Dumpsters come in a variety of sizes. They are measured by cubic yard, meaning a ten yard dumpster will hold ten cubic yards of debris. You can rent a 5 yard dumpster for a small project in your yard, while the most common dumpster rental is a 20 yard dumpster. This size is good for many projects, and it is always useful to rent a dumpster that can hold all of your trash at once. With a smaller dumpster, you may need to have the dumpster taken away to be emptied and then returned to you so that you can finish the project you were working on. Most dumpsters are 8 feet wide, so it is only the length that will change when it comes to various sizes.

The Ten Yard Dumpster

A ten yard dumpster will fit well in your driveway or yard if you only have a small space to keep the dumpster for a week or two. This is a good size if you are cleaning out a room or two in your home, if you want to remodel the bathroom, or if you are moving out of a one bedroom apartment. As this size of dumpster will only hold ten cubic yards of trash, it is not a great option for a total home clean out or a big construction project. This generally measures 12 feet long.

The Twenty Yard Dumpster

This size of dumpster is the most popular for a number of reasons. It isn't much more expensive to rent a twenty yard dumpster over a ten yard dumpster, and it will give you the extra room you might need as you estimate how much stuff you have to throw away. It will still fit in your yard or driveway without taking up too much room, and it is unlikely that you'll have to have this size of dumpster emptied for you and returned. This is a good size for a bigger renovation project in your home and can hold a roof full of old shingles. This size of dumpster is going to be much longer than the 10 yard—approximately 22 feet long.

The 30 yard dumpster is going to be similar in length and width to a 20 yard, but the sides will be 6 feet instead of 4 feet high. When you need to rent a dumpster, your biggest mistake would be to rent one that is too small for the job.