10 yard: 1.5 tons included
The 10 yard roll-off includes 1.5 tons, or 3,000 pounds. Weight past 1.5 tons is billed at $125 per ton.
What Happens If You Go Over the Weight Limit on a Dumpster
Go over your dumpster's included tonnage at MAC Dumpsters and you pay $125 per ton for the extra weight, billed after the load is weighed at the landfill. A 10 yard includes 1.5 tons, a 15 yard includes 2 tons and a 20 yard includes 3 tons. One ton over adds $125. Two tons over adds $250. We dispose of every load according to local and state regulations.
We're a roll-off dumpster rental company in the Baltimore area, based in Middle River, MD. This guide shows how weight works on each size, what a full load really weighs, and when moving up a size costs less than paying overage.
- Owner-operated since 2023
- Our truck, our driver
- 5.0 on Google
- Every fee published
Who publishes these tonnage numbers?
MAC Dumpsters is a roll-off dumpster company in Middle River, MD, owned and run by Adam and Tara Graf since 2023. Adam runs operations and Tara helps in the office. We rent 10, 15 and 20 yard containers across Baltimore City and Baltimore, Harford and Anne Arundel counties, with 12 containers, one hook-lift truck and our own driver. Google reviewers rate us 5.0.
What this tonnage and overage guide covers
This page explains how weight works on a MAC Dumpsters rental. It covers the tonnage included with our 10, 15 and 20 yard roll-offs, what a full load of mixed debris weighs, what overage costs at $125 per ton, and how the cost per ton changes from one size to the next. It's written for homeowners and contractors across the Baltimore area. For base rates, rental days and every other charge, see what a dumpster costs.
How much weight each dumpster includes
Every rental includes a set amount of weight, and the amount grows with the size. This is the number that shapes what you pay, so check it before you pick a container.
15 yard: 2 tons included
Our mid-size container includes 2 tons, or 4,000 pounds. That's half a ton more than the 10 yard. Anything over 2 tons is $125 per ton. The 15 yard is the size our customers rent most.
20 yard: 3 tons included
The 20 yard is our largest container. It includes 3 tons, or 6,000 pounds, a full ton more than the 15. Over 3 tons, the rate is $125 per ton.
How much weight can a dumpster hold?
How much a full dumpster weighs depends on what's in it. A 10 yard filled level with mixed construction debris weighs about 2.1 to 2.4 tons, based on EPA estimates, which is more than its 1.5 included tons. At MAC Dumpsters, weight over the included amount is $125 per ton, so size heavy debris by weight as well as room.
A full 10 yard of mixed debris: about 2.1 to 2.4 tons
The 10 yard holds about four pickup truck loads. Filled level with mixed construction debris, it weighs about 2.1 to 2.4 tons against 1.5 tons included. Light loads like furniture, boxes and cleanout contents weigh far less for the same space.
A full 15 yard of mixed debris: about 3.1 to 3.6 tons
The 15 yard holds about six pickup truck loads. A full load of mixed construction debris weighs about 3.1 to 3.6 tons, and the container includes 2 tons. A household cleanout that fills it usually weighs much less.
A full 20 yard of mixed debris: about 4.2 to 4.8 tons
The 20 yard holds about eight pickup truck loads. Full of mixed construction debris, it weighs about 4.2 to 4.8 tons against 3 tons included. That's why a big renovation often runs better as a swap than as one overloaded container.
Estimates assume standard 33-gallon trash bags and a full-size pickup bed loaded level with the sides. Actual capacity depends on the material and how it's loaded. Included tonnage applies no matter how full the dumpster looks, and weight over it is billed per ton.
Do dumpster rentals charge by weight?
Yes, past a set amount. Each MAC Dumpsters rental includes tonnage in the price: 1.5 tons on a 10 yard, 2 tons on a 15 yard and 3 tons on a 20 yard. Weight over that is $125 per ton on every size. A load inside its included tonnage costs nothing beyond the rental.
What one or two tons over costs
One ton over adds $125. Two tons over adds $250. It works the same way on a 10, 15 or 20 yard, because the rate doesn't change with the size.
How overage shows up on your bill
When you're done, we haul the container to the landfill, where the load is weighed. If it came in over its included tonnage, the overage is billed after the dump at $125 per ton. You see the weight charge once the load is weighed, not before.
How a swap starts your tonnage over
A swap takes away the full container and drops an empty one in the same spot. The new container comes with its own fresh tonnage, and it costs the same as the rental for that size. On a heavy job that fills more than one container, each swap starts the weight count over.
How our overage rate compares
One nearby hauler publishes $140 per ton. Ours is $125, and it's printed on this page.
