What size dumpster do I need for a garage cleanout?

A 15 yard dumpster handles most garage cleanout jobs, 16′ × 8′ × 4′, about 4.5 pickup truck loads.

How much does a dumpster for a garage cleanout cost?

A 15 yard runs a median of $365, with most companies between $320 and $425. Weight over the included allowance is extra, typically $76 per ton.

What can I put in it?

Typically storage clutter, shelving, lawn equipment, scrap lumber. Paint, oil, propane tanks, batteries and pesticides cannot go in a dumpster. Set them aside before loading.

Dumpster for a Garage Cleanout

Most garage cleanout jobs need a 15 yard dumpster, which runs a median of $365. Expect 1 to 2 tons of debris.

How much it weighs

A two-car garage of accumulated storage typically fills a 15-yard without approaching the weight allowance.

What to watch for

Paint, oil, propane tanks, batteries and pesticides cannot go in a dumpster. Set them aside before loading.

Will it go over the weight allowance?

Probably not. A 15 yard typically includes 2 tons, and this job runs 1 to 2 tons. That leaves headroom, so the quoted price is likely to be the price you pay, around $365. The thing to confirm is the allowance itself, because it is the number that varies most between yards.

What goes in

storage clutter, shelving, lawn equipment, scrap lumber.

What does not: paint, solvents, tyres, batteries, appliances containing refrigerant, and anything with a fuel tank. Most yards surcharge mattresses and some refuse them outright. Ask for the prohibited list when you book rather than discovering it on collection day, because a load that has to be sorted at the gate is billed for the sorting.

Is the 15 yard the right call?

A 15 yard is 16′ × 8′ × 4′, roughly 4.5 pickup loads. If you are between sizes, the 20 yard gives you 6 loads instead. The step up costs about $54 more at the median. Going up a size buys volume, not weight allowance, so it is the right move when you are running out of room and the wrong one when you are running out of tons.

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Questions

What size dumpster do I need for a garage cleanout?: A 15 yard dumpster handles most garage cleanout jobs, 16′ × 8′ × 4′, about 4.5 pickup truck loads.
How much does a dumpster for a garage cleanout cost?: A 15 yard runs a median of $365, with most companies between $320 and $425. Weight over the included allowance is extra, typically $76 per ton.
How much does garage cleanout debris weigh?: 1 to 2 tons. A two-car garage of accumulated storage typically fills a 15-yard without approaching the weight allowance.
What can I put in it?: Typically storage clutter, shelving, lawn equipment, scrap lumber. Paint, oil, propane tanks, batteries and pesticides cannot go in a dumpster. Set them aside before loading.

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