15 Yard Dumpster vs 10 Yard: Which Size Do I Actually Need?

TL;DR Quick Answers

The 10 yard suits a single-room project: one bath, one garage, one attic, a 250-square-foot deck, or a single-layer roof under 1,500 square feet. Light items like furniture, drywall, and yard waste fit comfortably under its 2,000-pound cap.

The 15 yard dumpster handles mid-size jobs that combine spaces or involve dense materials. A full kitchen gut with cabinets and appliances, two or three rooms cleared at once, a roof up to 2,500 square feet, or a project heavy on shingles, tile, concrete, or brick all belong here. The taller walls and higher tonnage allowance give you a buffer the 10 yard isn't built to provide.

Stuck between the two? Size up. The cost gap is usually smaller than what you'd spend fixing an undersized order mid-project. Call us if you'd like a second opinion before you book.

Top Takeaways

Start with weight, not volume. A 10 yard's 2,000-pound cap fills up fast on dense materials, while a 15 yard's 2 to 4 ton allowance gives you working room. For mid-size projects involving multi-room cleanouts, full kitchen guts, or roofs above 2,000 square feet, the 15 yard is the safer default. The 10 yard fits single-scope jobs cleanly: one room, one cleanout, one small deck.

Both sizes share the same one-parking-space footprint, so a driveway that fits one fits the other. Permits depend on placement, not size. Driveway placement is permit-free in most areas, while street and sidewalk placement usually requires one. Neither size accepts hazardous materials. Paints, solvents, batteries, refrigerants, and tires all need separate disposal. Functional furniture, appliances, and building materials should head to a Habitat ReStore before they ever reach the container, since donation lowers your final load and supports housing in your community.

Side-by-Side: How the Two Sizes Actually Compare

Both containers are roll-off dumpsters, open-top units delivered on a flatbed truck and rolled into your driveway, parking lot, or street. The delivery process and loading style stay identical between the two. What changes is the scale.

Both containers measure 7.5 feet wide and occupy roughly the same ground footprint, about one standard parking space. The 10 yard runs 14 feet long and 3.5 feet tall, with knee-high walls. The 15 yard runs 16 feet long and 4.5 feet tall, putting its walls at waist height. Two extra feet of length and a full foot of wall height combine to deliver 50 percent more volume, which works out to 15 cubic yards instead of 10.

That capacity gap shows up in everyday terms. A 10 yard holds roughly 50 to 70 standard 33-gallon bags, or 4 to 5 pickup truck loads. A 15 yard fits 75 to 100 bags, or 6 to 8 pickup truck loads. Weight allowances make a bigger difference than volume on most projects: a 10 yard typically includes 2,000 pounds (1 ton), while a 15 yard typically allows 2 to 4 tons. For dense materials, the tonnage matters far more than the cubic yardage.

What the Real Dimensions Look Like in Your Driveway

Numbers don't mean much until you're standing in the driveway looking at one. The 10 yard hits roughly knee-high, while the 15 yard reaches your waist. That foot of wall changes loading more than the extra cubic yards do. Bulky furniture, full mattresses, and tall items go in over the side without a step stool or ladder. For projects with a lot of bedding, loading bulky mattresses is its own calculation, and the answer shifts noticeably between sizes.

Both sizes share the same one-parking-space footprint, so a driveway that fits a 10 yard fits a 15 yard too. Plan for about 10 to 12 feet of width clearance for our delivery trucks and roughly 23 feet of vertical clearance overhead, which the trucks need to drop and pick up either container safely.

Project Fit by Job Type

A small bathroom remodel usually fits a 10 yard, while a full kitchen gut with cabinets, appliances, and flooring almost always calls for the 15.

For garage, attic, or basement cleanouts, one space on its own fits a 10 yard. Two or three spaces combined usually call for the 15. When you're working through a sensitive scope, estate cleanout tips make it easier to plan around what stays and what goes before a container ever shows up.

A whole-home downsize on a 3-bedroom property usually wants a 15 yard at minimum, especially when you're preparing for sale and clearing years of accumulation in one push.

Roof replacements up to about 1,500 square feet of single-layer asphalt fit a 10 yard, but the weight cap deserves close attention. Roofs up to 2,500 square feet of single-layer asphalt fit a 15 yard, with the same caveat about multiple shingle layers adding tonnage.

Deck or fence demolition up to 250 square feet of decking fits a 10 yard. About 500 square feet of decking, or a fence with posts and concrete footings, calls for the 15.

