Dumpster sizes / 20 yard
Hauler specs · read 2026-10-20
20 yard dumpster
A 20-yard roll-off holds 20 cubic yards of loose debris. Republic Services lists it at 22'9" L x 8'3" W x 4'4" H with a weight capacity of 4–5 tons, about 8 pickup-truck loads or 120 32-gallon bags. Filled to the top with mixed construction debris it would weigh 4.8 tons, so for remodel debris this size runs out of weight allowance before it runs out of room.
- 1Length 22'9" L
- 2Height 4'4" H
- 3Mixed C&D at allowance 17 of 20 yd
- 4Weight capacity 4–5 tons
How big a 20 yard dumpster is
Republic Services publishes the 20-yard box as 22'9" L x 8'3" W x 4'4" H; WM's location page lists its 20-yard as 21'8" L x 8'0" W x 3'4 5/8" H. Boxes from different haulers are built to different shapes, so the same yardage can be longer and lower or shorter and taller depending on who delivers it. What stays the same is the rated volume: 20 cubic yards, which Republic equates to 120 32-gallon trash bags (6 per yard) or 300 recycling bins, and to 8 standard pickup loads. WM counts 8 pickup loads for its 20-yard.
Measure the spot before you order: the driveway or street needs room for the box plus the truck that drops it, and the hauler's published length is the box alone.
The weight limit for a 20 yard dumpster
Republic gives the 20-yard a weight capacity of 4 to 5 tons (8,000 to 10,000 lb). Dumpsters.com says a 20-yard "typically holds" 2 to 3 tons, which is lower than Republic's figure: weight allowances are set by each hauler and written into the rental, so the number on your own quote is the one that counts. Weight past the allowance is billed as an overage by the ton.
The published price lists this site has found include this size: Bin There Dump That (New Hampshire franchise) in New Hampshire charges $750 with 2 tons included; Bin There Dump That (Central Massachusetts franchise) in Central Massachusetts charges $700 with 3 tons included; Bin There Dump That (Northeast Massachusetts franchise) in Northeast Massachusetts charges $760 with 2 tons included. Those included tonnages are below the national haulers' capacities above, which is why a heavy load can fit the box and still cost more. See published dumpster rental prices.
What fills a 20 yard dumpster by weight first
At EPA's loose weights, 10 of the 25 materials on this site would pass 4 tons before the box was full: rock and gravel (full at 10 tons, limit reached at 8 yards), dirt and sand (full at 9.3 tons, limit reached at 8.6 yards), concrete (full at 8.6 tons, limit reached at 9.3 yards), asphalt paving (full at 7.7 tons, limit reached at 10 yards), asphalt shingles (full at 7.3 tons, limit reached at 11 yards), sawdust (full at 5.3 tons, limit reached at 15 yards) and 4 more. The other 15, from glass bottles down to foam packaging and insulation, fill the box before they reach the low end of the allowance.
| Material | Full box | Yards at 4 t |
|---|---|---|
| Rock and gravel | 10 t | 8 yd |
| Dirt and sand | 9.3 t | 8.6 yd |
| Concrete | 8.6 t | 9.3 yd |
| Asphalt paving | 7.7 t | 10 yd |
| Asphalt shingles | 7.3 t | 11 yd |
| Sawdust | 5.3 t | 15 yd |
| Leaves | 5 t | 16 yd |
| Mixed construction debris | 4.8 t | 17 yd |
| Wood chips | 4.7 t | 17 yd |
| Drywall | 4.7 t | 17 yd |
| Glass bottles | 3.8 t | full (20) |
| Household junk and trash | 3 t | full (20) |
| Plywood and engineered wood | 2.7 t | full (20) |
| Mixed yard waste | 2.5 t | full (20) |
| Scrap metal | 2.3 t | full (20) |
| Clothing and textiles | 1.8 t | full (20) |
| Lumber and demolition wood | 1.7 t | full (20) |
| Pallets and crates | 1.7 t | full (20) |
| Carpet | 1.5 t | full (20) |
| Appliances | 1.5 t | full (20) |
| Branches and stumps | 1.3 t | full (20) |
| Cardboard | 1.1 t | full (20) |
| Carpet padding | 0.6 t | full (20) |
| HVAC ductwork | 0.5 t | full (20) |
| Foam packaging and insulation | 0.3 t | full (20) |
Highlighted rows can fill the box level and stay inside 4 tons. EPA pounds per loose cubic yard; where EPA gives a range the higher figure is used.
Projects that fit a 20 yard dumpster
- Roof tear-off: up to about 38 squares of architectural shingles (210 lb a square), limited by weight; by volume alone it would take 69 squares, and at the top of the allowance 47. Roof tear-off sizes.
- Drywall tear-out: about 5,000 square feet of 1/2-inch regular board (1.6 lb per sq ft), limited by weight.
- Concrete, dirt and brick: Republic lists heavy materials only for its 10 and 15-yard boxes, not for the 20-yard. A 20-yard of concrete would weigh 8.6 tons.
Republic's own list for this size: yard debris, including tree limbs, shrubs and grass clippings; drywall, ceilings, flooring and cabinetry; dirt and rocks; roofing and shingles; indoor and outdoor cleanouts; small remodel projects; junk removal.
Other sizes
The next size down, the 15-yard, carries 2–3 tons in 15' L x 7'8" W x 5'1" H. The next size up, the 30-yard, carries 6–7 tons in 23'1" L x 8'3" W x 6'1" H. All five sizes are compared on the dumpster sizes page, and the weight limits guide explains how overages are billed.
Sources: Republic Services, 20-yard dumpster; WM location page; Dumpsters.com weight limits; EPA volume-to-weight factors. Read 2026-10-20. Methodology.