The right dumpster size for a cleanout depends on the room: garages run heavy, basements fill with furniture, and attics produce light, awkward loads. Family Trash is a family-owned dumpster company in Charleston, SC, and Tony Gentile delivers every dumpster from James Island. A garage, a basement and an attic in the same house fill a dumpster three different ways, because the material in each weighs different amounts and takes up different space. Before you pick a size, look at what is stored in each space.
Why is the garage usually the heaviest room?
Dense material ends up in garages. Old paving stones, half-used bags of concrete mix, a broken lawn mower, paint cans and a stack of warped pressure-treated lumber are all typical. Renovation leftovers land there too, so you may find spare tile, part of a pallet of brick or a few bundles of shingles from the last roof.
Weight changes the size you order. Soil, dirt, concrete and brick go in the 7-yard dumpster, the low container for heavy clean loads. Clean concrete and dirt go from the 7 to a recycle plant, so a load of only those has no overweight charge. Keep wood and trash out of that load, or it goes to the landfill and is charged by weight. Our concrete and dirt dumpster page explains the heavy loads in more detail.
Shingles are heavy, but they never go in the 7-yard. A few bundles go in the 13 with the rest of the garage. Heavy tile adds weight too, so mention it when you book.
If your garage is mostly boxes, old furniture and light clutter, the 13-yard dumpster fits it. It includes 1 ton and 5 days. If you have both kinds of debris, call and Tony will tell you whether the job needs one dumpster or two.
Garages also hold a shelf of old paint, cleaners and jugs. Tell us what's going in when you book, and Tony will talk it through with you.
How do you clear a garage in order?
Open the door and pull it all onto the driveway. Sort it into keep, donate and dumpster piles out in the open, where you can see it all. Move the heavy items with a hand truck: mowers, tool chests, old air compressors and bags of mix. Take shelving apart with a drill or pry bar so it lies flat.
Load the heavy flat items on the floor of the dumpster first, then the bulky light items on top. Sweep the floor once it is empty, and put back only what you are keeping.
Why do basements fill a dumpster faster than you expect?
Basements are less common in Charleston than in other parts of the country, but homes that have one often have years of storage in it. Furniture tends to go down to the basement and stay there. Old couches, mattresses, a spare dresser, broken shelving and boxes of paper are typical.
A basement cleanout is about volume more than weight. Furniture and boxes are bulky and light, so they take up a lot of room in the dumpster but add little weight. That is the opposite of the garage.
For a typical basement, look at the 13-yard or the 17-yard dumpster. The 13 fits a basement that is one or two rooms of storage. A finished basement with several rooms goes in the 17, which includes 1.5 tons and 5 days. If you are not sure how a couch and ten boxes add up, the dumpster size guide compares the sizes, or you can call and describe the room.
How do you carry a basement out safely?
Every item has to come up a flight of stairs, so plan the carry before you plan the dumpster. Clear the stairway and the path to the door. Take furniture apart at the bottom of the stairs, since a bookshelf in pieces is easier to carry than one in one piece and stacks flat in the dumpster.
Anything that has sat in a damp basement weighs more than the same item dry, and boxes on the floor may be soft at the bottom. Lift wet boxes from underneath or put them in contractor bags first. Wear gloves and a dust mask if you see mold.
How do you plan an attic cleanout?
An attic pile is usually small, but each item comes down a pull-down ladder or a narrow stair, so it takes longer than its size makes it look. Most of what comes out is light: old insulation, holiday decorations, a few pieces of stored furniture and leftover building materials.
Attic material is light, so the 13-yard is the usual size for an attic on its own. Set up the carry first. One person in the attic hands items down to a second person on the floor below, who walks them to the dumpster. Old blown or batt insulation is itchy, so bag it as you pull it and wear long sleeves, gloves, goggles and a dust mask.
Work in the attic early in the day. Charleston attics get very hot in the afternoon, especially from May through September, so bring water and take breaks outside.
How do you handle a full-house cleanout with all three spaces?
If you are clearing all three at once, for example after buying an older house or clearing a family home, separate by weight before you start loading. Keep clean concrete, brick and dirt in one pile for a 7-yard, and put the furniture, boxes, shingles and general junk in another pile for a larger dumpster.
A full-house cleanout goes in the 17 or the 22, depending on the house. Tell us the house and what's going, and Tony will suggest one. A house plus a packed garage and yard goes in the 22, which includes 2 tons and 7 days. If you fill the first dumpster before you are done, Tony can swap it for an empty one.
Questions about clearing each part of the house
Which of the three spaces should I clear first?
The garage, because it has the widest door and the heaviest items are already at ground level. Clearing it also gives you room to sort what comes out of the basement and attic.
Why does a garage weigh more than it looks?
Because of what ends up in it. Paint, old tile, bags of mix, tools, mower parts and leftover building material are dense compared with furniture. A garage that looks like a 13-yard job can go past the included ton if a lot of it is masonry and concrete mix.
How do damp basement items change the load?
They add weight. Wet carpet, soaked boxes and damp furniture weigh more than the same items dry, so tell Tony if the basement has had water in it.
Where does old attic insulation go?
In the 13, 17 or 22 with the rest of the light debris. Bag it as you pull it so it stays in the dumpster.
Does a full-house cleanout need two dumpsters?
Only when there is a lot of heavy clean material. The furniture and boxes go in a 17 or a 22, and the concrete, brick or dirt goes in a 7-yard.
If you are not sure which space needs what, call or text (843) 800-0689 and tell us what you are clearing out.
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