Estimate your pile in three steps
- 1
Picture it in one heap
Imagine everything stacked in the driveway as a rough box shape. Pace out its length and width and guess the height in feet.
- 2
Multiply and divide
Length times width times height gives cubic feet. Divide by 27 for cubic yards. A heap 12 by 8 by 4 feet is about 14 yards.
- 3
Add a margin
Furniture and branches never pack tightly. Add a quarter to your answer and round up to the next size.
Then check the weight
Volume answers whether it fits. Weight answers whether it is allowed. If more than a third of your heap is shingles, plaster, tile, brick, concrete or soil, step down to a smaller box and ask about the weight allowance rather than the size.
Sorting helps both ways. A separate small container for concrete and a larger one for the light debris can be easier than one oversized, overweight box.
When to size up, when to size down
Size up
Mostly furniture, boxes, carpet or brush; you are clearing a whole level; a second haul would hold up the project.
Size down
Heavy material; a short driveway; a job you can finish in a day or two.
Ask about a swap
For long projects, one container emptied and returned can work out better than a giant one sitting half full.
The sizes guide lists what each size typically measures.
Ready to book a roll-off?
Have the address, the project and a rough idea of how much is going in. The company on the phone quotes the size, the drop-off date and the price.
Phones answered Mon–Sat 8 am–8 pm, Sun 8 am–1 pm (Eastern)