30 Yard Dumpster: Size, Capacity and Price
A 30 yard dumpster costs a median of $520. Most companies list between $445 and $600. It measures 22′ × 8′ × 6′ and holds about 9 pickup truck loads.
What a 30 yard is for
It suits a whole-home cleanout, a major renovation, or new construction framing waste. Most commonly rented for whole-home cleanout, major renovation, new construction and commercial cleanout.
What it needs on site
A 30 yard is 22′ long, 8′ wide and 6′ high, and the truck needs roughly 32′ of clear length to drop and collect it, plus about 22′ of vertical clearance for the hoist arm. People measure the space the box will sit in and forget that the truck has to back in, lift and tip. Overhead room is where most failed deliveries come from.
The footprint is the same twenty-two feet as a 20 yard, but at six feet the walls are over head height on most people. Everything heavy goes in through the rear door, and the door needs several feet of swing behind it, which is the clearance people forget to leave.
Put it on the flattest, firmest ground you have. A loaded 30 yard is heavy enough to mark asphalt in warm weather, so lay plywood under the wheels and the rails if the driveway matters to you. How to protect a driveway.
Weight, and where the bill actually comes from
A 30 yard rental typically includes 2 tons, and everything above that is billed at a median of $76 a ton. The container will physically hold far more than the allowance covers, which is the trap: a 30 yard can be half empty by volume and still over on weight if it is full of shingles, tile, plaster or dirt.
Volume is the point here, not weight. Framing offcuts, siding, insulation, roofing felt and whole-house clearance all take up enormous space for very little tonnage, which is exactly what a container this size is built around. Put anything dense in it and you will hit the allowance with most of the box still empty. How overage charges work.
Should you size up or down?
A 20 yard is 6 loads against 9, and runs about $101 less at the median. If you are confident the job is small, that is the saving. A 40 yard gives you 12 loads for about $80 more. That is almost always cheaper than a second haul, so if you are genuinely between the two, size up.
Jobs that usually take a 30 yard
- Whole-House Cleanout 2 to 4 tons
- Estate Cleanout 2 to 4 tons
- New Construction Debris 2 to 4 tons
Each of those pages works out whether that particular job will go over the weight allowance, which is the part that decides what you actually pay.
What a 30 yard costs by state
| State | Median | Typical range | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | $445 | $375 – $450 | 11 |
| California | $607 | $525 – $675 | 10 |
| Colorado | $450 | $365 – $530 | 19 |
| Florida | $520 | $425 – $650 | 35 |
| Georgia | $450 | $425 – $500 | 23 |
| Illinois | $522 | $420 – $560 | 26 |
| Indiana | $500 | $375 – $555 | 22 |
| Iowa | $453 | $440 – $509 | 10 |
| Kentucky | $587 | $485 – $645 | 12 |
| Louisiana | $575 | $525 – $625 | 20 |
| Maryland | $533 | $495 – $595 | 12 |
| Michigan | $463 | $430 – $600 | 22 |
| Missouri | $469 | $459 – $500 | 16 |
| New Jersey | $725 | $650 – $800 | 22 |
| New York | $650 | $574 – $665 | 14 |
| North Carolina | $520 | $450 – $550 | 23 |
| Ohio | $555 | $500 – $600 | 32 |
| Oklahoma | $490 | $400 – $500 | 13 |
| Pennsylvania | $513 | $499 – $615 | 20 |
| South Carolina | $500 | $450 – $575 | 25 |
| Tennessee | $525 | $450 – $600 | 28 |
| Texas | $534 | $450 – $599 | 39 |
| Utah | $375 | $299 – $425 | 15 |
| Washington | $550 | $480 – $550 | 13 |
| Wisconsin | $545 | $500 – $640 | 18 |
States with at least 8 published prices at this size. All states.
Questions
- How much does a 30 yard dumpster cost?
- The median published price for a 30 yard dumpster is $520, with most companies between $445 and $600. Based on 592 companies' own published rates.
- What are the dimensions of a 30 yard dumpster?
- Roughly 22 feet long, 8 feet wide and 6 feet high. It needs about 32 feet of clearance to be delivered and about 23 feet of overhead room for the truck to tip it.
- What fits in a 30 yard dumpster?
- About 9 pickup truck loads, a whole-home cleanout, a major renovation, or new construction framing waste.
- How much weight can a 30 yard dumpster hold?
- Physically more than your allowance covers. Rentals typically include 2 tons, and overage is billed by the ton at a median of $76. Heavy material like concrete, dirt or shingles hits the limit long before the container looks full.