Los Angeles Guide What Size Dumpster Do I Need? Almost everybody asks this as a volume question. It is really two questions — how much space your debris takes up, and how much it weighs. Get the second one wrong and the first one stops mattering. Here is how to work out both, with the real numbers for all six of our containers. On this page Two questions Compare all six Estimating volume Estimating weight Size by size The 6-to-25 jump Will it fit? Questions It’s two questions, not one Every container has a volume capacity and a weight limit, and they run out independently. A 6 yard filled with sofas, boxes and clothing will run out of space long before it troubles the weight limit. The same container filled with broken tile and plaster will hit the weight limit while it still looks half empty. Same box, two completely different outcomes. The short rule. Light and bulky — furniture, boxes, clothing, yard trimmings — size for volume. Dense and heavy — dirt, concrete, tile, plaster, shingles — size for weight, and expect to use only a fraction of the space. An overweight container is not a billing problem, it is a physical one: we cannot legally lift it, so it has to be lightened on site before it moves. That costs you a day. Which is why it is worth two minutes of estimating up front. All six sizes side by side Size Dimensions Weight limit Takes Roughly 3 Yard 6 × 4 × 4 ft 750 lbs Household 18 trash bags 4 Yard 6 × 4.5 × 5 ft 900 lbs Household 24 trash bags 6 Yard 6 × 6 × 6 ft 1,000 lbs Household 36 trash bags 10 Yard 16 × 8 × 2 ft 2 tons Dirt & concrete Heavy fill only 25 Yard 20 × 8 × 4 ft 3 tons Large-volume trash 150 trash bags 40 Yard 20 × 8 × 6 ft 4 tons Construction debris 240 trash bags Every rental is seven days with drop-off and pick-up included. There is also an interactive size finder on our services page if you would rather answer a few questions than read a table. Estimating volume without a tape measure Cubic yards mean nothing to most people, so use something you can picture: A 33-gallon trash bag is about a sixth of a cubic yard — so roughly six bags per yard. A full-size pickup bed heaped is about two cubic yards. A standard sofa occupies somewhere between one and two cubic yards once it is in the container and not compressed. A single-car garage cleared of ordinary clutter typically produces three to six cubic yards. The mistake almost everyone makes: forgetting that furniture, boxes and mattresses do not compress. You estimate from the pile you can see and it takes up half again as much room once it is loaded. Break down what you can — flatten boxes, dismantle furniture, cut long timber — and you will genuinely get more into the same container. Estimating weight — the part that catches people This is where jobs go wrong, because density varies enormously. Material Weight for its volume Which size Clothing, cardboard, packaging Very light Size for volume Furniture, mattresses, carpet Light Size for volume Drywall, lumber, cabinetry Moderate Usually volume Asphalt shingles Heavy Watch the weight Tile, plaster, brick Very heavy Weight decides Dirt, concrete, asphalt Extremely heavy 10 yard only The number that surprises everyone. Roughly two cubic yards of broken concrete or soil will reach the 10 yard’s two-ton limit. Two cubic yards — in a container that holds ten. That is not a flaw in the container; it is the reason the 10 yard is built only two feet deep. The shape stops you loading past what a truck can legally carry. Roofing is the other one worth checking. A single-layer asphalt tear-off of around twenty squares will sit near the 25 yard’s three-ton limit. Architectural shingles are heavier than three-tab, and a second layer doubles everything. If you are stripping a roof, call +1 (818) 600-7320 with your square count and layer count before booking — see our roofing dumpster page for more. Size by size — including who shouldn’t get it 3 Yard — 6 × 4 × 4 ft, 750 lbs Right for: a single-car garage clear, one room of clutter, a small furniture disposal job, or a tight driveway where nothing bigger fits. Not right for: anything structural. 750 lbs goes faster than it sounds — a handful of dense items and you are there. 4 Yard — 6 × 4.5 × 5 ft, 900 lbs Right for: a kitchen or bathroom refresh, apartment clearance, or a small renovation where the debris is cabinetry and fittings rather than walls. Not right for: tile or plaster removal. Both hit 900 lbs quickly. 6 Yard — 6 × 6 × 6 ft, 1,000 lbs Right for: the busiest household size. Medium home cleanouts, yard and green waste, a two-bedroom clearance, a move-out declutter. Not right for: a whole property. If you are clearing a full house, this becomes three swap-outs and the 25 is simpler. 10 Yard — 16 × 8 × 2 ft, 2 tons The specialist. Long, wide and deliberately shallow — built for dirt, concrete, brick, asphalt and excavation spoil. Most residential-focused companies in Los Angeles do not stock one. Right for: driveway and patio demolition, hardscape removal, trenching spoil, any load where weight is the constraint. Not right for: household junk. You will run out of volume with tons of allowance unused. Use a household size instead. 25 Yard — 20 × 8 × 4 ft, 3 tons Right for: whole-house cleanouts, estate clearances, roofing tear-offs, commercial junk removal and property turnovers. Not right for: a narrow frontage. At twenty feet long it needs a real driveway or a permitted street spot — see the permit guide. 40 Yard — 20 × 8

