How Big is a 6 Yard Dumpster? Dimensions, Capacity and More
Dealing with waste is an inevitable part of life for households and businesses alike. Whether it’s from renovations, cleanouts, daily operations or special projects, managing a steady stream of trash can quickly become overwhelming. That’s where dumpster rentals come in – providing a convenient solution to dispose of larger volumes of waste properly.
However, choosing the right dumpster size is crucial to ensure you have adequate capacity without paying for excess space you don’t need. One popular option is the 6 yard dumpster, but how big is a 6 yard dumpster exactly?
A standard 6 yard dumpster has exterior dimensions of approximately 6 feet long x 5 feet wide x 6 feet tall. It can hold around 6 cubic yards of trash and debris, equating to about 36 standard 33-gallon trash bags or 12 large 96-gallon trash cans.
This post will dive into the key details you need to know about 6 yard dumpsters, including standard dimensions, capacity, rental costs, best uses, and tips for maximizing your rental. We’ll also cover prohibited waste items and environmental benefits of proper disposal.
What are the Standard Dimensions of a 6 Yard Dumpster?
While exterior measurements can vary slightly by manufacturer, the typical dimensions for a 6 cubic yard dumpster are:
- Length: 6 feet
- Width: 5 feet
- Height: 6 feet
These relatively compact dimensions make 6 yard dumpsters a great option when space is limited, such as at urban businesses, construction sites or for residential projects. The narrow width allows it to fit through most standard alleys and gates.
How Does the Compact Size Benefit Businesses?
Beyond flexibility for tight spaces, the small footprint of a 6 yard dumpster provides several key advantages for businesses:
- Accessibility: The lower height makes loading trash easier compared to larger dumpsters.
- Mobility: Can be strategically placed in parking lots or against buildings to minimize distance for employees.
- Space Savings: Frees up valuable space compared to keeping multiple small dumpsters on-site.
What is the Capacity of a 6 Yard Dumpster?
As the name suggests, a 6 yard dumpster can hold approximately 6 cubic yards of material. But what does this cubic yard measurement actually translate to in real terms?
A 6 cubic yard capacity equates to roughly:
- 36 standard 33-gallon trash bags
- 12 large 96-gallon trash cans
- 1/4 of a full-size pickup truck bed
To visualize it another way, picture stacking 6 washing machines worth of trash and debris into the dumpster. That’s the general volume a 6 yarder can contain.
What is the Maximum Weight Limit?
While dumpster dimensions determine the volume capacity, there are also weight restrictions to be aware of. Most 6 yard dumpster rentals have a maximum weight limit of around 1,200 – 1,500 lbs.
This may sound like a lot, but heavy materials like:
- Concrete
- Dirt/soil
- Roofing shingles
- Bricks
- Plaster
Can use up that weight allowance very quickly. Exceeding the rental company’s weight limit often results in hefty overage fees being tacked onto your bill.
How Much Does a 6 Yard Dumpster Rental Cost?
Rental costs for a 6 yard dumpster can range anywhere from $225 – $400+ per week on average. The broad pricing range exists because there are quite a few variables that can impact the total cost, such as:
- Your location and proximity to the rental company
- Length of rental period (costs rise for longer periods)
- Type of waste being disposed of
- Frequency of swap-outs/empty and redeliveries
As a general rule, the further the dumpster has to travel and the heavier the waste, the higher the rental price. Additionally, certain waste streams like heavy debris or hazardous materials often have higher dumping fees at transfer stations.
Factors That Impact 6 Yard Dumpster Rental Costs
To provide a few examples of costs variables, a 6 yard dumpster rental may cost less if:
- You’re centrally located near the rental company’s yard (minimizing transportation costs)
- You only need it for a week or less
- You’re disposing of light-weight, non-hazardous wastes like household trash
But rates can quickly climb if:
- Your location is rural or a long-haul for the rental company
- You need weeks or months of rental time
- Your waste is classified as heavy debris or hazardous requiring special handling
The best advice is to get multiple quotes from dumpster rental companies in your area and compare pricing/services. Be sure to get a clear breakdown of all potential fees.
What Businesses is a 6 Yard Dumpster Ideal For?
While certainly useful for residential cleanouts and renovations, 6 yard dumpsters are most commonly used by small-to-medium sized businesses for frequent or recurring waste disposal needs.
Some of the most popular applications include:
- Food Service: Restaurants, bars, grocery stores, etc.
- Retail: Stores, shops, boutiques
- Hospitality: Hotels/motels with under 8 units, small inns
- Multi-Family: Apartment complexes with under 8 units
- Offices: Corporate buildings up to around 15,000 sq ft
- Industrial: Manufacturing facilities, warehouses over 5,000 sq ft
For these types of businesses, a 6 yard dumpster offers the ideal balance of capacity and footprint. It provides enough volume to accommodate several days’ worth of trash, while still being compact enough to place virtually anywhere.
