40 cubic yards
40 Yard Dumpster Rental in Cape Cod, MA
The biggest box we run. For construction, demolition, commercial work and the cleanup that needs a crew.
- Licensed & insured
- Same-day or next-day delivery
- Flat-rate pricing
- All 15 Cape Cod towns
- about 22 ft long × 8 ft wide × 8 ft highDimensions
- about 12 pickup truck loadsHolds
- 5–6 tonsWeight included
- 40 cubic yardsCapacity
The 40 yard container in Cape Cod
The 40 yard is our largest roll-off container, built for maximum capacity and fewer hauls. Commercial and industrial construction, full building renovations or demolitions, large office or retail cleanouts, major home remodels and estate cleanups, roofing replacements for large structures, apartment complex or condo renovations, and storm damage and disaster recovery cleanup — that is where it lives. It holds about 40 cubic yards, roughly twelve pickup truck loads.
It is bulky and mixed debris that justifies the 40: wood, drywall, flooring, roofing, fixtures, packaging and pallets. Concrete, brick and metal go in only within the weight limit. The footprint is the same 22 by 8 feet as a 20 or 30, but at eight feet tall it is usually loaded by a crew — general contractors on multi-phase projects, developers on new construction or demolition, property managers renovating multi-unit properties, business owners on large facility upgrades, and municipal and public works projects.
Space needed
a flat, solid spot about 22 feet long and 8 feet wide on a lot or job site (pavement or a construction pad, not grass), clear access for the roll-off truck to back in and set it down, and clear space overhead, free of low tree branches and power lines
Construction, demolition and big commercial jobs
The local picture points the same way: the town drop-offs are not built for this volume. The Barnstable Transfer Station takes construction debris only in vehicles up to 5 cubic yards; the Orleans transfer station will not take construction and demolition debris from vehicles of one ton or more (§ 185-16A5); Truro's transfer station takes none at all. On a big job every load goes to licensed Massachusetts recycling and disposal facilities, and concrete and asphalt, metal and rebar, clean wood and cardboard are sorted out whenever possible. Mixed construction loads go to a handling facility that meets MassDEP's minimum performance standard, because asphalt pavement, brick, concrete, metal, wood and clean gypsum wallboard are banned from landfill disposal (310 CMR 19.017).
Demolition comes with state paperwork. MassDEP requires an asbestos survey before demolition or renovation work, a notice ten working days before asbestos removal starts, and a construction and demolition notice ten working days ahead for any demolition except a residential building with fewer than 20 units (310 CMR 7.15). Asbestos may not go to a construction and demolition processor, so it never goes in a roll-off. Oily rags and hot ashes stay out too: the fire code bars hot coals, cinders and similar substances from combustible containers (527 CMR 1.00, § 19.3.1). On the road, every load is covered, as M.G.L. c.85 §36 requires.
Access and placement for a 40 yard
The truck needs clear access to back in, a solid surface such as a paved lot or a construction pad, and clear space overhead, free of low tree branches and power lines. On a job site we place it where the crews can work around it. Left overnight, it needs the local fire department's permit (527 CMR 1.00, Table 1.12.8.5) — in Barnstable from the fire district covering the job, and in Wellfleet from the Fire Department. A 40 in a public way is a different question: the MassDOT-owned stretches of Routes 6, 6A, 28, 28A, 130, 134, 137 and 151 are off limits, because state law bars any obstruction on a state highway without MassDOT's written permit (M.G.L. c.81 §21) and MassDOT has no permit type for a container. On town roads, Bourne needs Select Board approval with a 20-foot clear lane on two-way streets and amber lights or reflectors at night (Traffic Rules § 4.5), Mashpee needs the DPW Director's written permission (Bylaw § 150-2), and in Provincetown blocking a street even in part needs a paid police detail (§ 11-6-3-1). Each town page says what that town asks for.
Suitability
Is the 40 yard the right size for you?
Rough working figures. Weight, not volume, is what usually decides.
Choose the 40 yard for
- Commercial and industrial construction
- Full building renovations and demolitions
- Large office and retail cleanouts
- Apartment complex and condo renovations
- Storm damage and disaster recovery cleanup
Pick a different size for
- Heavy-only loads — concrete, dirt and brick go in a 10 or 15
- Small jobs (you would pay for unused space)
- Sites without truck access and overhead clearance
- Asbestos, oil, paint, propane tanks, fuel or medical waste
Placing a 40 yard container on Cape Cod
It needs a flat, solid spot about 22 feet long and 8 feet wide on a lot or job site (pavement or a construction pad, not grass), clear access for the roll-off truck to back in and set it down, and clear space overhead, free of low tree branches and power lines. The driveway comes first. Every size we run is over 6 cubic yards, and under the Massachusetts fire code a rubbish container over 6 cubic yards needs a permit from the head of the local fire department unless it is delivered and removed in the same business day (527 CMR 1.00, Table 1.12.8.5); containers must also be marked with the name and phone number of the company that can be reached in an emergency (1.12.8.5.2). In Falmouth the property owner, tenant or generator obtains it, and the Fire Department checks that the container is at least 10 feet from the building and does not block an exit; in Barnstable the permit comes from the fire district covering the job. In Falmouth and Barnstable we found no Town permit for a container in a street, so we do not plan on one. Elsewhere the rule is written down: Bourne needs Select Board approval for any dumpster or roll-off on a public way, with a 20-foot clear lane on two-way streets, 10 feet on one-way, and amber lights or reflectors at night (Traffic Rules § 4.5); Mashpee needs the DPW Director's written permission before anything is placed on a Town highway (Bylaw § 150-2); Harwich needs a written licence from the Director of Highways and Maintenance to obstruct any public or private way, driveways excepted (§ 255-1); Chatham bars obstructions in the road layout that block parking or pedestrians (§ 208-16C); Wellfleet needs written Selectboard permission (§§ 204-2, 204-3); Truro needs a Building Commissioner permit to put building materials or rubbish on a town way (§ 1-9-12); and in Provincetown anything construction-related on a street needs Public Safety permission, and blocking a street needs a paid police detail (§§ 11-6-3-2, 11-6-3-1). On the MassDOT-owned stretches of Routes 6, 6A, 28, 28A, 130, 134, 137 and 151, state law bars any obstruction without MassDOT's written permit (M.G.L. c.81 §21), and MassDOT has no permit type for a container, so the box stays on the property. Check your HOA too. Protective boards can go under the container on request. Each town page covers its own rules.
