Choosing a dumpster size
In brief: Dump IT LLC maps small cleanouts to 15-yard boxes, many remodels and roofing jobs to 20-yard boxes, major construction to 30-yard boxes and large demolition to 40-yard boxes. Weight and access can override those examples.
What size guidance does Dump IT LLC publish?
The official home page matches sizes to jobs at a high level: a 15-yard container for small cleanouts, single-room remodels, garage or basement decluttering and small landscaping; a 20-yard container for whole-home cleanouts, roofing tear-offs, deck removals and larger remodels; a 30-yard container for major construction and additions; and a 40-yard container for commercial work and large demolition.[1] It also says that if a customer is between sizes, it is usually cheaper to size up than to pay for a second haul.[1]
Those examples are starting points, not engineering calculations. A roofing tear-off can be dense enough that the included three tons on a 20-yard box matter more than the unused air at the top of the container.[1] A furniture cleanout can fill a 15-yard box by volume with little risk of an overage. The published dimensions — 18 or 22 feet long, 8 feet wide, and 4 to 7 feet high — also have to fit the drop point.[1]
How should weight change the choice?
Included allowances are 2, 3, 4 and 5 tons as size increases, with $65 per extra ton.[1] Dirt, concrete, brick, block and shingles are the materials most likely to hit a weight cap early. If a project is mostly heavy debris, ask the company whether a smaller box with a tight weight cap, or a dedicated heavy-material load, is the better quote. This wiki cannot invent a special concrete rate because the company does not publish one.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s national facts and figures on materials and municipal solid waste are a reminder that construction and demolition debris and everyday household discards behave differently in the waste stream.[2] They are national statistics, not Indianapolis price tables, and they should not be misread as Dump IT LLC’s tonnage tickets.
What practical checks prevent a bad fit?
- Describe the materials, not only the room count, when you book.[1]
- Measure the drop point against an 18- or 22-foot box that is 8 feet wide.[1]
- Decide whether the box will sit on a driveway or in the street, which may trigger a permit.[3]
- Ask what is included in the quote besides the days and the tons.
- Keep prohibited items out of the load so the first box is also the last box.[1]
The company says it will help choose a size on the phone or in the online booking flow.[1] That conversation is more useful than any static chart, including this one, because the dispatcher can consider the week’s availability and the material list together.
Common questions
What size is typical for a garage cleanout?
The company lists garage or basement decluttering among 15-yard examples. A packed garage, or one with heavy debris, may need to size up.
What size is listed for roofing?
Roofing tear-offs are listed among 20-yard examples. Shingles are dense, so the included three tons matter as much as the volume.
Further reading
- Sizes, weight limits and published fees
- What can go in a dumpster
- How a rental works
- Service area
- Prohibited materials
Sources and notes
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Dumpster Rentals Indianapolis Metro Area (home page). Dump IT LLC (dumpitin.com). Retrieved 9 November 2026.
- ^ National Overview: Facts and Figures on Materials, Wastes and Recycling. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved 9 November 2026.
- ^ Right-of-Way Permits. City of Indianapolis, Department of Business and Neighborhood Services. Retrieved 9 November 2026.