Here’s the Dumpster Size That Fits
The kitchen’s gutted, the old cabinets are stacked in the driveway, and the tile guy starts Monday. Now you need somewhere to put all of it. Pick a roll-off that’s too small, and you pay for a second haul; pick the wrong style and the debris won’t even fit through the door.
Summer is remodel season across the San Fernando Valley, from Encino bungalows to Sylmar ranch homes. Before you book a bin, it helps to know what BG’s Big Box Service actually rents – 3-, 10-, 20-, and 40-yard roll-offs – and which one matches your pile. Get it right the first time, and the cleanout stops being the headache.
Quick Summary: Key Takeaways
- Match the box to the job: A cabinet-and-drywall remodel usually wants the 20-yard Lowboy; a full gut leans toward the 40-yard Highboy.
- The 10-yard is heavy-material only: It’s built for dirt, concrete, and broken tile – not mixed remodel trash.
- Walk-in doors save your back: The 20- and 40-yard roll-offs have two swing doors, so you wheel debris in instead of heaving it over the wall.
- One right-sized bin beats two small ones: A second haul-away costs more than sizing up on day one.
- Valley driveways are tight: Measure your clearance before delivery – most Sun Valley and Encino lots take a 20-yard fine.
What BG’s Actually Rents, and Why It Matters for a Remodel
BG’s Big Box Service runs four roll-off sizes: a 3-yard, a 10-yard, a 20-yard Lowboy, and a 40-yard Highboy. For a summer remodel, two of those do most of the work.
The 3-yard (about 4 by 4 by 6 feet) is the small one, good for a bathroom demo or a garage purge, not a whole kitchen. The 20-yard Lowboy (roughly 4 by 8 by 18 feet) is the Valley remodel workhorse. Bigger job? The 40-yard Highboy (around 7 by 8 by 20 feet) swallows a full-house gut. Size up, not down.
Skip the 10-Yard for Mixed Remodel Debris
Here’s the mistake we see every June: someone books the 10-yard thinking small job, small bin. It’s the wrong pick for a remodel. The 10-yard is a low, heavy-haul box – about 2 feet tall, built for dense material like dirt, concrete, broken tile, and brick.
Fill it with drywall, cabinets, and old flooring and you cap out on volume long before weight, so you’ve paid for a heavy box you can’t fill. The EPA estimates the U.S. produced about 600 million tons of construction and demolition debris in 2018, and demolition, not new building, created more than 90% of it. Heavy rubble and light remodel trash want different boxes. Match the debris.
The 20-Yard Lowboy Handles Most Valley Kitchen and Bath Jobs
For the average San Fernando Valley kitchen or bathroom remodel, the 20-yard Lowboy is the one to book. Two swing doors let you walk a wheelbarrow straight in, and the 4-foot walls mean you’re not hoisting a vanity over your head.
A gutted kitchen – cabinets, counters, backsplash, subfloor, plus the packaging from all the new stuff – usually lands right around 20 yards. Remodeling isn’t slowing down, either. Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies projects Americans will spend about $509 billion on home improvements and repairs in 2025, and a lot of that ends up in the bin. Book it early.
When the Job Calls for the 40-Yard Highboy
Some projects are just bigger. A whole-house gut, a big addition, or two rooms torn out at once – that’s 40-yard Highboy territory. It stands about 7 feet tall, carries two doors, and holds 40 yards of room.
Strip a 1950s Sylmar tract home down to the studs – lath, plaster, flooring, cabinets, and everything the last owner left stacked in the attic – and the Highboy keeps the crew moving all day instead of stopping cold to wait on a swap. One warning: don’t load it with heavy concrete or dirt. Weight limits still apply, and dense rubble belongs in the 10-yard. Big job, big box.
How to Size It Right the First Time in the Valley
The cheapest dumpster is the one you rent once. Two right-sized deliveries cost more than a single bin one size up, so guess high if you’re on the fence.
Count your rooms, add the packaging, and measure your driveway clearance – older Valley lots and tight side yards in Van Nuys or Studio City don’t always take a 40-yard. Stuck between the 20 and the 40? Tell us the rooms and the material. We’ve sized thousands of Valley jobs, and we’ll steer you straight. Ask before you book.
Why Valley Homeowners Call BG’s for Cleanouts
BG’s has hauled Valley debris since 1981 – more than a million containers and counting. We’re family-owned, and we know which streets in Encino and Granada Hills won’t take a 40-yard.
We deliver across the San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles County, and Ventura County, and after four decades of dropping roll-offs on these streets, we can usually tell you over the phone whether your driveway takes a 20 or a 40 before the truck ever leaves the yard. No guesswork. No surprise second trip. That’s the whole point.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What size dumpster do I need for a kitchen remodel?
A: For most San Fernando Valley kitchen remodels, a 20-yard Lowboy is the right call. It holds cabinets, counters, flooring, and packaging, and its walk-in doors make loading easy. A full gut with two rooms at once may need the 40-yard Highboy instead.
Q: Can I put concrete or dirt in a renovation dumpster?
A: Heavy material like concrete, dirt, brick, and tile should go in the 10-yard roll-off, which is built low for dense loads. Don’t mix a lot of it into a 20- or 40-yard bin, since weight limits apply. If your job is mostly rubble, ask about the 10-yard.
Q: How long can I keep the dumpster?
A: BG’s rents by the day, week, or month, so you can hold the bin for the length of your project. Tell us your timeline when you book, and we’ll set delivery and pickup around your crew’s schedule.
Q: Do you deliver dumpsters across the San Fernando Valley?
A: Yes. We deliver throughout the San Fernando Valley, greater Los Angeles County, and Ventura County – Sun Valley, Encino, Northridge, Sylmar, Burbank, and beyond. Give us your address and we’ll confirm clearance before drop-off.
Book the Right Dumpster Before Your Remodel Starts
Starting a summer project? Lock in the right roll-off now, before the driveway fills up.
BG’s Big Box Service – 8629 Bradley Ave. #A, Sun Valley, CA 91352
Hours: Monday-Friday 7:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Saturday 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Website: bgsbigboxservice.com
→ 20-yard Lowboy dumpster rental
→ 3-yard dumpster for small jobs