Charges that aren't about tonnage
A few items carry a per-item charge: tires are $15 each, mattresses and box springs are $30 each, and e-waste and appliances without freon are $35 each. Days past day 14 are $25 each. There's no delivery fee and no trip, fuel or environmental surcharge. What goes in a dumpster lists every accepted item.
Loads that use up their tonnage first
Some debris reaches the included weight while the container still looks half empty. Plan these jobs by weight.
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Roofing shingles
An architectural shingle square weighs about 300 pounds and a 3-tab square about 175. A 15 yard reaches its 2 included tons at about 13 squares of architectural shingles, and two layers roughly double the weight. Roofing dumpster rental has the full squares-by-size guide.
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Tree stumps and sod
Stumps and sod are accepted, and they're heavy. Their weight counts like everything else, so anything over the included tonnage is $125 per ton. Soil still attached to a stump or sod is fine. Loose dirt is not accepted.
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Wet storm and flood debris
Soaked drywall, carpet and furniture hold water and weigh far more than the same load dry. Rain falling into an open container adds weight too, so cover the load between sessions. Storm debris dumpster rental covers sizing for wet tear-outs.
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Concrete, brick, block, asphalt and dirt
These don't go in any MAC Dumpsters container, whatever the size. Plan a separate way to get rid of them before the job starts.
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Load to the top, not over it
Load level with the top of the container. An overfilled container may not be hauled until what's above the rim comes off, because loose debris can fall onto the road.
How do you pick a dumpster?
Pick by two things: how much room your debris takes up and how much it weighs. A garage cleanout usually fills a container by room first, while a roof tear-off can use up the included weight before the container looks full. At MAC Dumpsters the 15 yard, with 2 tons included, is the size we rent most.
Dumpster cost per ton by size
Divide each base rate by the tons it includes and you get a fair way to compare sizes. It isn't the price of a single ton, because the base rate also covers delivery, pickup and 14 days on site.
10 yard: $250 per included ton
The $375 base rate divided by 1.5 included tons comes to $250 per ton.
15 yard: $225 per included ton
The $450 base rate divided by 2 included tons comes to $225 per ton.
20 yard: about $183 per included ton
The $550 base rate divided by 3 included tons comes to about $183 per ton. Of our three sizes, the 20 yard gives you the most included weight for each dollar.
Moving up from a 10 to a 15 for weight
The 15 yard costs $75 more and includes half a ton more. That extra weight works out to $150 per ton, which is more than the $125 overage rate.
Moving up from a 15 to a 20 for weight
The 20 yard costs $100 more and includes a full ton more. That's $100 per extra ton, which is less than the $125 overage rate.
Adam Graf on moving up a size for weight
"I don't move someone from a 10 yard to a 15 just because their load is heavy. The 15 gives you half a ton more for $75, and that's $150 a ton. Our overage is $125. When a customer needs the room, I'll size them up. When it's only the weight, the math doesn't back it."
Dumpster weight questions
How is a dumpster's weight measured?
MAC Dumpsters has every load weighed at the landfill after we haul it, so you never weigh anything yourself. If the load comes in over its included tonnage, 1.5, 2 or 3 tons depending on size, we bill the overage after the dump at $125 per ton. One ton over adds $125.
Do tree stumps count against my dumpster's tonnage?
Yes. MAC Dumpsters accepts tree stumps, and their weight counts toward the included tonnage like any other debris. Stumps are dense, so a few large ones can use up much of a 10 yard's 1.5 tons. Anything over the included weight is $125 per ton. Soil still attached to the roots is fine.
Can rain add weight to a dumpster?
Yes. Rain soaks into drywall, carpet, wood and yard waste, and that water is weighed with the load. At MAC Dumpsters, weight past the included tonnage is billed at $125 per ton, so covering the container between loading sessions keeps a wet week from turning into an overage charge.
Do shingles weigh more than household junk?
By a lot. A square of architectural shingles weighs about 300 pounds, so roofing debris reaches a container's included weight long before furniture or boxes would. A MAC Dumpsters 10 yard reaches its 1.5 included tons at about 10 architectural squares, and a 15 yard reaches its 2 tons at about 13.
What weighs the most in a dumpster?
Wet storm debris, roofing shingles, tree stumps and sod are the heaviest loads MAC Dumpsters hauls. Mixed construction debris is heavy too: a full 20 yard of it weighs about 4.2 to 4.8 tons against 3 tons included. We don't take concrete, brick, block, asphalt or dirt in any container.
Book the size that fits your load
Know your size? Book online. Not sure how heavy your debris is? Call (410) 205-5330 and we'll help you weigh room against tonnage before you book.
