For most Central Illinois homeowners, a 15 yard dumpster covers a garage, a bathroom, or one big room, and a 20 yard covers a whole house, a kitchen with the floor coming out, or a deck teardown. That is the short answer. The longer answer depends on what you are throwing away, because heavy material like shingles and concrete fills the weight allowance long before it fills the container.
This guide walks through how dumpster sizes are measured, what each of our two sizes actually holds, where weight changes the plan, and how a driveway-friendly dump trailer differs from a roll-off box. By the end you should know which one to book, or whether to skip the dumpster and let the crew load it.
- A 15 yard dumpster holds about six pickup truck loads; a 20 yard holds about eight.
- Book the 15 for one garage, one room, one small roof, or one small structure.
- Book the 20 for whole-house cleanouts, kitchen remodels, deck teardowns, and farm outbuildings.
- Heavy debris like shingles and concrete reaches the weight allowance first, so text us before loading it.
- Dump trailers ride on rubber tires and will not gouge a driveway the way a roll-off box can.
How dumpster sizes work: what a cubic yard actually means
A cubic yard is a cube three feet on every side. A 15 yard container holds fifteen of those cubes filled level with the top rail. Nobody loads junk in neat cubes, so think in pickup truck loads.
A full-size pickup bed, filled level, carries roughly two to two and a half cubic yards. So a 15 yard dumpster takes about six pickup loads and a 20 yard takes about eight. The number on the container is volume only. It says nothing about weight, and weight is where people get surprised.
What fits in a 15 yard dumpster
The 15 yard is the weekend size. It is what most people around Jacksonville book when the project has a clear edge to it: one garage, one room, one small structure.
- Garage cleanout. Shelving, old bikes, a dead mower, the boxes from the last move that never got opened. A two-car garage that has been collecting for a decade usually lands here. See our garage cleanout service if you would rather not carry it yourself.
- Small remodel. A bathroom gut or a bedroom with the drywall coming down. Cabinets, trim, drywall, and tile from one room.
- Roof on a smaller house. A single layer of shingles off a one-story ranch. Two layers or a bigger footprint, and weight becomes the question.
- Single-room flooring. Carpet and pad from a couple of bedrooms, or tile and underlayment from one kitchen or bath.
In the older neighborhoods around the square in Jacksonville, the lots are narrow and the driveways are single lane. The 15 fits those without blocking the walk to the back door, which is why it gets booked so often on the Jacksonville side of Morgan County.
What fits in a 20 yard dumpster
The 20 yard is the one to book when the project has no clear edge, or when you are pulling out a structure that was bigger than it looked.
- Whole-house cleanout. Basement to attic, furniture included. Our whole-house cleanout crew does these every week and can tell you from a few photos whether one 20 will do it.
- Larger remodel. A kitchen with cabinets, countertops, drywall, and the flooring underneath. Or two rooms plus a bathroom in the same week.
- Deck teardown. Decking, joists, railings, and the stairs. Treated lumber does not stack tight, so a mid-size deck fills a 20 faster than you would guess.
- Estate cleanout. Decades of a life in one house, including the garage and the shed out back.
- Farm outbuilding cleanout. The machine shed outside Virginia or Arenzville that has held every broken thing since the seventies. Almost always a 20, and sometimes a 20 twice.
In the newer subdivisions on the west and south sides of Springfield, driveways are wider and the 20 still leaves room to get a car past. If you live under an HOA, check with it about containers in view of the street before you book.
15 vs 20 yard dumpster comparison
| 15 yard | 20 yard | |
|---|---|---|
| Pickup truck loads | About six | About eight |
| Best for | One garage, one room, one small structure | Whole house, big remodel, deck, estate |
| Roofing | Single layer on a smaller home | Most homes, with a weight conversation first |
| Flooring | One or two rooms | A whole floor of the house |
| Driveway fit | Single-lane drive, older lots | Standard two-car drive |
| Rental length | 1 to 7 days | 1 to 7 days |
If you are torn between the two, the 20 is the safer pick. Nearly everyone underestimates their pile, and running out of room on day three can mean a second load, which may cost more than booking the bigger size up front.
Dumpster weight limits: why heavy debris changes the answer
Volume is the easy half. Every container also has a weight allowance, and dense material hits it long before the container looks full. Asphalt shingles, concrete, brick, dirt, and plaster from an old lath wall all weigh far more per cubic yard than furniture and drywall.
A two-layer tear-off from an older two-story in Beardstown can max out the weight in a 20 with the top half still empty. A broken-up patio slab will do the same to a 15 in a couple of feet. Wet material is worse.
