Concrete Contractor Considerations in Dumpster Rentals
Dumpster rentals are a must for concrete tear outs and replacements of any type, whether it is a driveway, a pool area or a sidewalk. It helps you to get the best deal on a concrete dumpster if you know how to get prices on the correct size from dumpster rental companies.
It’s always helpful to know all the in’s and out’s of dumpster rental for concrete tear out jobs in particular. You want to get a dumpster that is large enough, but not too big, so you can reduce the cost of overhead on a job. There are several things to consider when you are estimating a job including the cost of a concrete dumpster. As in all dumpster rentals, several factors come into play including the concrete volume, weight, the area of the job and the disposal fees in that area.
Concrete Takes up Less Space Than Some Imagine
A concrete tear out job includes the use of either a hand held jackhammer to break it up in order to remove it or a jackhammer attachment on a bobcat. Either method that is used, breaks the concrete into small chunks to be removed by a tractor and put in a concrete dumpster. So, it stands to reason that concrete takes up less space in volume in a dumpster because there isn’t much wasted space between the chunks such as there is with other mixed home remodeling jobs.
In most cases, a 10 yard concrete dumpster is large enough for the debris from a driveway, slab or a concrete patio. But make sure and check with the dumpster rental companies when you call for quotes. It is a low volume debris job, but in turn, it’s a super heavy debris job. When you call for quotes, give the companies as much detail as possible about the job. This enables them to give you a more accurate estimate and it helps to ensure that you choose the best dumpster size based on the amount of concrete you will need removed.
Keep Those Loads Clean
If you want to avoid additional fees and bites into your profit margin, then be sure to clean load it and don’t put anything other than concrete in the dumpster. It allows for the concrete to be recycled without the need to sort through items. This makes it a viable choice to re use it for aggregate on roads and other surfaces easily and it keeps your cost down. This also allows you to save quite a bit of money on disposal fees when it is recycled instead of sitting in a landfill among a bunch of other types of debris.
It’s Super, Super Heavy
Used concrete in any surface is ridiculously heavy. Some people don’t realize just how heavy that is. It’s a very important thing to know about the weight of concrete so you don’t overload your concrete dumpster. If you do overload it, you will pay sky-high overage fees that detract from your profit on a job. You must ask the dumpster rental companies about the weight allowances for a concrete dumpster. This is an important fact when getting quotes from roll off concrete dumpster rental companies because some include quite a bit more weight than others even through they are located near each other.
The Math Behind the Weight
The rule of thumb in estimating the weight of concrete tear out is that 1 cubic yard of concrete weighs roughly 4,000 pounds or 2 tons. Most concrete surfaces such as patios, slabs and driveways are poured approximately 4 inches thick, so when doing an estimate for the weight you will use this number to help you get a good figure.
Here are some examples to get a good idea of the weight of your particular project.
- A single car driveway that is 10 feet wide by 40 feet long and 4 inches deep = 5 cubic yards of debris times 2 tons is 10 tons.
- A double car driveway that is 20 feet wide by 40 feet long and 4 inches deep = 10 cubic yards of debris times 2 tons is 20 tons.
- A patio that is 10 feet wide by 15 feet long and 4 inches deep = 2 cubic yards of debris times 2 tons is 4 tons
- A sidewalk or pathway that is 15 feet long by 2 feet wide and 4 inches thick = 0.4 cubic yards of debris times 2 tons is 0.8 tons.
Other helpful figures include more math for you. If you fill a 10 yard dumpster all the way full, it will weigh about 20,250 pounds or 10,125 tons. If you only fill a 10 yard dumpster about one third of the way with concrete debris, it will weigh about 13,500 pounds or 6.75 tons.
Beware of Overfilling a Concrete Dumpster
Make sure you stick to the weight limits on a concrete dumpster. If you overfill it, it will cost you additional overage fees, unloading fees and it risks damaging the company’s equipment. If you damage the company’s equipment, it can be super costly for you and they can sue you for the money for repairs, which in turn will require a lot of time and money in court, court fees and attorney fees.
Ask About Short Term Rentals
The most common rental term for a concrete dumpster is similar to any other dumpster and it is usually a week. Concrete tear out doesn’t normally take that long to cut up the concrete and load it into the dumpster. Ask the dumpster rental companies when you are getting quotes about a short term rental. This can be one, two or three days–however long you think you will actually need the concrete dumpster. In some cases, you can save quite a bit of money upwards of a few hundred dollars for a short term rental.
These figures and examples of the weight of concrete tear out can help you to secure a concrete dumpster that fits your needs perfectly and is at the best price for your particular job.
You can rent different dumpster types based on the project you need it for. There are some rules and restrictions on what you can and cannot dispose of in aThe different types of dumpsters include: construction (commercial and residential), general debris, roofing, concrete and dirt, and yard waste.
This is some really good information about renting a dumpster. I liked what yous aid about how you should try to keep the loads clean. It seems like a good thing to have a professional to help you choose a good dumpster.