Updated August 9, 2022
Getting rid of old carpet in your home or business?
Replacing old carpet with water-resistant laminate or beautiful hardwood increases the beauty and overall value of your home or business.
Removing carpet is a relatively simple DIY project, but you'll also be responsible for disposing of that carpet.
Renting a temporary roll-off dumpster is typically the best solution for carpet disposal.
If you are only disposing of carpet from a single room, or less than 7 cubic yards (189 square feet) of carpeting, then junk removal services may be a more cost-effective option.
A 10 or 20 yard dumpster rental costs $250-$550 on average and can accommodate a relatively large carpet removal project.
Hiring a junk removal company to remove a single room's worth of carpet can quickly end up costing $200-$400 in some cases.
On the rare chance your carpet is still salvageable, a local charity or Habitat for Humanity ReStore may accept it for donation, so reach out to them first to see if they accept the carpet you're getting rid of.
If you have more than a single room's worth of carpet to get rid of, the specific amount of carpet you're removing will dictate the dumpster size that's best for your project.
For example, removing an entire home's worth of carpet—or an entire corporate office's worth—will require a larger dumpster than a project that only involves replacing the carpet in a single room, like the basement or main living room.
With average dimensions of 12 feet long by 8 feet wide, most 10 yard dumpsters can easily hold standard-width carpet rolls without issue. However, cutting your carpet into more manageable pieces will make it easier to handle and carry your carpet out of the building and into the dumpster.
Here's a closer look at how much carpet can fit in the most popular dumpster sizes to give you a better idea of which container size is right for your carpet removal project...
10 Yard Dumpsters
10 yard containers are ideal for 1,000-2,000 sq ft of carpeting or less.
Average Dimensions: 12 ft L x 8 ft W x 3.5 ft H
Average Weight Limit: 2-3 tons (4,000-6,000 lbs)
20 Yard Dumpsters
20 yard containers are perfect for holding 2,000-4,000 sq ft of carpet.
Average Dimensions: 22 ft L x 8 ft W x 4 ft H
Average Weight Limit: 3-5 tons (6,000-10,000 lbs)
30 Yard Dumpsters
30 yard containers are the best choice when you have 3,000-6,000 sq ft of carpeting or less.
Average Dimensions: 22 ft L x 8 ft W x 6 ft H
Average Weight Limit: 4-6 tons (8,000-12,000 lbs)
40 Yard Dumpsters
40 yarders are best for very large carpet removal projects that involve removing 4,000-8,000 square feet of carpeting or less.
Average Dimensions: 22 ft L x 8 ft W x 8 ft H
Average Weight Limit: 6-8 tons (12,000-16,000 lbs)
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