Welcome to DumpsterSizes.com, the internet’s number one resource for all things dumpster. Here you will be able to figure out the best applications for both temporary and permanent containers, as well as the relative strengths of every dumpster size & type you are likely to come across out there in the real world.

Learn How to Choose the Right Dumpster for you

If you have never rented a dumpster before then you probably are not familiar with all of the different sizes available to you. And in that case, you’ve done well by coming here. We know all the ins and outs of the dumpster rental industry. We’ve seen and done everything that one can do with both roll-off containers and the permanent dumpsters you’ll find outside of stores and office buildings. With a quick read through of any of our informational pages, you’ll be able to become a master at picking out the right dumpster sizes for your waste stream. So without further ado, let’s dive into the wide world of waste disposal with a little introduction to the process of choosing a dumpster. Let’s start with a few basic questions to ask yourself:

Question #1: Permanent or Temporary?

The first thing you have to ask yourself is what kind of dumpster service you are looking for. There are two types of disposal services: permanent and temporary. A permanent dumpster rental service entails having a bin placed on your property for a contracted time period, usually 6 months to a year, provided by your chosen waste management company. This bin will typically be emptied every week, but there are options for having it emptied every day or on a monthly basis depending on your individual needs. The most common examples of this service are the smaller lidded dumpsters you find behind office buildings, stores, and even industrial buildings. They are built specifically for disposing of common wastes such as paper, plastic, and food scraps.

Permanent dumpster services are great if you own or manage a building or another type of property. But things get more complicated if you are dealing with several tons of debris at once. Both homeowners and contractors are typical users of what are frequently called roll-off dumpsters. These are dumpsters built for temporary uses such as cleaning up a construction site or disposing of bulkier household debris such as furniture, old appliances, boxes, and many other items you’ll find in the typical home. These dumpsters are built in larger sizes than permanent dumpsters to accommodate the larger items being thrown out by the customer.

If you can decide which type of dumpster you need, permanent or temporary, then you are well on your way to choosing the right dumpster rental.

Question #2: How heavy is the stuff you are throwing out?

Different dumpsters come with different weight limits, so determining the weight of your debris is an important step to choosing a dumpster. Most permanent dumpsters are built as front-loading bins so that the garbage truck can lift them up and empty their contents into the back of the truck. In general, these front-loading trucks can lift more than 8 tons of debris, but these bins can only hold between 2-8 cubic yards of debris. Municipal solid waste (normal everyday trash) can easily fit inside these dumpsters without exceeding the weight limit, but heavier debris such as construction waste or bulky home debris would not be ideal for permanent containers.

If you are dealing with bulkier and heavier materials, then a temporary roll-off container is the right way to go for you. These containers can accommodate drywall, wood, metals, furniture, carpeting, and a lot of other heavy items. And the weight limit for each dumpster size is exceptionally higher compared to permanent dumpsters, with some models capable of holding 10 tons of debris.

Question #3: How much room do you have?

Space may be infinite out there in the universe, but when you are choosing a dumpster to use there is only so much space you can work with. Whether you are leaning towards a roll-off container or a permanent dumpster service, you will have to figure out which dumpster size is going to fit on your work site or property.

In general, a roll-off container is going to be about 22 feet in length, 8 feet wide, and anywhere from 3-6 feet high. However, there are smaller dumpster sizes that will be closer to 12 feet in length. Choose a part of your work site that is out of the way of traffic, yet can be easily accessed from a road or path. That way you have the dumpster conveniently located on-site while allowing it to be easily placed and picked up by the hauler.

With a permanent dumpster, you have a bit more flexibility. Since these containers are a lot smaller and generally conform to a rectangular or box shape, they can be placed out of the way such as behind a restaurant or off to the side of a parking lot. Depending on the size selected, you’ll be looking at a box that is 3-7 feet high, 3-6 feet long, and 6 feet wide.

The Conclusion

If you can adequately answer these three questions then you can confidently call up your local hauler and put in an order for your dumpster right now. But if you still need to think about it, feel free to take a look at our in-depth articles on each common dumpster size. We include examples of projects that you can do with each roll-off container, as well as common uses for all sizes of permanent dumpsters.