What size dumpster do I need for a home cleanout?
Most single-room cleanouts or garage purges fit a 10 yard dumpster, while a whole-house cleanout in a typical Bellingham home usually needs the 20 yard. The 10 yard box measures roughly 12 feet by 8 feet on the ground and holds a moderate load of household junk, old furniture and yard debris. If you are gutting a kitchen or clearing out a rental between tenants, step up to the 20 yard dumpster rental instead, since the extra depth swallows bulky items without stacking games. Renters comparing footprint against driveway space should check dumpster sizes and dimensions against their own measurements before booking, and anyone unsure about drop zones should read the porta potty placement guide logic, which applies the same way to roll-off placement on gravel or grass.
10 yard dumpster measurements and what fits
A 10 yard dumpster is the compact option: 10 yard dumpster dimensions run about 12 feet long, 8 feet wide, and just over 3 feet tall at the walls, making the 10 yard dumpster size the go-to for tight lots. That footprint fits in a standard driveway or a tight side yard, which is why it is the most requested size for small remodels. It handles roughly 3 pickup truck loads of debris, common for deck tear-outs, single-bathroom gut jobs or a garage full of boxes, and these 10 yard dumpster sizes rarely need more than a driveway's width to sit safely. Delivery trucks need about 60 feet of straight clearance behind the unit to set it down safely, per our delivery specs, so measure your alley or driveway approach before the truck arrives. Pricing for a 10 yard box sits inside a daily band you can check against the dumpster rental cost page, and if your project runs past a weekend, the 10 yard dumpster rental page breaks down week and month options too. Homeowners near Geneva, 3.8 miles east of Bellingham, order this size often for shed demolitions.
20 yard dumpster measurements and what fits
Step up to a 20 yard dumpster and you get about 22 feet of length with side walls closer to 4.5 feet tall, and these 20 yard dumpster size specs roughly double the 10 yard's volume without doubling the footprint by much. This is the size most contractors default to for a kitchen remodel, a roof tear-off, or a multi-room flooring job. It holds around 6 pickup truck loads, which covers most mid-size renovations without needing a second pull, and knowing the dumpster dimensions 20 yard crews plan around helps avoid a surprise second delivery. If your load includes shingles or heavy debris, check dumpster weight limits before you fill it, since heavier material fills the weight cap long before the box looks full, a common surprise once you compare dumpster sizes 20 yard against actual debris weight. The 20 yard dumpster rental page has current pricing bands by day, week and month. Crews working sites out toward Marietta-Alderwood, 7.2 miles northwest of Bellingham, tend to order this size for single-family builds.
30 yard dumpster size and when you need one
A 30 yard dumpster keeps close to the 20 yard's 22 foot length but adds height, giving it noticeably more volume for large-scale jobs. This size fits whole-house demolitions, large construction cleanups, or commercial buildouts where debris piles up fast. It is not a driveway box. Confirm clearance and placement with your site contact before delivery, since the taller walls mean the truck needs a flat, stable approach. For active construction sites juggling a dumpster alongside toilets and fencing, the construction dumpster rental page and construction site services page cover how these pieces get scheduled together. Anyone weighing a 30 yard against renting two smaller boxes should look at the dumpster rental cost comparison first, since a single large box is often the cheaper move once delivery fees stack up. There is also a 40 yard dumpster rental option for jobs that outgrow even the 30.
Do I need a permit for a dumpster in Bellingham?
Permit rules depend on where the dumpster sits. If it stays on your own driveway or property, most cities skip the permit requirement entirely. If it needs to sit in the street or a public right of way, that placement needs confirming with the City of Bellingham directly, since we are not going to guess at an ordinance number here. The dumpster permit requirements page walks through the driveway-versus-street distinction in more detail, and the porta potty permit requirements page covers the same logic for portable restrooms if you are renting both for one project. Before you finalize placement, it also helps to review what cannot go in a dumpster, since prohibited materials can trigger a rejected load regardless of where the box sits.
Which size dumpster fits my Bellingham project?
| Size | Length | Width | Wall Height | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 yard | ~12 ft | ~8 ft | ~3.5 ft | Garage cleanout, small remodel |
| 20 yard | ~22 ft | ~8 ft | ~4.5 ft | Kitchen remodel, roof tear-off |
| 30 yard | ~22 ft | ~8 ft | taller walls | Full demolition, large construction |
Match the size to your debris type as much as volume. A pile of roofing shingles fills a 20 yard's weight limit fast even though it looks half-empty, while a load of bulky but light furniture might fill a 10 yard visually before hitting any weight cap. If you are still unsure, roll-off dumpster rental has a broader rundown of all four sizes side by side, and our request a quote form lets you describe the job so we can recommend a size instead of guessing from a chart alone. Homeowners as far as Ferndale, 11.0 miles northwest, and Lynden, 16.3 miles north, have used this same table to size their own projects.
Bellingham driveways vary block to block, and older neighborhoods sometimes have narrower approaches than newer developments, so it is worth walking your delivery path before the truck shows up. Bellingham Porta Pros delivers all three sizes, and if your job also needs sanitation on site, the portable toilet rental page and temporary fence rental page cover the other pieces contractors usually book at the same time.
How long can I keep a rented dumpster?
Rental periods run by day, week or month, and pricing scales with duration, so a week always costs more than a single day and a month always costs more than a week. Most home projects book a week; longer construction jobs book monthly. Check dumpster rental cost for the exact bands.
Can I fill a dumpster above the rim?
No. Overfilling past the rim usually means the load cannot be hauled safely, and drivers will flag it before pickup. Keep debris level with the top edge. If you are close to the limit, dumpster weight limits explains what counts against your cap besides height.
What is the difference between a 10 yard and 20 yard dumpster?
The 20 yard roughly doubles the volume of the 10 yard while adding only about a foot of wall height and keeping a similar footprint length-wise before the size jump. Choose 10 yard for small jobs, 20 yard for anything spanning multiple rooms or a full remodel.
Do I need a permit to put a dumpster in my driveway?
Usually not, since driveway placement stays on private property. Street or right-of-way placement is different and needs confirming with the City of Bellingham before delivery. See dumpster permit requirements for the driveway-versus-street breakdown before you schedule.
How much clearance does the delivery truck need?
Roll-off trucks need about 60 feet of straight clearance behind the drop point to place the box safely. Narrow alleys, low branches or parked cars along that path can delay delivery, so walk the route beforehand and clear obstacles.
Next step
Get a delivery date
Tell us the address, the dates and the headcount. We size the order and confirm the route.