# What dumpster size for my debris?

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.

- Page: https://www.acalculator.org/construction/dumpster-size-calculator
- JSON spec: https://www.acalculator.org/construction/dumpster-size-calculator.json
- Version: b892f91dde4f

## Default answer

Example with the default inputs (Debris Measure the pile, Pile length 12 ft, Pile width 8 ft, Pile height 4 ft, Extra for loose fill 20%): A 20 yard dumpster: 17.07 yd³ of debris fills 85.3% of the space.

## Inputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| m | Debris | Measure the pile, or type a volume you know. |
| l | Pile length | The length of the debris pile, or of the room’s worth of debris stacked. |
| w | Pile width | The width of the pile. |
| h | Pile height | The average height of the pile. |
| v | Debris volume | The volume of the debris. |
| x | Extra for loose fill | Room to add because broken debris packs loosely and does not stack flat, in percent. |

## Outputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| pick | Dumpster size | The smallest common roll-off that holds the debris. |
| cubicYards | Debris to haul | The debris volume × (1 + extra), in cubic yards. |
| cubicMeters | Debris to haul, cubic metres | The same volume in cubic metres. |
| size | Container size | The roll-off size in cubic yards. |
| loads | Containers | How many of that size: 1 unless the debris is over 40 yd³. |
| fill | How full | Debris to haul ÷ (size × containers) × 100. |

## 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.

## Worked examples

1. m = pile, l = 3.6576, w = 2.4384, h = 1.2192, x = 20% gives cubicYards = 17.066667, pick = A 20 yard dumpster, fill = 85.333333. 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).
2. m = volume, v = 7.645549, x = 0% gives 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).
3. m = volume, v = 53.51884, x = 20% gives 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).

## FAQ

### What size dumpster do I need?

Work out the debris volume in cubic yards (length × width × height in feet ÷ 27), add room for loose fill, and pick the smallest dumpster at least that big. A 12 × 8 ft pile 4 ft high is 14.2 yd³, or 17.1 yd³ with 20% extra, so a 20 yard dumpster.

### What dumpster sizes are there?

In the US, roll-off dumpsters commonly come in 10, 12, 15, 16, 20, 30 and 40 cubic yards. Not every hauler offers every size, so check theirs.

### What does a 20 yard dumpster hold?

20 cubic yards, which is 540 cubic feet or about 15.3 m³: a pile 12 × 9 ft and 5 ft high, loaded level with the top.

### What size dumpster for a roofing job?

Shingles are heavy for their volume, so a roofing dumpster often fills to its weight limit before it is full. Estimate the volume here, then ask the hauler for the weight limit of that size; a smaller, heavy-duty container may suit.

### Why add extra for loose fill?

Broken drywall, lumber and junk do not pack flat, so they take more room in the container than the stack you measured. 20% is a starting point; use more for bulky items.

### Can I fill a dumpster above the top?

Haulers usually ask that debris is loaded no higher than the top edge, so the calculator sizes the container for a level load.

## 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