Remodeling a Kitchen or Bathroom in Miami? Here Is the Dumpster You Need for the Cabinets, Countertops and Tile
Published October 16, 2026 · Updated October 16, 2026
A single bathroom gut almost always fits a 20-yard dumpster; a kitchen remodel usually fits one too, cabinets and all. Doing both at once, or pulling out a heavy stone countertop, is what pushes a job to a 30-yard or a scheduled swap-out. Tell us the rooms and the materials when you book and we size it right the first time.
What size dumpster do I need for a kitchen or bathroom remodel?
A bathroom-only gut is a 20 yard job almost every time: a tub or shower pan, a vanity, a toilet, and the tile off the floor and walls fill maybe a third of the container. A kitchen remodel with cabinets, countertops and flooring, but no structural work, also fits a 20 yard. Combine a kitchen and a bathroom in the same remodel, or tear out a full stone countertop along with everything else, and most jobs move up to a 30 yard so the crew isn't waiting on a mid-job pickup.
| Remodel scope | Size | Why |
|---|---|---|
| One bathroom (tub, vanity, toilet, tile) | 20 yard | Fixtures and tile are dense but the volume is small |
| One kitchen (cabinets, countertop, flooring) | 20 yard | Cabinets are bulky but light once broken down |
| Kitchen and bathroom together | 30 yard | Combined volume and weight from both rooms at once |
| Stone countertop tear-out (granite or quartz) | 20 yard, loaded partway | Stone adds weight fast even in a small kitchen |
| Whole-house remodel, multiple bathrooms | 30 yard with swap-out | Demo runs longer than one container holds |
What actually fills the dumpster
- Cabinets, both base and upper, usually particleboard or MDF under a veneer: bulky to carry out but light once they're broken down flat.
- Countertops: laminate is light and easy, but granite, quartz and marble slabs are the densest material in a typical remodel and the one thing most likely to change the dumpster size.
- Tile and the mortar bed under it, from a bathroom floor, shower walls or a kitchen backsplash. Tile and thinset are heavy for their size, especially a full shower surround.
- Old fixtures: a cast iron tub, a shower pan, a vanity and sink, and the toilet. The cast iron tubs common in older Miami homes are heavier than people expect.
- Drywall, and in older bathrooms, water-damaged subfloor or framing around the tub and shower that comes out with the rest of the demo.
Why the countertop is the one thing that changes the size
A stone countertop is the single upgrade most likely to turn an easy 20 yard into a weight problem on its own. A few slab sections of granite or quartz can weigh more than all the cabinets, drywall and tile from the same kitchen combined, the same way concrete and tile behave in our guide to dumpster weight limits in Miami. Tell us when you book if stone is coming out, and we load the container partway rather than stacking it full, so the truck leaves within its legal weight limit.
Timing the dumpster with your contractor's schedule
Demo comes out in a predictable order: cabinets and countertops first since they're bulky, then tile and fixtures, which are heavier and slower to break out. The finish phase, cabinetry install, tile setting, paint, generates almost no debris, so there is no reason to keep a container past the demo and rough-in stages. For a kitchen and bathroom remodel that runs several weeks, a scheduled swap-out keeps the crew working instead of stalling with a full dumpster sitting in the driveway waiting on a pickup. See our guide to scheduled dumpster swap-outs for how that works on a longer job.
Booking a kitchen or bathroom remodel dumpster
Deliver the dumpster the day demo starts, not days ahead of it; an empty container sitting on the driveway for a week is exactly what draws an HOA letter in communities like Pembroke Pines, Kendall and Miramar. We put boards under the rails to protect pavers and decorative concrete, no permit is needed as long as the container stays on your own driveway, and same-day delivery is available across Miami-Dade and Broward. We're a family company based in Kendall, licensed and insured since 1993.
FAQ
What size dumpster do I need for a kitchen remodel?
A 20 yard covers most kitchen remodels: cabinets, countertop and flooring. If the kitchen remodel includes a heavy stone countertop or runs alongside a bathroom remodel, a 30 yard or a scheduled swap-out usually fits better.
What size dumpster do I need for a bathroom remodel?
A 20 yard is enough for almost every single-bathroom gut: tub or shower, vanity, toilet and tile. It's rare for one bathroom alone to need a 30 yard.
Can granite or quartz countertops go in a regular dumpster?
Yes. Tell us when you book if stone countertops are coming out, since that material is sized by weight, not volume. We load the dumpster partway instead of stacking it full so the haul stays within the legal weight limit.
Do I need a permit for a dumpster during a remodel in Miami?
No, not if the container stays on your own driveway. A permit only comes into play if it has to sit in the street or on the swale, which Miami-Dade treats as a right-of-way permit.
When should the dumpster be delivered during a remodel?
The day demo starts, not before. A dumpster sitting empty for days ahead of the work is the kind of thing that draws complaints in HOA communities, and you're paying for rental days you don't need.
What if the kitchen and bathroom remodel takes several weeks?
A scheduled swap-out is the better fit than one container sitting full while the crew waits. We pick up a loaded dumpster and drop an empty one on a schedule that matches how fast the demo is actually filling it.
Get Your Free, No-Pressure Estimate
Call or text a photo of your junk to (305) 986-0692. We estimate it straight, you decide.