Los Angeles Guide What Can and Can’t Go in a Dumpster in Los Angeles? Most of what comes out of a house, a remodel or a job site is fine. California is stricter than nearly every other state about a specific short list — and almost everything on it has a free drop-off somewhere near you. Here is the full picture, including exactly where to take the things we can’t haul. On this page What goes in What stays out Where to take it Heavy material The fill line If something slips through Questions What goes in without a second thought The short version: if it came out of a building and it isn’t chemical, pressurized, refrigerated or alive, it is probably fine. Across a normal house cleanout, garage clear or renovation, the great majority of what you generate is straightforward. Category Typical items Usual size Household junk Furniture, carpet, clothing, toys, boxes, general clutter 3 – 6 yard Large-volume trash Whole-property cleanouts, estate clearances, move-outs 25 yard Construction debris Drywall, lumber, cabinetry, tile, fixtures, subfloor 40 yard Roofing Asphalt shingles, underlayment, flashing, felt 25 – 40 yard Dirt & concrete Broken concrete, brick, soil, asphalt, excavation spoil 10 yard only Yard waste Branches, prunings, sod, green debris, hedge clearing Yard waste service Metal, cardboard and clean lumber all sort well at the facility, so they are welcome loose in a mixed load. Not sure which container your job needs? Our size guide works through it, or just call +1 (818) 600-7320 and describe the rooms. What has to stay out — and where it goes instead California treats a category of everyday household items as hazardous or universal waste. They cannot legally go in a roll-off container, and a facility will pull them out of your load. The useful part: virtually every one has a free route. Paint, stains, solvents and adhesives Classified as household hazardous waste, wet or dry. Where instead: PaintCare operates free take-back at many paint and hardware retailers statewide, and every S.A.F.E. Center accepts it at no charge on weekends. Motor oil, antifreeze, automotive fluids and filters Where instead: S.A.F.E. Centers take used oil, filters, antifreeze and general automotive fluids. Many auto parts stores accept used oil too. Batteries — household and automotive Both count as universal waste in California and cannot go in any container. Where instead: S.A.F.E. Centers and county collection events take both. Auto parts retailers generally take car batteries. Electronics Where instead: two free options. Drop e-waste at a S.A.F.E. Center or a county roundup — or, if you’re a City of Los Angeles resident, LA Sanitation will collect it from the curb for free. Book it through LA Sanitation or MyLA311. Fluorescent tubes and CFL bulbs Universal waste because of the mercury. Never break them — breaking a tube releases mercury vapor. Where instead: S.A.F.E. Centers and roundups, intact. Tires Handled under California’s waste tire program and never accepted in a roll-off. Where instead: tire retailers take old tires when you buy replacements. Propane tanks and pressurized cylinders A crushed cylinder in a truck body is a genuine hazard. Where instead: S.A.F.E. Centers accept propane tanks. Exchange programs take BBQ bottles. Refrigerators, freezers and air conditioners Anything holding refrigerant must have it recovered by a certified technician before disposal — that is federal law, not a local rule. Call +1 (818) 600-7320 before you move one and we will tell you how to handle it. Furniture and non-refrigerant appliances are covered on our appliance and furniture disposal page. Mattresses California runs a statewide mattress recycling program, funded by a fee you already paid at purchase, with free drop-off and collection options. Before loading one, call +1 (818) 600-7320 and we’ll confirm whether we can take it or point you at the nearest free option. Asbestos-containing materials The one on this list that is genuinely dangerous rather than just inconvenient. Popcorn ceilings, vinyl floor tile, pipe wrap, and some roofing and siding from before the 1980s can all contain asbestos. It cannot go in a container under any circumstances, and disturbing it during demolition is a health risk to everyone on site. What to do: if your property predates the 1980s and you are opening up ceilings, floors or pipework, have it tested before work starts. Removal is a job for a licensed abatement contractor. This matters across a lot of LA housing stock — talk to us before booking a demolition container if there is any doubt. Liquids of any kind Including pool chemicals, cleaning products, garden chemicals and anything in a partly full container. Drain items completely before loading — a hot tub or water feature is fine empty. Medications and sharps Where instead: S.A.F.E. Centers take home-generated sharps in a proper container, and most medications. MED-Project runs free medication disposal across the community. Common on estate cleanouts — worth planning for. Where to actually take it — free, near you This is the part most guides skip. Los Angeles has one of the better household hazardous waste systems in the country, and it costs nothing to use. There’s a S.A.F.E. Center in Northridge. 10241 N. Balboa Boulevard, open Saturdays and Sundays 9am–3pm. That is a few minutes from our yard in Porter Ranch, and it’s the closest option for most of the west Valley — Granada Hills, Reseda, Van Nuys and Woodland Hills included. S.A.F.E. Centers — Solvents, Automotive, Flammables, Electronics — are permanent sites run by LA Sanitation, open every weekend, and available to both City and County residents with no geographic restriction. Besides Northridge there are locations in San Pedro, Playa del Rey and on Colorado Boulevard. You’ll need to give an address at drop-off. Current locations and hours are on the county’s CleanLA site. County collection events are free one-day drive-through roundups run by LA County Public Works and the Sanitation Districts, held on Saturdays at rotating locations and open to every county resident. They take household hazardous waste and e-waste together. The Sanitation

