Dumpster FAQs: How a Dumpster is Weighed

Most people that rent dumpsters are not experts on the process, so there are a number of questions that arise during the rental process. One Dumpster FAQ is: How is a dumpster weighed?  This will vary slightly by company and location, but in general the answer is the same.

First you need to know how much weight you can put into your dumpster.  This is a question you will have to ask the dumpster company before you rent. The amount of weight is based on both the size of the dumpster and the city you are renting it in.

Before the dumpster is delivered to your house, the empty dumpster is weighed and that amount is recorded.  Once your project is over and the dumpster is full, your dumpster rental company will pick up your dumpster and take it to the disposal facility. At this point in time the dumpster is weighed again. The initial amount that was recorded is subtracted and the weight of your garbage is all that remains.

Since you do not have a scale at home, it can be hard to determine how heavy your dumpster is while you are filling it up.  If you do happen to go over your allowable weight limit you will most likely be charged for the additional weight. This is another question that you need to ask your dumpster rental company before you sign any contracts for your rental.

Another Dumpster FAQs is: What is the weight of common items? Below are some weights for some common items that homeowners place in dumpsters. This will allow you to roughly calculate what you can put into your dumpster while safely staying under your weight limit.

Drywall: 400 lbs per Cubic Yard

Cardboard: 30 lbs per Cubic Yard

Masonry: 1000 lbs per Cubic Yard

Metals: 150 lbs per Cubic Yard

Solid Sawn Wood: 267 lbs per Cubic Yard

While knowing the weight of common debris items won’t give you an exact number, this will help. If you are throwing away uncommon items, do a quick search online to get an approximate weight. Being surprised by an overage is not the way you want your dumpster rental experience to end.