Our most popular size, and the one we recommend most often. About 6 to 8 pickup loads for whole room remodels, roofing tear offs, and full house cleanouts.
A 20 yard dumpster holds 6 to 8 pickup truck loads. It measures 22 feet long, 7.5 feet wide, and 4.5 feet tall, with an included weight allowance of 2 to 4 tons. It is the size we recommend most often, because it covers the widest range of real projects: whole room remodels, roofing tear offs, full house cleanouts, flooring through a whole floor, and siding replacement. If you are unsure which size to order, the 20 yard box is the safest default for a medium to large residential project. Call (833) 748-4153, describe your job, and we will confirm it or steer you to a better fit.
The reason the 20 yard box is popular is simple: it is big enough for a serious project and still practical to load and place. The 4.5 foot walls are low enough to toss debris over by hand, unlike the 6 and 8 foot walls of the larger boxes. The 22 foot length fits most suburban driveways in Long Island, Westchester, and the upstate metros, though short city driveways can be tight, so measure before you book. And the 2 to 4 ton weight allowance handles mixed renovation debris, including plaster and lath from New York's old housing stock, which is heavier than modern drywall and catches first time renovators by surprise.
| Spec | 20 yard dumpster |
|---|---|
| Length | 22 ft |
| Width | 7.5 ft |
| Height | 4.5 ft |
| Capacity | 6 to 8 pickup loads |
| Included weight | 2 to 4 tons |
| Standard rental | 7 days, longer rentals available |
Six to eight pickup loads is a wide range because debris density varies so much. Light bulky debris like furniture, bagged junk, and insulation fills the box by volume, and you will see the lower end of the pickup equivalent. Dense debris like plaster, tile, and lumber fills it by weight, and you will hit the weight allowance while the box still looks half empty. That is normal, and it is why we ask what is going in the box, not just how much. A 20 yard box of plaster and lath from a Buffalo double or a Rochester bungalow weighs far more than a 20 yard box of furniture from the same house.
Whole room remodels. A kitchen gut, a large bathroom remodel, a living room renovation with plaster removal, or a bedroom and closet rebuild. The 20 yard box holds the cabinets, countertops, drywall or plaster, flooring, and trim from one large room with room to spare for the unexpected debris every old house hides behind its walls.
Roofing tear offs. The 20 yard box is the workhorse size for roofing. A typical single family home roof tear off, one layer of asphalt shingles plus underlayment and flashing, fits a 20 yard box. Larger roofs, multiple shingle layers, and heavier materials change the math, so roofers should call with the roof size and the number of layers. Our roofing dumpster rental page explains how roof size and material drive the choice, and why shingles are a weight question first and a volume question second.
Full house cleanouts. Clearing a whole house of furniture, boxes, carpet, and general junk is a 20 yard job when the house is a typical three bedroom home. Larger homes, hoarding situations, and estate cleanouts with a full basement and attic usually need a 30 yard dumpster. The honest test is the number of rooms and how full they are: a lightly furnished house fits, a packed house does not.
Flooring through a whole floor. Carpet, pad, hardwood, laminate, or tile from an entire floor of a house fills a 20 yard box. Roll carpet tight, stack hard flooring flat, and remember that tile is heavy: a whole floor of tile may need a weight conversation before you book.
Siding replacement. Old vinyl, aluminum, or wood siding from a whole house, plus the trim and the old insulation behind it, is a classic 20 yard load. Vinyl is light and bulky, so it fills by volume. Wood siding with old paint layers is heavier, so mention the material when you book.
Multi room cleanouts and moving prep. Clearing three or four rooms before a move, a renovation, or a tenant turnover is a 20 yard job. Property managers turning over apartments in Rochester, Syracuse, and Albany use this size regularly, because it holds the contents of a full apartment cleanout in one load.
A 20 yard box will not hold a whole home renovation with multiple rooms gutted, a full demolition, a large estate cleanout with a packed basement and attic, or a commercial cleanout. Those jobs belong in a 30 yard dumpster or a 40 yard dumpster. Heavy debris is the other limit: a 20 yard box full of concrete, brick, or dirt would far exceed its weight allowance, so heavy loads stay in a 10 yard dumpster. If your project mixes a large volume of light debris with a real pile of heavy debris, call us and we will plan two containers, one for each material.