Other Potential Uses for a 6 Yard Dumpster
Apart from ongoing business needs, a 6 cubic yard dumpster rental can also be convenient for:
- Home remodeling projects
- Basement, attic or garage cleanouts
- Deck removals and construction
- Yard waste cleanups like brush, leaves, branches
- Smaller scale construction and demolition projects
As long as your project doesn’t involve extremely heavy materials like vast amounts of concrete, soil or masonry, a 6 yarder can provide sufficient capacity at a reasonable cost.
What Types of Waste Can Go in a 6 Yard Dumpster?
When renting a dumpster, it’s important to understand what types of waste your rental company allows. This can vary, but generally 6 yard dumpsters can accept:
- Regular household/business trash
- Furniture, mattresses, carpet
- Yard waste like brush, leaves, branches
- Construction/demolition debris in moderate amounts
- Cardboard, paper products
- Certain plastic items
- Glass
The key is to avoid overloading the dumpster with particularly heavy materials like concrete, bricks or masonry in excess, as this can lead to exceeding the weight allowance.
Prohibited Items in Most Dumpster Rentals
While policies can differ, most rental companies prohibit the following materials in dumpsters:
- Hazardous Wastes: Paints, solvents, toxic chemicals, asbestos
- Automotive Fluids: Motor oil, gasoline, antifreeze
- Electronics: Computers, TVs, monitors
- Batteries: Lead-acid, lithium-ion, alkaline
- Tires
- Medical Wastes: Needles, contaminated materials
These items require proper disposal at specially-licensed facilities to avoid environmental contamination and health risks. Be sure to review your rental company’s restricted items list.
Tips for Maximizing a 6 Yard Dumpster Rental
To get the most value from your 6 cubic yard dumpster rental, follow these simple tips:
- Break down large, bulky items: Flattening boxes and disassembling furniture allows it to neatly fill voids, maximizing capacity.
- Load strategically: Load heavier objects first, then build upwards by alternativing flat items with bulky ones in layers.
- Fill towards the top: As long as you don’t exceed the fill line or top lip, pack trash all the way to the roof to utilize every cubic foot of dumpster space.
- Schedule frequent swaps: If your waste stream is high-volume, arrange for the rental company to swap out your full dumpster and replace it with an empty one regularly. This prevents overloading.
- Consider dumpster lockbars: Adding lockbars can prevent unauthorized use and illegal dumping in your rented dumpster if it will be unattended.
- Know weight limits: Keep heavy materials like concrete, dirt, and masonry to a minimum to avoid exceeding the weight allowance and paying hefty overage fees.
When to Size Up or Down on Dumpster Size
If you find yourself routinely dealing with overloaded 6 yard dumpsters even with maximizing techniques, it may be time to size up to an 8 yard dumpster rental. This provides about 33% more volume.
On the other hand, if a 6 yarder seems to have excess remaining space on each pickup, you could likely downsize to a 4 yard dumpster to save some money.
For extremely large renovation projects, major demolition jobs, or construction sites, a roll-off dumpster rental in the 10 to 40 cubic yard range would be most appropriate.
Environmental Benefits of Proper Waste Disposal
Beyond just keeping your property clean and code-compliant, properly utilizing a 6 yard dumpster and other waste disposal services has key environmental benefits:
- Reduces litter and illegal dumping: With a proper receptacle, there’s no temptation to dump trash in vacant lots or remote areas.
- Enables recycling: Most rental companies sort incoming waste streams, recovering recyclables like metal, cardboard, etc.
- Prevents contamination: Containing waste in designated areas stops potential spread of pollutants into soil and groundwater supplies.
- Cuts emissions: Preventing illegal dumping and open burning of waste limits greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution.
Using a compact yet sufficient 6 yard dumpster for your waste is part of being an environmentally-conscious home or business owner.
In Conclusion,
A 6 yard dumpster, measuring approximately 6ft x 5ft x 6ft, offers an ideal balance of capacity and footprint for many small-to-medium scale applications. Its 6 cubic yard/1,200 lb capacity is well-suited for restaurants, retailers, offices and apartment complexes producing regular trash volumes. Rental costs average $225-$400 per week depending on location, waste type and other factors.
When loaded properly by maximizing space, scheduling swaps and avoiding prohibited items, a 6 yarder provides convenience and environmental benefits. Be sure to assess your waste stream and rental period to determine if this compact dumpster is the right fit for your needs. Getting quotes from local providers is recommended to find the best pricing in your area.
