What Size Dumpster Do I Need? Roof, Kitchen, Cleanout and More

Published 2026-09-30 by Stones River Dumpsters

Two questions decide the size

How much material is there, and how heavy is it? Volume sets the size for light material: furniture, boxes, drywall, lumber, carpet. Weight sets it for heavy material: concrete, brick, dirt, plaster and roofing shingles. Every container we rent has a weight allowance, from 1 to 2 tons on a 10-yard to 5 tons on a 40-yard, and the truck has a legal limit, so a big box full of heavy debris is not an option. When in doubt, tell us what is going in and we will size it on the phone.

Roof tear-off

Shingles are the classic weight trap. A typical single-layer asphalt roof on a Murfreesboro house is heavy enough that we size it by weight rather than square footage: most single-layer residential roofs go in a 15 or 20-yard container, and a two-layer tear-off or a large roof may need a second container or an overage. Keep the load level with the rail, and do not add the old gutters and plywood without telling us; they change the weight. See our 20-yard page.

Kitchen or bathroom remodel

Cabinets, countertops, a few appliances, drywall, tile and flooring from a single kitchen fit a 10 or 15-yard container comfortably. A bathroom is usually a 10-yard. If you are also taking down walls or pulling up a subfloor, go to a 15 or 20. Tile and plaster are heavy, so a plaster-and-lath tear-out in an older house near East Main Street should stay in a 10 or 15-yard.

Whole-house or estate cleanout

This is the 20-yard’s job: about six pickup-truck loads of furniture, boxes, mattresses and the contents of a basement and attic, with 3 tons included. A very full house or a hoarding clean-up goes to a 30-yard, or a 20 with a swap. If you would rather not do the carrying, our junk removal crew loads it for you.

Concrete, brick, dirt and sod

Always a 10-yard, sometimes a 15, and loaded level with the rail. A 10-yard of broken concrete or wet soil can reach its weight allowance before it looks full, which is why we quote the per-ton overage in advance. Never put these in a 30 or 40-yard box. The Rutherford County Transfer Station will not take concrete slabs at all, so tell us when a load is mostly concrete and we route it to the right facility.

Yard waste and storm debris

Brush and branches are bulky and light: a 15 or 20-yard container swallows a big storm clean-up. Sod and soil are heavy: 10-yard. Mixed piles are fine, just tell us the rough split. Rutherford County landfill takes brush by the ton, and the City of Murfreesboro collects small brush piles on its own route, so a container is for the big jobs.

Construction, renovation and demolition

A gut renovation of a house, an addition or a commercial fit-out is a 30-yard job, usually with swaps. Demolition and large sites with a high volume of light debris use the 40-yard. Heavy demolition material (masonry, concrete slabs, plaster) is split into 10 or 20-yard loads so the truck stays legal.

The quick reference

Garage or single room: 10-yard. Bathroom or small kitchen: 10 to 15-yard. Whole-house cleanout: 20-yard. Roof tear-off: 15 to 20-yard, sized by weight. Dirt, concrete or brick: 10-yard. New build or major renovation: 30 to 40-yard. Our size guide has the dimensions and weight allowances for each container, and (615) 956-2374 gets you a recommendation and a flat price in one call.

Stones River Dumpsters · 831 Park Ave, Murfreesboro, TN 37129 · (615) 956-2374, answered 24/7.