Debris Weight Calculator
Add what is going in the container and get the tonnage, as a range. Weight is what turns a $400 rental into a $700 one, and it is the one number nobody estimates until the invoice arrives.
What that means
These are published ranges for loose material in a container, not a scale ticket. Wet debris sits at the top of every range, and rain on an open box over a weekend has turned a lot of in-allowance loads into overage ones.
What each material weighs
Per cubic yard unless the row says otherwise. Ranges, because the honest answer is a range.
| Material | Weight | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Household junk, mixed | 150–400 lb | Boxes, clothes, toys, small furniture. Fills the box long before it gets heavy. |
| Furniture and mattresses | 80–200 lb | Bulky and light. The volume is the constraint, never the weight. |
| Mixed construction debris | 400–800 lb | Wood, drywall, siding, trim and packaging together. |
| Clean wood and lumber | 250–500 lb | Framing, decking, pallets. Often tips cheaper as a clean load. |
| Drywall, per 4x8 sheet | 50–72 lb | Half-inch is about 51 lb a sheet, five-eighths about 70. |
| Drywall, loose in the box | 500–750 lb | Broken-out demolition board, plus the dust and paper. |
| Shingles, 3-tab, per square | 215–250 lb | One square is 100 sq ft. Multiply by the number of layers coming off. |
| Shingles, architectural, per square | 340–430 lb | Laminated shingles run close to double a 3-tab. Add about 15 lb a square for felt. |
| Roofing tear-off, loose in the box | 2,400–2,600 lb | Shingles, felt and any rotten decking that comes with them. |
| Concrete | 3,000–4,200 lb | Slab, footing, sidewalk. The single heaviest thing people put in a container. |
| Asphalt paving | 3,000–4,200 lb | Broken driveway and parking lot. Priced separately at most gates. |
| Brick and block | 2,500–3,500 lb | Chimneys and foundation block. Mortar still attached adds to it. |
| Dirt and soil | 2,000–3,000 lb | Wet soil is at the top of that range. Rain on an open box is a real cost. |
| Sand | 3,000–3,200 lb | Heavier than dirt and it does not drain. |
| Stone and gravel | 2,600–2,800 lb | Landscape rock, road base, river stone. |
| Tile, plaster and lath | 1,400–2,000 lb | The classic surprise in an old house. Plaster weighs nothing like drywall. |
| Yard waste and brush | 400–700 lb | Green and wet at the top of the range. Banned from landfills in many states. |
| Carpet and padding | 150–300 lb | Light until it gets wet, then it is not. |
| Appliances | 300–400 lb | Anything with refrigerant usually has to come out separately. |
Sources: EPA Volume-to-Weight Conversion Factors (April 2016) · Contra Costa County C&D volume-to-weight table
The heavy debris rule
Concrete, dirt, brick, stone and asphalt go in a 10 yard container and nothing larger — a bigger box hits the truck’s legal weight limit before it is half full, so the driver cannot lift it. Several 10 yard loads is the normal answer, not one 30.