Choose a dumpster size by the material: concrete and dirt go in the 7-yard, and the 13-yard fits a single room or a garage. From there, the amount of debris and the room on your lot decide whether you step up to the 17 or the 22. Family Trash is a family-owned company offering dumpster rentals in Charleston, SC from James Island, and here is how to match a size to a job.
What should you look at first?
Look at the material before you think about cubic yards. Split the debris into two groups: heavy clean material, and everything else.
Heavy clean material means soil, dirt, concrete and brick. It goes in the 7-yard dumpster, a low container made for heavy clean loads. A load of clean concrete or dirt has no overweight charge and you can load it right up to the rim, since that load goes to a recycle plant. Brick and block go in the 7-yard as well. If wood or trash ends up mixed in, the load goes to the landfill instead and is charged by weight. Tony goes over this at drop-off.
The rest goes in the 13, 17 or 22: household junk, furniture, mattresses, wood, drywall, cabinets, flooring, shingles and yard brush. Those sizes have taller walls for bulky loads. Shingles, tile and wet drywall are heavy for their size, so on those jobs the included tons matter as much as the room.
What is each size for?
7-yard. Soil, dirt, concrete and brick: a patio demo, a small slab, a load of fill dirt. It measures 14 x 7 x 2 feet and comes with 1 ton and 5 days.
13-yard. One or two rooms, a garage, a bathroom, a small kitchen, a deck or fence, or a small shingle roof. It measures 12 x 7 x 4 feet and comes with 1 ton and 5 days. The 13-yard dumpster page lists what people use it for.
17-yard. A full kitchen, several rooms, flooring pulled up across a few rooms, or a full-house cleanout in a smaller home. It measures 14 x 7 x 5 feet and comes with 1.5 tons and 5 days.
22-yard. A full renovation, a new build, or a house plus the garage and the yard. A larger full-house cleanout fits here too. It measures 16 x 7 x 6 feet and comes with 2 tons and 7 days.
Flatbed. The 14-foot flatbed is a daily rental for moving equipment and materials, such as a forklift, pallets of tile or pavers, or concrete mix. It carries materials to and from a job. Debris goes in a dumpster.
The dumpster size comparison page puts all four dumpsters side by side.
How do the dimensions change the way you load?
Wall height decides how high you lift. The 7-yard is 2 feet tall, so you can set broken concrete and buckets of dirt over the side without raising them far. The 13-yard is 4 feet tall, which is about waist to chest height for loading by hand. The 17 is 5 feet tall and the 22 is 6 feet, so on the larger sizes you lift bags and boards higher. Plan on a second person for heavy pieces like a dresser or a vanity top, and use a sturdy step or ramp if you are loading for a few days.
Length decides where it fits. The 13 is 12 feet long, the 7 and the 17 are 14 feet, and the 22 is 16 feet. Measure your driveway before you book and leave extra room in front of the spot for the truck to back in.
Which size fits common Charleston jobs?
A garage or attic cleanout fits the 13. Household junk is bulky and fairly light, so the space fills before the weight adds up. Break furniture down and stack it flat, and more of it fits.
A small kitchen remodel fits the 13. A full kitchen, with cabinets, counters, flooring and drywall all coming out, goes in the 17. A kitchen and a bathroom in the same stretch also go in the 17, and heavy tile adds weight on that job.
A small shingle roof goes in the 13. Bigger roofs go in the 17 or the 22. Shingles are heavy for their size, so give the roof size when you book. The roofing dumpster page covers tear-offs in more detail.
A full-house cleanout or an estate goes in the 17 or the 22, depending on the house. Tell us the house and what's going, and we'll help you pick between the two.
Yard work splits by size of job. A big trim goes in the 13. Storm-scale debris, with limbs and fencing across the yard, goes in the 17 or the 22. If you dig out dirt on a regrade along with the brush, the dirt goes in the 7-yard, and if there is sod or rock in it, ask about that when you book.
When should you size up?
If you are between two sizes, tell us the job and we'll tell you which fits.
Heavy material works differently. Each size has its included tons, and the booking terms cover weight past them. A larger size adds room and some included weight, and heavy loads still use up the tons first. For concrete and dirt, stay with the 7-yard.
What if one job has heavy and light debris?
Concrete goes in its own 7-yard, so if the rest of the job needs a 13 too, say so when you book. A remodel where an old brick chimney or a concrete step comes out along with the cabinets is one example of a mixed job. The clean concrete or brick goes in the 7-yard, and the rest goes in a 13 or 17.
Plan the order of work around the debris. Break out the concrete and brick first and load the 7-yard, then call for pickup and start the interior demo with the larger dumpster.
How does the spot affect the size?
The space on your lot shapes the answer as much as the debris does. A larger dumpster needs a longer, level spot and a clear run for the truck. Downtown lots are tight, and a 22 is hard to place between downtown houses. Downtown, the 13 or the 17 is the usual fit, so tell us the street when you book.
On a tight lot, Tony angles the dumpster to fit or sets it out front. If it has to sit in the street, the City of Charleston requires a permit, and you pull it. The city's Traffic Operations Division covers dumpsters in the public right-of-way.
Look up as well. Low branches, carport roofs and power lines need to be clear of the spot so the truck can set the dumpster down.
Describe the job and get a size
Tell us what you are tearing out. Call or text (843) 800-0689, describe the project, and we'll help you pick a size before you book.
Common questions about dumpster sizes
How do I estimate my pile in cubic yards?
As a general rule, a full-size pickup bed holds about 2 to 3 cubic yards. Count how many pickup loads your pile would take and multiply. Six pickup loads come to about 12 to 18 yards: the 13 at the low end, and the 17 or the 22 at the high end.
What if the job grows after the dumpster is delivered?
Call or text when the load is level with the top edge, and Tony picks up the full one and sets down an empty one.
Do you have a 15-yard?
Family Trash carries the 7, 13, 17 and 22. A job sized for a 15-yard fits a 13 or a 17, depending on how heavy the debris is.
Can I put a little concrete in a larger dumpster?
Concrete belongs in the 7-yard. In a 13, 17 or 22 it counts against the included tons, and the load goes to the landfill instead of the recycle plant.
Which sizes do contractors use?
Contractors on bigger projects use the 17 or the 22.
Family Trash is family-owned, based on James Island, and delivers across Charleston and the towns around it. Check the towns we serve to confirm you're in range.
Need a dumpster in Charleston? Call or text Tony at (843) 800-0689, or order online.
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