Picking a size when the house is old and the street is tight
The size is the volume in cubic yards. In Providence two other numbers matter as much: how long the box is, and how many tons are included.
Sizes offered here
The companies we checked rent 10, 15 and 20 yard containers in Providence, and the national booking sites also list 30 and 40 yard boxes. One national site compares them to pickup truck loads: about 3 loads for a 10, 6 for a 20, 9 for a 30 and 12 for a 40.
| Size | Typical Providence job | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| 10 yard | One bathroom gut, a small kitchen, a roof on a small garage, a single apartment cleanout | Plaster or tile fills the weight limit fast |
| 15 yard | Kitchen plus flooring, a basement cleanout in a two-family | Ask whether it is a short box; some are |
| 20 yard | Several rooms, a full floor of a triple-decker, a house roof | Length varies by company |
| 30 and 40 yard | Whole-house work, big estate cleanouts, commercial jobs | Measure first; these are long boxes |
Same name, different length
One Rhode Island company lists its 20-yard at 14 feet long, 72 inches high and 96 inches wide. A national rental site lists its 20-yard at 22 feet long. Both hold about 20 cubic yards; one is shorter and taller. On a street lined with two- and three-family houses, 8 feet of length decides whether the box fits between two driveways. Measure your spot and ask for the length, not just the yardage.
Lids and doors
Providence's code says containers under 20 cubic yards must be able to close on all sides, and larger ones must be securable so nothing blows or spills out. Expect a lid or a tarp, and use it. It also keeps rain out, which matters because wet debris weighs more and you pay by the ton.
Weight beats volume in older houses
Most quotes include a set number of tons. The Rhode Island company above includes 1 ton with its 10-yard and 2 tons with its 20-yard, then charges $150 per extra ton. Old houses produce heavy debris: plaster, lath, brick, slate and old tile. If most of your load is that kind of material, choose by weight and check the ton allowance before you pick a size.
Quick rules
- Light, bulky stuff (furniture, cabinets, carpet): size up and do not worry much about weight.
- Heavy stuff (plaster, tile, shingles): size down, ask for more tons included.
- Clean concrete or brick only: ask for a separate clean-fill container, since the landfill charges $20 a ton for clean masonry and $115 for mixed debris.
- Do not fill above the top edge. Companies will not haul an overfilled box, and the extra adds weight anyway.