Dumpster Sizes In Cubic Yards?

8/7/2017 (Permalink)

Dumpster Sizes: How SERVPRO of Bend Decides On Which Size Dumpster To Use

SERVPRO of Bend uses many tools so we can provide our customers with excellent services. At most jobs where we are required to remove a large amount of debris, we use a dumpster to safely dispose of waste material. Many customers ask how we decide on which size of dumpster to use. Here are some instructions on how we determine what size of dumpster we use on a job.

A cubic yard is the volume of a cube with a length, width and height of one yard (3 feet or 36 inches). You can easily calculate cubic yardage by converting all three dimensions of an item into yards and multiplying them. For example, if you have debris that is 9 feet long, 3 feet wide and 12 inches tall, you have one cubic yard of material. Here’s how it breaks down:

• Given that 3 feet is equivalent to 1 yard, 9 feet equals 3 total yards in length.
• The width is easily measured as 3 feet equals 1 yard in width.
• Given that 12 inches is equivalent to 1 foot, 1 foot equals 1/3 of a yard in height.

Multiplying the three dimensions, once converted to yards, will give you the total cubic yardage of your debris. In this case, 3 yards x 1 yard x 1/3 yard equals a single cubic yard.

While calculating cubic yardage will not always be that simplistic, especially for materials like concrete, gravel and dirt, having some understanding of how to do so can go a long way in filling up a dumpster.

An easy way to answer “How much is a cubic yard?” is to compare it to common items you’ve seen and used. The most popular example of this is equating cubic yards to pickup trucks. In this case, the typical full-size truck bed can hold between 2-3 cubic yards of material. That means a 10 cubic yard dumpster can hold at least three pickup truck loads (depending on the weight of your debris).

Here’s what our other common dumpster sizes can hold in terms of truck loads:

• 20 cubic yard dumpster – Equivalent to about six pickup truck loads.
• 30 cubic yard dumpster – Roughly equivalent to nine pickup trucks of debris.
• 40 cubic yard dumpster – Can hold about 12 pickup trucks of materials.

It may also be beneficial to think of a cubic yard in terms of wheelbarrow loads, as it’s a great tool to bring materials into your container. Typically, 9-12 wheelbarrow trips are equivalent to one cubic yard of material. Keeping this in mind can help you estimate cubic yards as your project progresses.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call SERVPRO of Bend at 541-385-7044.