Projects smaller than a single room or shorter than a full deck land squarely in 10 yard territory. When you're combining spaces, working past 2,500 square feet of roofing, or hauling dense debris, the 15 yard usually pays for itself. We've also published a complete sizing breakdown with full dimensions, weight limits, and rental cost details if you want a deeper read.

What Actually Drives Your Final Price

A 10 yard rental typically runs $220 to $580 nationally, with most homeowners paying around $350 depending on market and weight allowance. The 15 yard sits a step above that range. For mid-size projects, the 15 actually delivers a better cost-per-cubic-yard than the 10. Walking through the cost variables before you book remains the simplest way to head off post-pickup surprises, and a guide on calculating rental costs by project type makes that easier.

Five things shape your final invoice. Your base rate covers delivery, pickup, and a 7 to 10 day rental window. The weight allowance sets your tonnage cap, and exceeding it triggers per-ton overage fees. Rental duration matters too, since longer projects add daily extension fees if you need them, and extending rental periods is straightforward when you plan ahead. Material type is the fourth variable: mattresses, appliances, and electronics may carry specialty handling fees. Location and permits round out the list, with driveway placement permit-free in most areas while street or sidewalk placement usually requires one.

We give you a transparent quote upfront, and the number you book at is the number you pay. That means no hidden fees and no surprises on pickup day.

Why Weight Matters More Than Volume

Most online comparisons skip the part that matters most. A 10 yard's 2,000-pound cap fills up faster than people expect. Half a load of shingles, a partial pile of tile, or a few cubic yards of concrete will hit the cap before the container looks full. The 15 yard's larger weight allowance gives you room to work, and the gap between the two sizes widens fast once dense materials enter the picture. When lifting heavy materials starts feeling like the bottleneck on your project, planning by weight beats counting cubic yards every time.

Heavy materials include concrete, brick, tile, asphalt shingles, soil, and plaster. The lighter category covers household items, furniture, drywall, lumber, and yard waste.

Projects that lean heavy almost always belong in the 15 yard. Larger commercial scopes that go past mid-size residential ranges usually need commercial removal services sized into the 20 or 30 yard tier instead. When the load runs light but bulky, either size handles it. Pick by space, not weight. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a 15 yard dumpster worth the extra cost over a 10 yard?

For most mid-size projects, yes. The price difference between the two sizes is almost always smaller than what you'd pay in overage fees or a second pickup if you under-size. We tell customers on the fence to use this rule: if you'd hesitate to call the 10 yard "plenty of room," book the 15.

How much bigger is a 15 yard dumpster than a 10 yard?

Fifty percent more volume, though the more practical difference is the wall height. A 10 yard hits roughly knee-high (3.5 ft) while a 15 yard reaches your waist (4.5 ft). The taller walls make bulky furniture and full-size mattresses considerably easier to load.

Will a 10 yard dumpster fit a kitchen remodel?

For a small kitchen with cabinets only, yes. A full gut that includes appliances, flooring, and countertops usually calls for the 15 yard instead. A typical kitchen gut generates 60 to 100 pounds of debris per square foot, which can hit a 10 yard's weight cap before it visibly looks full.

Can a 15 yard dumpster handle a roof replacement?

Yes for roofs up to 2,000 to 2,500 square feet of single-layer asphalt. With multiple shingle layers, the weight cap becomes the limiting factor, so your hauler should confirm the specific allowance before booking. For multi-structure jobs, commercial cleanup planning usually points you to a 20 yard or larger.

What's the weight limit difference between the two sizes?

The 10 yard typically includes a 2,000-pound (1 ton) allowance, while the 15 yard usually allows 2 to 4 tons. For dense debris like shingles, tile, or concrete, that gap matters far more than the cubic yardage difference.

Do I need a permit for either size?

Driveway placement on private property doesn't require a permit. Street, sidewalk, or public right-of-way placement usually does, with permit fees typically running $10 to $150 depending on the municipality. The rule applies the same to both sizes.

How long can I keep a 10 or 15 yard dumpster?

Standard rentals run 7 to 10 days for both sizes. We can extend longer rentals with daily fees when projects run beyond that window.

What can't I put in either size dumpster?

Hazardous materials (paint, solvents, chemicals, automotive fluids), e-waste (TVs, computers, batteries), appliances with refrigerants, and tires all stay out. EPA regulations set these restrictions, not company policy, and they apply equally to both container sizes. Our resources section above covers the right disposal route for each category.

Ready to Book the Right Size?

Tell us what you're working on, and we'll recommend the right container on the first try, with a transparent quote and no hidden fees.