Honest comparison
10 vs. 20 Yard Dumpster: Which Size Do You Actually Need?
The 10 yard ($385, 1 ton included) and the 20 yard ($495, 2 tons included) are the two sizes Orlando customers search for most, and the choice comes down to weight versus volume: heavy debris goes in the 10, bulky household and remodel debris goes in the 20. The 20 costs $110 more and holds twice the volume and twice the tonnage. When in doubt, go up. Call (407) 860-8640.
How do the 10 and 20 yard compare side by side?
Same width, so both fit a normal driveway. The 20 is three feet longer and a foot and a half taller, and that extra height is where the second half of the volume lives.
| 10 yard | 20 yard | |
|---|---|---|
| Price, delivered and picked up | $385 | $495 |
| Disposal included | 1 ton | 2 tons |
| Dimensions (L × W × H) | 13 × 8 × 3.5 ft | 16 × 8 × 5 ft |
| Pickup-truck loads | ≈ 3 | ≈ 6 |
| Concrete, dirt, heavy debris | Clean concrete and dirt $450 flat, no weight charges, filled to the rim | Clean concrete and dirt $550 (15) or $650 (20) flat, half full at most |
| Rental period | 7 days, 30 max | 7 days, 30 max |
| Best for | Heavy material, a garage, one room | Whole-house cleanout, roof replacement, multi-room remodel |
Which jobs does the 10 yard handle?
The dense ones. A driveway of broken concrete, a load of dirt from a pool or a French drain, a floor of tile, a bathroom demo down to the studs, roughly 1,500 square feet of shingles, a single-car garage. In every one of those the 10 yard reaches its 1 ton allowance by the time it is half full, which is the sign the size is right. Concrete and dirt go only in the 10, 15 or 20, and the 30 and 40 do not take them at all: the 10 can be filled to the rim, while a 15 or 20 stops at half full because a heavier load can't be safely lifted. Clean concrete and dirt are a flat $450 in the 10 and $650 in the 20, with delivery, pickup and 7 days included and no weight charges; any trash in the load is a $150 fee. The small dumpster page covers the 10 yard on its own.
Which jobs does the 20 yard handle?
The bulky ones. A two- or three-bedroom house cleanout, a full roof tear-off on an average Orlando home, a kitchen plus a bath plus the flooring, a move-out where everything goes. About 6 pickup loads of furniture, cabinets, drywall, carpet and boxes rarely get near 2 tons, so the 20 yard is limited by volume, not weight. That is why it is the most popular box on the truck: it is the first size where a whole house fits in one haul.
What is the go-one-size-up rule?
If you are between sizes, take the bigger one. The extra room costs $110 between the 10 and the 20, and it buys you the difference between finishing and ordering a second box. People consistently guess small because a pile on the floor looks smaller than the same pile in a container: cabinets do not nest, a couch does not fold, and drywall goes in as sheets, not dust. The one exception is heavy material, where the rule reverses: heavy goes small, because the weight limit arrives first.
What does guessing small cost?
Two 10 yards cost $770. One 20 yard costs $495. That is $275 saved by ordering the right box the first time, plus a day not lost waiting for the second delivery. The math runs the same way further up: the size chart lists all five with tonnage and dimensions, and the 30 yard at $650 is the next step when a 20 is close. Every fee that could change either total is on the cost page.
If you already filled a 10 and the job is not done, call (407) 860-8640; Javi's swaps it for an empty one at the published price, so the job keeps moving either way.
Where does each one fit?
The 10 yard is 13 × 8 × 3.5 ft: shorter than most cars, low enough to load over the side without a ramp, and it fits a single-car driveway with room to walk around it. The 20 yard is 16 × 8 × 5 ft: it needs a standard two-car driveway or a lot, and its five-foot walls mean bulky pieces go over the back gate rather than the side. Both need the same truck access: a roughly flat spot, about three feet on each side, a straight run of about 34 feet in front and 22 feet of clearance overhead.
Questions people ask
Is a 20-yard dumpster worth $110 more than a 10 yard?
For anything bulky, yes: it holds twice the volume, includes 2 tons instead of 1 ton, and avoids a second $385 haul. For tile, no: the 10 yard reaches its weight first. For clean concrete and dirt, the 10 is a flat $450 filled to the rim, against $650 for a 20 that stops at half full.
Can I put concrete in a 20-yard dumpster?
Yes: clean concrete and dirt in a 20 are a flat $650, loaded half full at most. The 10 yard is the better box for it: a flat $450, filled to the rim, with no weight charges.
How many pickup loads is a 20-yard dumpster?
About 6. The 10 yard is about 3. A pickup bed is a useful unit because most people have loaded one.
Will a 20-yard dumpster fit in my driveway?
Usually. It is 16 × 8 × 5 ft and fits a standard two-car driveway; the truck needs a straight run in front to back in and clearance overhead. The 10 yard fits almost anywhere a car does.
What if I order a 10 and it is not enough?
Call for a swap: the full box leaves, an empty one arrives at the published price. Ordering the 20 first would have saved $275, which is why the go-one-size-up rule exists.
Get a quote, or book it now
A quote costs nothing. Booking takes two minutes and is confirmed by phone. Or just call.
Same-day and next-day dumpster delivery available. Same-day requests must be in by 2:00pm and are subject to availability.