{
  "id": "dumpster-size",
  "version": "b892f91dde4f",
  "status": "published",
  "name": "Dumpster Size Calculator",
  "question": "What dumpster size for my debris?",
  "summary": "Dumpster size calculator: measures your debris pile or takes its volume, adds room for loose fill, and picks the smallest 10, 12, 15, 16, 20, 30 or 40 yard roll-off that holds it.",
  "category": "construction",
  "subcategory": "materials",
  "url": "https://www.acalculator.org/construction/dumpster-size-calculator",
  "markdown": "https://www.acalculator.org/construction/dumpster-size-calculator.md",
  "kind": "function",
  "method": "Debris to haul = length × width × height (or the volume) × (1 + extra ÷ 100), in cubic yards; size = the smallest of 10, 12, 15, 16, 20, 30, 40 yd³ that holds it, or enough 40 yd³ containers.",
  "assumptions": [
    "Common US roll-off sizes are 10, 12, 15, 16, 20, 30 and 40 cubic yards; ask your hauler which they offer.",
    "Debris is loaded level with the top of the container, not heaped above it.",
    "The size is by volume only. Heavy debris such as concrete, dirt or roofing shingles can reach a hauler’s weight limit first."
  ],
  "inputs": {
    "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
    "type": "object",
    "properties": {
      "m": {
        "title": "Debris",
        "description": "Measure the pile, or type a volume you know.",
        "type": "string",
        "enum": [
          "pile",
          "volume"
        ]
      },
      "l": {
        "title": "Pile length",
        "description": "The length of the debris pile, or of the room’s worth of debris stacked.",
        "type": [
          "number",
          "string"
        ],
        "x-quantity": "length",
        "minimum": 0.01,
        "maximum": 1000
      },
      "w": {
        "title": "Pile width",
        "description": "The width of the pile.",
        "type": [
          "number",
          "string"
        ],
        "x-quantity": "length",
        "minimum": 0.01,
        "maximum": 1000
      },
      "h": {
        "title": "Pile height",
        "description": "The average height of the pile.",
        "type": [
          "number",
          "string"
        ],
        "x-quantity": "length",
        "minimum": 0.01,
        "maximum": 1000
      },
      "v": {
        "title": "Debris volume",
        "description": "The volume of the debris.",
        "type": [
          "number",
          "string"
        ],
        "x-quantity": "volume",
        "exclusiveMinimum": 0,
        "maximum": 100000
      },
      "x": {
        "title": "Extra for loose fill",
        "description": "Room to add because broken debris packs loosely and does not stack flat, in percent.",
        "type": "number",
        "x-unit": "percent",
        "minimum": 0,
        "maximum": 200
      }
    }
  },
  "outputs": {
    "pick": {
      "label": "Dumpster size",
      "description": "The smallest common roll-off that holds the debris.",
      "format": "text"
    },
    "cubicYards": {
      "label": "Debris to haul",
      "description": "The debris volume × (1 + extra), in cubic yards.",
      "format": "number"
    },
    "cubicMeters": {
      "label": "Debris to haul, cubic metres",
      "description": "The same volume in cubic metres.",
      "format": "number"
    },
    "size": {
      "label": "Container size",
      "description": "The roll-off size in cubic yards.",
      "format": "integer"
    },
    "loads": {
      "label": "Containers",
      "description": "How many of that size: 1 unless the debris is over 40 yd³.",
      "format": "integer"
    },
    "fill": {
      "label": "How full",
      "description": "Debris to haul ÷ (size × containers) × 100.",
      "format": "number"
    }
  },
  "defaultAnswer": {
    "inputs": {
      "m": "pile",
      "l": 3.6576000000000004,
      "w": 2.4384,
      "h": 1.2192,
      "v": 7.64554857984,
      "x": 20
    },
    "outputs": {
      "pick": "A 20 yard dumpster",
      "cubicYards": 17.066666666666666,
      "cubicMeters": 13.0484029095936,
      "size": 20,
      "loads": 1,
      "fill": 85.33333333333333
    },
    "text": "A 20 yard dumpster: 17.07 yd³ of debris fills 85.3% of the space."
  },
  "examples": [
    {
      "given": {
        "m": "pile",
        "l": 3.6576000000000004,
        "w": 2.4384,
        "h": 1.2192,
        "x": 20
      },
      "expect": {
        "cubicYards": 17.066666666666666,
        "pick": "A 20 yard dumpster",
        "fill": 85.33333333333333
      },
      "source": "Wikipedia, Roll-off (container sizes common in the United States: 10, 12, 15, 16, 20, 30 and 40 cubic yards), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roll-off_(dumpster) (retrieved 2026-10-03); hand calculation in content.mdx: 12 × 8 × 4 = 384 ft³ × 1.2 = 460.8 ft³ ÷ 27 = 17.07 yd³ → 20 yd",
      "tolerance": 1e-12
    },
    {
      "given": {
        "m": "volume",
        "v": 7.64554857984,
        "x": 0
      },
      "expect": {
        "pick": "A 10 yard dumpster",
        "fill": 100
      },
      "source": "Wikipedia, Roll-off (container sizes common in the United States: 10, 12, 15, 16, 20, 30 and 40 cubic yards), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roll-off_(dumpster) (retrieved 2026-10-03); hand calculation in content.mdx: 10 yd³ ≤ 10, so 10 yd"
    },
    {
      "given": {
        "m": "volume",
        "v": 53.51884005888,
        "x": 20
      },
      "expect": {
        "cubicYards": 84,
        "pick": "3 × 40 yard dumpsters",
        "loads": 3,
        "fill": 70
      },
      "source": "Wikipedia, Roll-off (container sizes common in the United States: 10, 12, 15, 16, 20, 30 and 40 cubic yards), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roll-off_(dumpster) (retrieved 2026-10-03); hand calculation in content.mdx: 70 × 1.2 = 84 yd³ > 40; 84 ÷ 40 → 3 × 40 yd, 70% full",
      "tolerance": 1e-12
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    "Wikipedia, Roll-off: container sizes common in the United States are 10, 12, 15, 16, 20, 30 and 40 cubic yards, retrieved 2026-10-03. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roll-off_(dumpster)",
    "NIST Special Publication 811 (2008), Appendix B: 1 ft = 0.3048 m exactly, 1 yd³ = 27 ft³ = 0.764554857984 m³, retrieved 2026-10-03. https://www.nist.gov/pml/special-publication-811"
  ],
  "related": [
    "cubic-yards",
    "roofing",
    "concrete-weight"
  ],
  "changelog": []
}