Old house warning: plaster and lath weighs far more than drywall. A room of plaster debris can use up the weight allowance faster than you expect. Tell us your home's age when you call (833) 748-4153 and we will size accordingly.
The 20 yard box handles mixed renovation debris with a reasonable amount of heavy material in it: tile from a bathroom, a layer of shingles from a roof, plaster from a room or two. It does not handle a load that is mostly concrete, brick, dirt, or stone. Those materials belong in a 10 yard container, full stop. If you are tearing out a tile floor through a whole house, or removing a brick chimney, or breaking up a large concrete area, call us before you book so we can split the heavy material into its own small container. A rejected pickup costs you a day, and it is avoidable with one phone call.
Household junk, furniture, mattresses, carpet, drywall, plaster, wood, siding, roofing shingles, concrete in small amounts, brick in small amounts, dirt in small amounts, and yard waste are all fine in a 20 yard dumpster. New York law keeps some items out of every dumpster, whatever the size:
Mattresses are generally accepted. Dried out paint cans are usually fine, but wet paint is not. If you are unsure about a single item, call (833) 748-4153 before you load it.
The delivery truck needs about 60 feet of clear space to drop the container and roughly 23 to 25 feet of vertical clearance. The 20 yard box is 22 feet long, so your driveway needs at least that much clear length, and the truck needs room to maneuver. Measure your driveway before you book, and mention short driveways, steep grades, tight turns, and narrow streets on the call. A 22 foot container in a Brooklyn or Queens driveway often needs street placement instead, which means a permit, so city customers should read the permit section below carefully.
Boards under the container rails spread the load and protect asphalt in summer heat, pavers, and decorative concrete. Mention your driveway surface when you book and we will note it for the driver. Place the box as close to the work as you can, because every step carrying debris adds up across a day of loading. If the box has to sit on the street, a permit is usually required.
A dumpster placed entirely on private property, such as your driveway, generally needs no permit anywhere in New York State. A dumpster placed on a public street or in the right of way usually needs a municipal permit. In New York City, container permits are issued by NYC DOT, not DSNY, and the standard Commercial Refuse Container permit covers one container for up to 5 consecutive days, obtained by the carting company. Larger construction debris permits exist for worksites with their own construction permits and run 30 to 90 days. Upstate cities run their own programs: Buffalo requires a Public Works permit applied for at least 7 business days ahead, with proof of liability insurance, Rochester requires a right of way permit, Syracuse issues right of way permits through its Central Permit Office, Albany uses a Sidewalk and Barricade Permit, and Yonkers requires an Engineering Department permit. Permit rules vary by municipality, so call us for guidance on your city before you book a street placement. And remember Dig Safely New York: call 811 before any ground disturbance.
Load heavy and flat first, building a level base of drywall, lumber, and flat items, then fill with bulkier debris on top. Break down furniture and boxes, roll carpet tight, and cut long lumber to fit. Keep the load level with the top rail, and never let debris stick out over the sides. If you are loading from a roof, set the box as close to the eaves as the driver safely can, and use a chute or a tarp slide if you have one. If you run out of room with debris left over, call us and we can arrange a pickup and a swap, so your project keeps moving. The standard rental period is 7 days, and longer rentals are available. If you need a container quickly, call and ask about availability for your area and your date.
About 6 to 8 pickup loads: a whole room remodel, a typical roof tear off, a full house cleanout, flooring through a whole floor, or siding replacement for a whole house.
Yes, it is the standard size for a typical single family roof tear off with one layer of shingles. Larger roofs and multiple layers change the math, so call with your roof size and layer count.
Only small amounts mixed into a light load. A 20 yard box full of concrete, brick, or dirt would far exceed its weight allowance. Heavy debris belongs in a 10 yard container.
At 22 feet long it fits most suburban driveways, but short city driveways can be tight. Measure before you book. The delivery truck needs about 60 feet of clear space and 23 to 25 feet of vertical clearance.
Not if it sits entirely on private property such as your driveway. Street placement usually needs a municipal permit, and in New York City those permits come from NYC DOT, not DSNY.
The standard rental period is 7 days, and longer rentals are available. Call (833) 748-4153 to arrange the schedule that fits your project.
