How Big Is A 12 Cubic Yard Dumpster?

[This post originally appeared here in April 2017. It has been expanded upon, revised, and updated to reflect more recent information.]

Most of us know what a rental dumpster is, but it’s just how much junk can fit inside of it? Dumpster capacity is measured in cubic yards. But what's that?

In other words, how big is a cubic yard and why should you care?

When It Comes to Rental Dumpsters Does Size Really Matter?

The answer, of course, it "Yes" but maybe not for the reasons you think.

Most of us are familiar with those large - sometimes massive - steel bins that show up on commercial construction sites from time to time. Many of these metal monsters can be up to eight feet wide, 23 feet long, and over eight feet tall.

If you've got a major landscaping project going on at your home or maybe you've decided to move and you're doing a large house cleanout, a rental dumpster could be quite handy.

But certainly not a 23-foot long, 8-foot high steel container!

First of all, where would you park it? Probably not on your driveway. And it's quite unlikely that your local municipal authorities would allow something like that to be placed against the curb in front of your house. At least not without a permit.

Besides all that, it's also quite unlikely that you would need something with a capacity to hold up to 40 yards of material. For some folks, that could be everything they have in the house!

So, this does beg the question of just how much capacity do you need and how big is "big enough?"

Size is Important When It Comes to Residential Rental Dumpsters

Choosing the perfect dumpster rental to use at your home is kind of like Goldilocks choosing a bed after a nice meal of porridge. You don't want one that's too big and you certainly don't want one that's too small.

No, what you want is one that is just right.

There's no shortage of rental dumpsters out there that many companies would love to rent to you. But they are still just steel debris bins designed and built primarily for industrial and commercial use. Many times they are hard to use because the sides are too tall and the doors on the end are often difficult to open and close.

Not to mention the damage they can wreak on your driveway or the asphalt in front of your home.

An ideal rental dumpster form residential use would be one that is just short enough at the sides so that any adult can easily toss junk and trash into it. The doors would be easy to open, easy to close, and simple to lock and secure when you're done.

In addition, it would be a roll-off dumpster with specially designed wheels that won't scratch, gouge, or scrape your driveway or the street in front of your house. And it would have a small enough footprint so that you could have it placed just about anywhere on your property.

Also, it would be clean and attractive. Most dumpsters are beat-up, dirty, and an eye-sore.

The good news is that the Junk King MINI Dumpster is all that an more! But is it big enough?

The Junk MINI Dumpster: Visualizing 12 Cubic Yards

The 12-cubic yard MINI Dumpster rental from Junk King is a slightly smaller than most of the large industrial dumpsters you may have seen, but it is a manageable size that is also driveway-friendly.

And, for most residential cleaning projects and many commercial junk disposal needs, our MINI dumpster rental is really the perfect size. It's user-friendly dimensions give it a convenient and unobtrusive footprint at just 7.5 foot wide, 11 feet long, and just over 5 feet high.

That's roughly the size of a large pickup truck.

But, unlike that truck which can hold just one and half cubic yards of material in the bed, the Junk King MINI Dumpster can hold eight times that much junk at 12-cubic yards.

So, what does a cubic yard look like?

One cubic yard is simply a volume of space measuring one yard (or three feet) on each side. So, picture a 3-foot by 3-foot box, or cube, that is also 3-feet tall. For comparison, that’s about the size of a large oven or washing machine.

Now, imagine three rows of four washing machines each. That's 12 machines. Now stack another 12 on top of those machines, and that’s what can fit inside of a Junk King MINI Dumpster rental.

By comparison, a typical large moving box measures 18” by 18” by 24”. That’s only about 0.16 cubic yards! A whopping 75 or more large moving boxes of junk can go in the MINI. And, best of all, when you choose to use Junk King for your dumpster rental, you pay only for the space that you use.

No flat fees, no weight fees, no hidden charges.

So, What Can Go in a MINI Dumpster Rental?