Los Angeles Guide Do You Need a Permit for a Dumpster in Los Angeles? Almost every answer to this question hinges on one thing: whether the container touches public ground. Everything else — which agency, which form, how long it takes — follows from that. Here is how it actually works across Los Angeles County, and why the answer is different in Northridge than in Altadena. On this page Private property City of Los Angeles Unincorporated county The permit nobody mentions Other cities Which applies to you Placement rules Questions Start here: is it going on private property? If the container sits entirely within a driveway, yard or lot you own, you do not need a street permit. Not in the City of Los Angeles, not in unincorporated county areas, not in the separate cities. This covers the large majority of the residential deliveries we make. Two caveats worth knowing. An HOA can impose its own restrictions on size, placement or duration, and that is entirely separate from any city process — ask them what is permitted rather than whether anything is. And a driveway still has to physically work: our truck needs straight-line room to back in and clear space overhead. Low branches, carport roofs and power lines are the usual blockers. The practical shortcut. If you are on a deadline, a driveway placement skips the permit process altogether. Where a bin can go on private ground, that is almost always the faster route. Call +1 (818) 600-7320 and describe your frontage — we will tell you whether it works before anything is booked. City of Los Angeles: an “A” Permit through StreetsLA Inside city limits, a container placed on a public street or sidewalk needs authorization from the Bureau of Street Services — StreetsLA. For dumpsters and roll-off containers this is generally an “A” Permit. Applications run through the city’s EPIC-LA online system, and you will need the container size, the exact dates and the placement details before you start. Two things people get caught by. Authorizations are commonly issued for windows of up to seven days, which happens to line up exactly with our standard rental period. And it is worth submitting about a week ahead — there is review and payment to get through before delivery day. Once issued, the permit is displayed on the container itself. That is what tells parking enforcement the kerb space is legitimately occupied. This covers more of our service area than people expect. Chatsworth · Encino · Granada Hills · Los Angeles · North Hollywood · Northridge · Pacific Palisades · Pacoima · Panorama City · Reseda · Sylmar · Tarzana · Van Nuys · Woodland Hills are all neighborhoods within the City of Los Angeles — including Porter Ranch where we are based. If you are in any of those, you are dealing with StreetsLA, not the county. Unincorporated county: a different agency entirely Unincorporated areas are not governed by the City of Los Angeles, and the process is genuinely different. Placement in county road right-of-way goes through LA County Public Works, and the authorization allows the container to stay for up to seven consecutive days. Applications are handled by the permit field office covering your area rather than one central desk. The county operates offices in Baldwin Park, Valencia, Westchester, Downey and Palmdale, each serving a different part of the county. Which one you contact depends on your address — if you are not sure, call us and we will tell you which office covers you. The legal basis is Chapter 16.19 of the Los Angeles County Highways Code. Ordinary wheeled trash bins are not affected by any of this; they can sit in the street for collection as normal. Which of our cities are unincorporated: Acton · Agua Dulce · Altadena · La Crescenta-Montrose · Marina del Rey · Topanga. If you are in one of these, the county process applies — not the city one, even though your postal address may say Los Angeles. The permit almost nobody mentions Here is the part that rarely appears in guides written by rental companies, and it is worth understanding as a customer. In unincorporated county areas, the resident’s placement permit is only half of it. The dumpster owner — the hauling company — is separately required to hold an annual encroachment permit covering every container it places in county road right-of-way. Both are required under Chapter 16.19. Haulers obtain theirs through the county’s EPIC-LA system via the Land Development Division. You are entitled to ask for a copy. LA County Public Works states plainly that a customer may request a copy of the dumpster owner’s permit. If you are placing a container in a county right-of-way and the company cannot produce one, that is worth knowing before the truck arrives — not after a citation. Ask us and we will tell you exactly where we stand. More about who you are dealing with. It is a small thing that says a lot about how a company operates. Plenty of the websites ranking for dumpster rental in Los Angeles are lead brokers who never touch the container and could not answer this question about the hauler they sell your job to. The separate cities: 20 different rulebooks Los Angeles County contains dozens of independent incorporated cities, each running its own public works department and its own encroachment or street-use process. Neither the City of Los Angeles nor the county has authority over them. In practice this means the answer in Burbank is not the answer in Pasadena, and neither matches Beverly Hills. Fees, forms, lead times and duration limits all vary. Some are straightforward online applications; others want a counter visit. Cities in our service area with their own process: Alhambra · Arcadia · Baldwin Park · Beverly Hills · Burbank · Compton · Culver City · El Monte · Glendale · Inglewood · Lakewood · Lancaster · Malibu · Maywood · Newhall · Pasadena · Rosemead ·