Roof, Kitchen, Cleanout and More

Published 2026-09-30 by Lake Erie Dumpsters Co

Two questions decide the size

How much material is there, and how heavy is it? Volume sets the size for light material: furniture, boxes, drywall, lumber, carpet. Weight sets it for heavy material: concrete, brick, dirt, plaster and roofing shingles. Every container we rent has a weight allowance, from 1 to 2 tons on a 10-yard to 5 tons on a 40-yard, and the truck has a legal limit, so a big box full of heavy debris is not an option. When in doubt, tell us what is going in and we will size it on the phone.

Roof tear-off

Shingles are the classic weight trap. A typical single-layer asphalt roof on an Erie house is heavy enough that we size it by weight rather than square footage: most single-layer residential roofs go in a 15 or 20-yard container, and a two-layer tear-off or a large roof may need a second container or an overage. Keep the load level with the rail, and do not add the old gutters and plywood without telling us; they change the weight. See our 20-yard page.

Kitchen or bathroom remodel

Cabinets, countertops, a few appliances, drywall, tile and flooring from a single kitchen fit a 10 or 15-yard container comfortably. A bathroom is usually a 10-yard. If you are also taking down walls or pulling up a subfloor, go to a 15 or 20. Tile and plaster are heavy, so a plaster-and-lath tear-out in an older house near the bayfront should stay in a 10 or 15-yard.

Whole-house or estate cleanout

This is the 20-yard’s job: about six pickup-truck loads of furniture, boxes, mattresses and the contents of a basement and attic, with 3 tons included. A very full house or a hoarding clean-up goes to a 30-yard, or a 20 with a swap. If you would rather not do the carrying, our junk removal crew loads it for you.

Concrete, brick, dirt and sod

Always a 10-yard, sometimes a 15, and loaded level with the rail. A 10-yard of broken concrete or wet soil can reach its weight allowance before it looks full, which is why we quote the per-ton overage in advance. Never put these in a 30 or 40-yard box. Pennsylvania’s definition of construction and demolition waste excludes clean soil, rock, brick, block and concrete that are kept separate and used as clean fill, so a separate 10-yard of clean masonry can stay out of the waste stream altogether.

Yard waste and storm debris

Brush and branches are bulky and light: a 15 or 20-yard container swallows a big storm clean-up. Sod and soil are heavy: 10-yard. Mixed piles are fine, just tell us the rough split. Pennsylvania landfills may not accept loads made up mostly of leaves (25 Pa. Code § 273.201), so a green-waste load goes to a compost site; Millcreek’s Millfair Compost Center, for one, takes pickup and single-axle loads for a small fee.

Construction, renovation and demolition

A gut renovation of a house, an addition or a commercial fit-out is a 30-yard job, usually with swaps. Demolition and large sites with a high volume of light debris use the 40-yard. Heavy demolition material (masonry, concrete slabs, plaster) is split into 10 or 20-yard loads so the truck stays legal.

The quick reference

Garage or single room: 10-yard. Bathroom or small kitchen: 10 to 15-yard. Whole-house cleanout: 20-yard. Roof tear-off: 15 to 20-yard, sized by weight. Dirt, concrete or brick: 10-yard. New build or major renovation: 30 to 40-yard. Our size guide has the dimensions and weight allowances for each container, and (814) 679-3372 gets you a recommendation and a flat price in one call.

Lake Erie Dumpsters Co · Erie, PA · (814) 679-3372, answered 24/7.