Whether you are getting a dumpster for normal trash or have a project going on that is going to create an excess of trash, having the right size is important. Yo do not want to pay for one larger than you need, however, you also do not want to have extra trash that has to wait a week before being picked up. Dumpsters are rented in yard sizes. This can be confusing. Here are a few tips for getting what you need.
Cubic Yard
A cubic yard is 3 feet wide by 3 feet long by 3 feet wide. However, this does not mean that a 10-yard dumpster is 30 ft X 30 ft. X 30 ft. The common 20-yard dumpster measure 20 feet long X 8 feet wide X 3.5 feet high. To determine the yardage of a dumpster multiply the length by the width and the result by the height. Divide the final number by 27 to get the yardage. So 20 X 8 = 160, then 176 X 3.5 = 560, then 560 / 27 = 20.74.
How Much Garbage Fits in a Cubic Yard?
A pull-sized pickup truck bed will hold roughly 2.4 cubic yards of material. So, theoretically, you can fit 1 cubic yard in half the bed without any spilling over the sides. However, you need to consider that large, oddly-shaped items take up different amounts of space. If you just have leaves, stones, or items that will fit together or smash down, you can fit more into the dumpster. In addition, you can fill the dumpster to overflowing a bit as long as the items are partially inside. Another way of determining your needs is with 55-gallon barrels. Four of these can fit into 1 cubic yard.
Ask For Dimensions
If you know you are going to be throwing out large items that will not be broken into smaller pieces, it might be best to find out the dimensions of the dumpsters to make your decision. Trying to fit 8-foot pieces of drywall into a 6-foot long dumpster is not going to work well. While the larger dumpster is going to cost more, if you have to pay for extra pickups it can save you money in the long run.
Talk with the dumpster rental facility if you have no idea what size dumpster rental you need. Ask if you can have a change of size with no extra cost. Then, after a couple of weeks, if you need a different size call to make the exchange with your next pickup. Contact a rental company, like RMS Containers, for more help.
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