Junk King lets you deposit just about anything in your dumpster rental. We only prohibit hazardous household waste (HHW) materials such as chemical cleaners, ammo, paint, and propane.

If it fits, drop it in. We handle the sorting on our end. That way you can throw in whatever junk you have, and still know that it will get recycled or reused if possible.

With a generous "junk holding" capacity of 12-cubic yards, our MINI Dumpster can accommodate several large pieces of furniture and tons of debris. The only real consideration when loading your junk is to avoid overflow so that nothing sticks over the top of the dumpster.

For example, you might partially disassemble a large piece of furniture so that it fits snugly without protruding. In general, breaking things down will help you fit more, so you can dispose of more junk in one dumpster rental.

Whether it's old carpet and flooring, decking or fencing lumber out of the backyard, the broken remains of an old tool shed, or stacks of cardboard boxes from a recent move, the MINI Dumpster is just the thing.

And if you ever have any questions about what Junk King can or cannot haul for you, just give us a call and our friendly and knowledgeable customer service staff can answer all your questions.

What If I Don’t Fill Up the Whole Dumpster?

We understand that it’s nearly impossible to guess exactly how much space your junk will take up in a dumpster rental. That’s why Junk King has become the first dumpster rental service to let you pay only for the space you use.

Most other dumpster rental companies make you pay for the entire dumpster, even if you only fill a fraction of it.

We do have a low minimum charge. If you only need to get rid of one small item, like a mini fridge, it may be more cost-effective to use Junk King’s full-service junk removal. Otherwise, our MINI dumpster rental is a smart choice for people who want to haul their own junk at their own pace.

If you're wondering about the dimensions and capacity of a 12 cubic yard dumpster, look no further than Junk King. Our dumpster size options cater to a variety of needs, and the 12 cubic yard dumpster is a popular choice. When considering measurements and space requirements, our team ensures that you have ample room for your disposal needs. The dumpster size itself, measuring 12 cubic yards, provides plenty of capacity to accommodate a wide range of debris and materials. Trust Junk King for efficient and convenient dumpster solutions that take the guesswork out of dumpster space and dimensions, making your disposal project a breeze.

We let you pay less for partial dumpster loads because we believe your cost should be connected to how much junk removal you need. Our team provides green disposal and recycling of the junk we take, so it’s less work for us to deal with half a dumpster load compared to a full one.

Take a look at our dumpster rental pricing to get an idea of your costs, or contact us for a quote.

Is the MINI Dumpster Rental Driveway-Safe?

Yes, the Junk King MINI was designed to be safe for driveways and lawns. It has a small footprint of 11 feet by 7.5 feet, even though 20% more than a standard 10 yard dumpster.

The MINI is a roll-off dumpster rental that can be safely laid down at your preferred location.

When Junk King’s truck drops it off at the appointed time, just point the way and we will carefully lay it on your driveway or at the curb. The base of the dumpster prevents cracks, spalling, or other damage to concrete. And the dumpster itself is designed to deter raccoons and pests from creating a nuisance.

Ready to Load Your Junk and Finish Your Project?

Your local Junk King team is always ready to help you with cleanout projects and any other junk removal services you might need. Even if you don't choose to use a rental dumpster, but still need to get your junk cleared out, you don’t have to take of the removal or disposal of the debris yourself after your cleaning project is complete.

Whether you need our services several times during your home or workplace cleaning project, or just once after it is complete, our hauling professionals will ensure that your old furniture, debris, and other junk is quickly out of your way so that you can get on with your life.

Our team specializes in trash and junk removal. We can be at your home in mere minutes, so call us today! Our crew is fully insured and well-trained, so you can trust them to get rid of your unwanted items in a professional and courteous fashion, whether that's with a MINI Dumpster rental or in our trucks.

One of the best things about hiring Junk King is that we recycle as much of the material we pick-up. This is proof of our commitment to being a genuinely eco-friendly junk removal service.

So, are you ready to finally get rid of your junk?

Just book an appointment online above or give us a call at 1.888.888.JUNK (5865).