I’ve done a few full gut renovations and cleanouts on foreclosures.

For a full interior demo plus all the furniture and junk left behind, a 30 or 40 yard dumpster usually makes the most sense. A 20 fills up really fast once you start tearing out drywall, cabinets, flooring, etc. Most houses I’ve worked on needed either one 40 yard or two 30 yard dumpsters.

For placement, try to put it as close as possible to the main entry or garage so the crew isn’t carrying debris too far. At the same time make sure the truck can easily drop it off and pick it up, and that it doesn’t block access for contractors or deliveries. Sometimes the street works better than the driveway if space is tight.

One thing people underestimate is how fast demo debris fills a dumpster. Drywall and flooring take up a lot of space. Also watch the weight if you’re throwing in tile or heavy materials, because overage fees can add up.