Understanding Bin Sizes & Differences

How often do you order construction bins? And how often do you measure things in yards? We believe that the answer to both questions is “not often”, and it’s OK. Here’s all you need to know about different construction bin sizes, so you can order exactly the one you need.

Why are the bins measured in yards?

Let’s start with the basics. A yard is a unit of measurement, equal to 3 feet. You most likely use it in flooring, countertops, size of your lawn, and so on. But those are not the yards we’re talking about when it comes to bins. We measure them in CUBIC yards.

1 cubic yard is roughly equal to 27 cubic feet.

If we get back to the length – width – and depth measurement, a 10-yard bin is about 30 feet long, 8 feet wide, and 4 feet tall. That’s enough space to hold around 50-60 large bags of waste. So, why do we measure construction bin sizes in yards? It’s just the most convenient way to do it.

What size of bin do you need for your home renovation project?

We know, the figures above don’t make your choice any easier. Here’s an easier example, let’s range the most common sizes if they were clothing sizes:

XS — 4 to 8 yard bins. Exceptionally tiny, fore small projects or ordinary clean-ups only;
S — 10 to 14 bin sizes. Big enough to hold a lot of waste, but not too much;
M — 16 to 20 yard bins. That’s the most you need for a typical home reno or a landscaping project;
L — 30 yard bins. For projects that are guaranteed to generate an above average amount of waste;
XL and XXL — 40 yard bins. Exceptionally big. These are the ones you see at construction sites.

We hope it gets easier now. But how exactly does it correspond with your, say, kitchen reno? Does an ordinary kitchen remodelling count as an L, or is it actually just an S-sized project? Thanks to the years of experience in the field, we know how much waste each type of renovation project is expected to generate.

Note: all renovation projects are unique, so the suggestions we have here are ROUGH estimates, just GENERALLY true, not guaranteed to apply to your project accurately. They’re likely to apply, sure, you can EXPECT it, but you also may have significantly more or less waste in the end. We recommend ordering a construction bin a bit bigger than you estimate you need, just to be sure that you don’t overload it.

7-yard bin

A 7-yard bin is an ideal option for small projects or for situations when you have just a small amount of waste to dispose of. This bin can hold around 30-40 bags of waste.

Use examples:

Cleaning out a small garage;
Small landscaping projects, like a gazebo installation (some soil and debris have to be removed);
Minor disposal of old furniture, flooring or tiles.

PRO tip: if you think that a 7-yard container might not be enough for your project, it probably is not enough.

10-yard bin

These are perfect for all minor home renovation projects. A 10-yard bin can hold around 50 or 60 waste bags. It’s one of the most popular options for those who don’t want to go big.

Use examples:

Minor kitchen or bathroom renovation (including throwing away a couple of the old appliances, like a bath, a toilet, or cabinetry);
A typical living room remodeling without throwing away all the old furniture;
The majority of minor landscaping projects (including the ones that suggest disposing a lot of extra dirt and soil).

14-yard bin

It’s enough for the majority of renovation projects that are not quite big enough, but may turn out to be so. It might be a good option if you’re thinking “well, it’s not like there’s a lot of waste”, but then you remember your previous project and realize that there’s ALWAYS a bit more waste than you expect. It’s just impossible to factor everything in advance.

A 14-yard bin can fit about 80 bags of waste. You may need it for:

Medium-sized kitchen and bathroom renos;
A full room remodel with some of the old furniture and appliances (or just a bigger-than-usual room);
Nearly all landscaping projects in small gardens or on a limited part of the property.

20-yard Bin

Our most popular option, and for a good reason: a 20-yard bin can fit a whole lot of waste easily, so you don’t need to worry about overloading it at all. It’s ideal for medium-sized home renovation projects and can hold over a 100 bags of waste and some appliances on top.

Use examples:

Full kitchen or bathroom renovation;
Multiple-room remodeling;
Small commercial construction projects or the majority of landscaping projects.

40-yard bin

You can park your car in it, twice. Even four times if you manage to do it in two layers, one on top of another. This gargantuan-sized bin can hold around 200-240 bags of waste, and it’s an overkill for 90% of renovation projects. But sometimes — you REALLY need to go big.

Use examples:

Commercial building demolition;
Large construction project;
Full-scale garden renovation;
All-round house remodelling.

By selecting the appropriate bin size based on the scope of your project, you can ensure that you have enough space to dispose of all the waste generated by the project, while minimizing the cost.

Some Final Tips

It’s better to order a slightly bigger option than a slightly smaller one, for one simple reason: a construction bin that is not filled to its limit does not create problems, but a bin that is filled beyond its limits — does.