Sizes & capacity
Dumpster Sizes in Bethlehem, PA — 10, 15, 20, 30 & 40 Yard
Real dimensions, honest weight allowances and the projects each container is actually built for.
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Compare every size
Dimensions are approximate and vary slightly by container. Weight allowances are what is included in the flat rate before overage applies.
| Size | Dimensions (L × W × H) | Holds About | Weight Allowance | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Yard Dumpster | 14 ft x 7.5 ft x 3.5 ft | 3-4 pickup loads | 1-2 tons | Small cleanouts, single rooms, roofing, concrete |
| 15 Yard Dumpster | 16 ft x 7.5 ft x 4.5 ft | 5-6 pickup loads | 2-3 tons | Garage clearouts, small remodels, yard-waste debris |
| 20 Yard Dumpster | 22 ft x 7.5 ft x 4.5 ft | 6-8 pickup loads | 3-4 tons | Whole-home cleanouts, roof tear-offs, remodels |
| 30 Yard Dumpster | 22 ft x 7.5 ft x 6 ft | 9-12 pickup loads | 4-5 tons | Large remodels, construction, estate clearances |
| 40 Yard Dumpster | 22 ft x 7.5 ft x 8 ft | 12-16 pickup loads | 5-6 tons | Commercial jobs, demolition, big builds |
10 Yard Dumpster
14 ft x 7.5 ft x 3.5 ft · holds about 3-4 pickup loads · 1-2 tons weight allowance.
Full specs15 Yard Dumpster
16 ft x 7.5 ft x 4.5 ft · holds about 5-6 pickup loads · 2-3 tons weight allowance.
Full specs20 Yard Dumpster
22 ft x 7.5 ft x 4.5 ft · holds about 6-8 pickup loads · 3-4 tons weight allowance.
Full specs30 Yard Dumpster
22 ft x 7.5 ft x 6 ft · holds about 9-12 pickup loads · 4-5 tons weight allowance.
Full specs40 Yard Dumpster
22 ft x 7.5 ft x 8 ft · holds about 12-16 pickup loads · 5-6 tons weight allowance.
Full specs
How to choose
Volume is only half the story
The mistake almost everyone makes is picking a size purely on how much stuff they can see. Volume matters, but weight is what actually decides whether you fit inside your flat rate — and around here, weight comes up faster than people expect.
Light and bulky vs heavy and dense
Furniture, boxes, insulation, carpet, decking and general household junk are bulky but light. With that kind of load you'll run out of space long before you run out of tons, which is why a 30 or 40 yard makes sense for a big cleanout or a demolition job.
Brick, plaster, tile, concrete and fill dirt are the opposite. A 10 yard packed with broken concrete or wet fill dirt is heavier than a 30 yard of couches. That's why heavy, dense material belongs in a smaller, dedicated 10 or 15 yard container rather than mixed with anything else.
Winter debris — and older housing stock — change the math
Around Bethlehem a lot of "yard waste" is not tidy grass clippings — it's downed limbs and storm debris left after a nor'easter or an ice storm moves through, and once that material has been sitting wet it weighs a lot more than the pile looked like it should. That kind of load belongs in a smaller, dedicated container even when the volume looks modest. Gut-reno debris on South Bethlehem's older rowhome lots and the Colonial Industrial Quarter's stone buildings runs the same way: old lath and plaster, stone and masonry, and cast-iron plumbing is denser and heavier than it looks, and belongs with concrete in a smaller, weight-focused container rather than mixed with bulky household junk. On the other end, new-construction framing and packaging debris around Bethlehem Township and Hanover Township runs the opposite way — bulky and lightweight, filling a container's volume long before it comes close to the weight allowance.
Access, event season and winter matter as much as capacity
A 30 or 40 yard container needs about 60 feet of straight approach and roughly 23 feet of vertical clearance for a truck to raise the hoist. Some of the narrow rowhome streets near South Bethlehem's historic district have a single tight approach that can rule out the big boxes on some sites. Musikfest and the Christmas City holiday season also change what streets near downtown are workable for a delivery, and a Lehigh Valley winter changes what we can safely schedule; we watch nor'easters and ice storms and would rather reschedule a delivery than have a driver on the road ahead of one. If in doubt, describe the driveway or lot access and time of year on the phone — a two-minute conversation that saves a failed delivery.
Quick reference
A rough guide by project
| Project | Typical size | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Single-room clearout or small remodel | 10 yard | Tile and old cast iron are heavier than they look |
| Clean concrete, brick, block or fill dirt | 10–15 yard (dedicated) | Must be a clean single-material load, weight-limited |
| Roofing tear-out or garage clearout | 10–20 yard | Shingles get heavy fast, especially wet ones |
| Kitchen or bathroom remodel | 20 yard | Cabinets are bulky; countertop stone is heavy |
| Whole-home cleanout, 3 bed with basement | 20–30 yard | Often two loads on a fully furnished home |
| Larger remodel or addition | 30 yard | Plan swap-outs rather than one giant box |
| Construction or demolition project | 30–40 yard | Concrete footings must come out separately |
| Rowhome gut renovation | 15–20 yard | Old lath, plaster and cast iron are heavier than they look |
| Estate cleanout | 20–30 yard | Mixed furniture and boxes fill volume fast, not weight |
| Storm or downed-limb debris cleanup | 15–20 yard | Wet, storm-soaked branches and downed limbs are heavier than they look |
| Commercial cleanout or bulky light debris | 40 yard | Needs a big flat area and a long approach |
Still not sure what size?
Describe the job in sixty seconds and we'll size it for you. Call (484) 510-8967 — no obligation, no forms.
Answers
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I order the wrong size?
Call us. If it's too small we can bring a second container or swap it, and if you genuinely haven't touched it, it can usually be exchanged for a different size the same or next day. It's far cheaper to make one call than to overfill a container — an overloaded box legally cannot be transported and will have to be leveled before it can be lifted.
How much space do I need for the container itself?
Allow roughly 10 feet of width and the container length plus about 15 feet of clearance behind it so a truck can set it and pick it up. A 10 yard needs about 25–30 feet of total run, a 30 or 40 yard closer to 60. Vertical clearance of around 23 feet is needed for the hoist — mind overhead service drops and low tree canopy, which come up often on the older, tree-lined streets around Bethlehem.
What happens if I go over the weight allowance?
The overage is charged per ton at a rate you're told up front, based on the scale ticket from the disposal facility. You get the actual ticket. Most residential customers never see one — it typically comes up on heavy material like stucco, tile, masonry, concrete or wet fill dirt that runs heavier than expected.
Can I fill it above the top rail?
No. The load has to sit level with the top rail so it can be tarped and legally transported on Pennsylvania roads. If it's heaped, we can't take it and you'll need to level it before pickup. When you're loading, keep the bulky items flat and fill the voids rather than building a pile at one end.
Which size is most popular in Bethlehem?
The 20 yard, by a wide margin. It's the sweet spot for whole-home cleanouts, mid-size remodels and roofing jobs, and its walls are low enough that you can throw things over the side rather than walking everything through the house. The 15 yard is the runner-up for garage clearouts and storm-debris cleanup.