A Guide to Understanding Dumpster Weight Limits
Home renovations, clean-outs, and commercial building projects can produce a significant amount of waste, and all of that waste needs to go somewhere. A dumpster rental helps you contain your trash as you work on your home or shop, and makes disposal easy.
The question our clients at Small Haul Containers most often ask us is, “How much can I put in my dumpster rental?” The answer depends on the size of the dumpster you rent and the weight of what you’re discarding. Let’s explore your dumpster options based on weight.
South Kansas City Dumpster Sizes
Small Haul Containers rents dumpsters to residents and businesses of Johnson County and southern Jackson County. You can choose from five dumpster sizes to meet your needs. All our dumpsters hold either one or two tons of waste.
The smallest dumpster size available for rent is six cubic yards, or the equivalent of six washing machines. This size is suitable for small projects, such as small kitchen renovations or clean-outs from single rooms. Our 10-cubic-yard dumpster holds the equivalent of ten washing machines, and will hold refuse from kitchen and bathroom remodels, deck demolitions, or household cleanouts. Both of these smaller containers hold up to one ton, or 2,000 pounds, of waste.
Our 13 cubic-yard or 16 cubic-yard dumpsters work well for medium to large projects, including roof demolition, flood and fire restorations, deck demolitions, or multiple room renovations. Each of these dumpsters can hold up to two tons, or 4,000 pounds, of refuse and 13 or 16 washing machines, respectively.
Our largest dumpster, the 20 cubic-yard size, can take care of your largest projects, including complete window and door replacements, additions, fencing, and large-scale home renovations. This dumpster size also has a two-ton weight limit.
Read full size details on our website to learn more about how much each dumpster can hold and the projects that might fit inside them.
Putting Tons into Perspective
It’s hard to imagine how much refuse makes up one ton, or 2,000 pounds. It truly does depend upon the materials the waste is made from. However, we’d like to put these weights into perspective to make it easier for our clients to estimate the dumpster size they need for all their home projects. So what common objects weigh one ton?
A 1979 Volkswagen Beetle. Most people are familiar with the size of this classic vehicle and the materials its made of. And yes, an entire Volkswagen Beetle would fit inside one of our rental containers (although we don’t recommend putting it in your dumpster).
333 standard red bricks. Bricks are a common building material, both for home construction and landscaping projects. When used to construct a brick wall, this is the equivalent of 47.5 square feet of wall.
22 cubic feet of sand or 40 bags of play sand. Another landscaping essential, sand is an easy measurement comparison and is available at most hardware stores.
What about things that weigh two tons, the largest amount of weight our dumpsters can hold? You can extrapolate how many Volkswagen Beetle cars (two), red bricks (666), and bags of sand (80) weigh two tons. However, here are some other items that weigh two tons, or 4,000 pounds to put it into further perspective.
A 2009 Ford Taurus. This Ford car with an automatic transmission weighs 1.82 tons, close to two full tons. Add a full tank of gas, and you’re even closer. In fact, most modern four-door sedans weigh about 4,000 pounds.
One full-grown male hippopotamus. You’ve seen these majestic and intimidating creatures at the zoo, so you know how large they are in person.
Are Dumpsters Easy to Load?
When you normally think of dumpsters, you might imagine those tall, brown steel boxes with hinged doors on top. Our containers are not at all like this. Small Haul Containers makes loading your waste easy. Our residential and commercial rental dumpsters don’t require you to lift heavy objects over your head thanks to their special door.
Each of our rental dumpsters are equipped with a wide barn door-like opening that allows you to walk directly into the container and strategically place items you’re disposing of. Not only does this help you maximize the amount your dumpster can hold, but it also helps prevent you from sustaining a lifting injury.
How Do I Rent a Dumpster in Olathe or Grandview?
When you need a residential dumpster for your home projects in Lee’s Summit or Belton, Missouri, or Olathe or Stilwell, Kansas, it’s easy to rent one from Small Haul Containers.
Simply reserve your dumpster online or over the phone, and Small Haul will deliver it to you when you need it. When we deliver your dumpster, we can place it on any hard surface, including driveways, parking lots, or patios. We’ll lay down a barrier to protect your property. Then, when your dumpster is full at the end of your weeklong rental, we’ll pick up your container and dispose of its contents. All of our rental dumpsters fit into a standard parking space size, which most people can spare at their home or business.
Our flat-rate dumpster rentals are the most convenient in the South Kansas City and Overland Park areas. There are no surprise charges or added fees for pick-up or delivery. The price you see when you book a dumpster is the final price, as long as you don’t mix yard waste with other items or exceed the weight limit.
If you are unsure of what size dumpster you need for your clean-up job, a professional at Small Haul can help guide you through your choices to determine what will work best for you.
Are you ready to get started on your home project this summer? Reserve your dumpster today to get it when you need it.