The rule we give everyone: if the material is heavy, text us before you start loading. We will tell you how deep to go, or whether our construction debris hauling is the better fit for that load.
Load the heavy stuff first and spread it across the floor, then put the light bulky things on top. A dumpster loaded in that order hauls safer and holds more. And keep it below the rail, because we cannot tarp a pile that is sticking up.
Driveway-friendly dump trailer vs roll off dumpster
Most of what you find searching for a roll off dumpster is a steel box that a hook truck slides down onto your concrete on steel rails. On a new driveway that can leave gouges. On an older one it can crack the slab. On a lawn it can leave ruts you will be filling in June.
Ours are dump trailers. They ride on rubber tires, get backed into place with a pickup, and sit where a car would sit. There is no steel-on-concrete contact and no hook truck trying to swing into a single-lane drive. That matters in the older parts of Jacksonville and Petersburg, and on a gravel farm lane where a hook truck would sink. For a house, a garage, a roof, or an outbuilding, the driveway-friendly dumpster does the same job with less damage.
How many days should you rent a dumpster?
Rentals run 1 to 7 days, and delivery and pickup are part of it. A garage cleanout with two people working is a one or two day job. A whole-house cleanout where you are sorting as you go is closer to the full week. Book a day or two more than you think you need. Finish early, text us and we come get it. Run long, text us and we extend it.
When to have the crew load it instead of renting a dumpster
A dumpster makes sense when you have time, a couple of helpers, and a project that unfolds over several days. It makes less sense when the stuff is heavy, the stairs are narrow, or you do not want to spend a weekend carrying things.
- Basements with a steep, turning stairway, common in older river-town homes in Beardstown and Chandlerville.
- Hot tubs, pianos, cast iron tubs, and safes. Anything that takes two strong backs and a plan.
- Estate cleanouts where the family lives out of town and wants it handled in one visit.
- Anyone with a bad back, a bad knee, or a better use for the weekend.
With full-service junk removal you point at what goes, the crew loads it, hauls it, and sweeps up before they leave. Both options start the same way: text a photo of the pile to (217) 624-7066 and we will tell you straight which one fits, and what size.
Questions people ask
What size dumpster do I need for a garage cleanout in Jacksonville, IL?
L&J’s sends a 15 yard dumpster for most Jacksonville garage cleanouts. It holds about six pickup truck loads, which covers a two-car garage full of shelving, boxes, and yard equipment. If the garage is stacked to the ceiling or you are also clearing the basement, book the 20 yard. Text a photo of the garage to (217) 624-7066 and we will confirm the size before you book.
Is a 20 yard dumpster big enough for a whole house cleanout?
L&J’s 20 yard dumpster handles most whole-house cleanouts in Central Illinois, about eight pickup truck loads of furniture, boxes, and household junk. A large farmhouse with a full basement, attic, and outbuilding may need a second load, which we can schedule as a swap. Send a few photos to request a free estimate and we will tell you whether one 20 will do it.
How much does it cost to rent a 15 or 20 yard dumpster in Springfield, IL?
L&J’s prices every dumpster rental as a flat rate that depends on the size you pick and how many days you keep it. Delivery and pickup across Sangamon County are built into that rate, with no mileage fee on top. If the load is heavy material like shingles or concrete, say so and we will talk weight. Book online or text (217) 624-7066 for an exact quote.
Can I put shingles or concrete in a rental dumpster?
L&J’s takes shingles in both sizes. Concrete can go in limited amounts, but talk to us first before loading any concrete, dirt, or rock, because heavy debris reaches the weight allowance long before the container is full. Tell us what you are loading when you book and we will say how deep you can go, or whether a crew-loaded haul fits better. Text a photo of the material to (217) 624-7066 before you start.
Will a rental dumpster damage my driveway?
L&J’s dumpsters are dump trailers on rubber tires, so nothing steel touches your concrete and there is no hook truck sliding a box across the slab. They park where a car parks, which is why they work in the narrow drives near the Jacksonville square and on gravel farm lanes outside Virginia. Book a driveway-friendly dumpster for your dates.
Is a rental dumpster or a junk removal crew better for clearing out a basement?
L&J’s recommends the dumpster when you have helpers and a few days, and crew-loaded junk removal when the basement has narrow stairs or heavy items like a chest freezer or a cast iron tub. Older homes in Beardstown and Petersburg usually go the crew route because of the stairs. Send a photo to get a free estimate on both and pick the one that saves you the weekend.
Still not sure which size? Text us a photo.
Send a picture of the pile to (217) 624-7066 and we will tell you 15 or 20, how many days, and whether the crew should just load it for you. Delivery and pickup are included either way.
(217) 624-7066