Compare
Every size side by side
Commercial and industrial construction, full building renovations or demolitions, large office and retail cleanouts, apartment and condo renovations, large roofing replacements and storm recovery cleanup.
| Size | Dimensions | Capacity | Weight included | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Yard Dumpster | about 12 ft long × 8 ft wide × 3.5–4 ft high | about 3 pickup truck loads | up to 2–3 tons | Bathroom and small kitchen remodels, flooring and tile removal, garage, attic and basement cleanouts, minor roofing jobs, yard debris and small handyman jobs. |
| 15 Yard Dumpster | about 14 ft long × 8 ft wide × 4.5–5 ft high | about 4–5 pickup truck loads | 2–3 tons | Kitchen and bathroom renovations, single-room remodels, flooring, carpet and drywall removal, deck removal, garage and attic cleanouts, roofing jobs and yard and storm debris. |
| 20 Yard Dumpster | about 22 ft long × 8 ft wide × 4.5 ft high | about 6 pickup truck loads | 3–4 tons | Full kitchen and bathroom remodels, multi-room renovations, roofing tear-offs, flooring, drywall and siding removal, deck, shed and fence removal, whole-house and estate cleanouts and light demolition. |
| 30 Yard Dumpster | about 22 ft long × 8 ft wide × 6 ft high | about 9 pickup truck loads | 4–5 tons | Full home and office renovations, new home builds, commercial remodeling, large roofing and re-roofing jobs, major and estate cleanouts, demolition and multi-unit or condo renovations. |
| 40 Yard Dumpster | about 22 ft long × 8 ft wide × 8 ft high | about 12 pickup truck loads | 5–6 tons | Commercial and industrial construction, full building renovations or demolitions, large office and retail cleanouts, apartment and condo renovations, large roofing replacements and storm recovery cleanup. |
Not quite right?
- 10 yard — Bathroom and small kitchen remodels, flooring and tile removal, garage, attic and basement cleanouts, minor roofing jobs, yard debris and small handyman jobs.
- 15 yard — Kitchen and bathroom renovations, single-room remodels, flooring, carpet and drywall removal, deck removal, garage and attic cleanouts, roofing jobs and yard and storm debris.
- 20 yard — Full kitchen and bathroom remodels, multi-room renovations, roofing tear-offs, flooring, drywall and siding removal, deck, shed and fence removal, whole-house and estate cleanouts and light demolition.
- 30 yard — Full home and office renovations, new home builds, commercial remodeling, large roofing and re-roofing jobs, major and estate cleanouts, demolition and multi-unit or condo renovations.
Answers
40 Yard Dumpster — questions we get asked
Will a 40 yard dumpster fit on a residential property?
Its footprint is the same as a 20 or 30 — about 22 by 8 feet — and with proper access it can go on many Cape Cod properties, but at eight feet tall it is a lot of box for a house. For most homes a 30, or a 20 with swaps, is the better fit. Ask and we will say which.
How do you load a 40 yard?
Usually with a crew. The walls are about eight feet high, so hand loading from the ground is slow. Load evenly across the container and keep debris level with or below the top edge — overfilled dumpsters cannot be transported.
Can I put concrete in a 40 yard?
Within the weight limit, yes — but not as the main load. Typically five to six tons is included, and concrete, dirt or brick reach that at a fraction of the volume. For heavy material, a 10 or 15 is safer and more efficient.
Do you offer swaps on long jobs?
Yes. For long-term or ongoing projects we offer extensions and swap-out service, and we can coordinate multiple dumpsters and staggered pickups on large or phased projects. The standard rental period is set on your quote, and long-term rentals, multi-dumpster jobs and repeat customers may qualify for discounted pricing. Tell us the expected duration and we quote the whole job.
Read before you book
Services that use this size
Where we deliver
40 yard dumpsters delivered across Cape Cod, from the Canal to Provincetown
We run roll-off containers out of our yard in East Falmouth to every town and village below. Many orders go out same-day when availability allows; distance and route timing decide the rest. Street placement and hauling rules differ from town to town, and each page says so plainly. Not sure we reach your street? Call anyway.
Cape Cod, Canal to Provincetown
19 Tradesman Cir
East Falmouth, MA 02536
Open 24 hours, 7 days
Ready when you are
Book a 40 yard dumpster in Cape Cod
Call (508) 388-1861 with the address and what is going in. Same-day or next-day when availability allows — call before noon for the best chance.
(508) 388-1861Open 24 hours, 7 days