Concrete disposal in Tampa: why the 10 yard is the right box
Concrete is the heavyweight of the dumpster world — a 40 yard box is over the legal road limit before it's a third full. The low-walled 10 yard container was built for exactly this: driveways, slabs, brick, block and dirt. Here's how clean concrete disposal in Tampa works, and why it costs less than mixed debris.
Tear out a driveway or a patio and you'll end up with more concrete than you expect. Most people order a dumpster the way they would for a remodel: get the biggest box available and fill it up. That doesn't work for concrete.
Concrete is the heaviest common material we haul. A 40 yard box would hit the legal road weight limit before it's even a third full. That's why we only run clean concrete, brick, and block in our 10 and 20 yard containers, not the bigger boxes, and why that material isn't priced the same way C&D and household junk are.
Weight decides the box, not volume
With most jobs, we size a container by how much room you need: lumber, drywall, shingles, general junk. Concrete flips that. A cubic yard of concrete weighs far more than a cubic yard of almost anything else on a job site. Load enough of it into a 30 or 40 yard box and you'd hit the legal weight limit for the road long before the box looked full.
That's a physics and road-weight problem, not a SteelSmith preference. It's why we only offer concrete-only loads in the 10 and 20 yard sizes.
No weight cap, but only on clean loads
C&D material runs $75 a ton once you go over your included tonnage. Class III junk runs $95 a ton over. Concrete, brick, and block work differently. When the load is clean, there's no weight cap on that material at all. Fill the 10 or 20 yard with concrete and we haul it, no overage math involved.
That only holds for clean loads. Mix in other debris and the container gets priced and handled as a regular C&D job instead.
What "clean" concrete actually means
Clean means concrete, brick, and block, and nothing else. As soon as wood, drywall, trash, or insulation gets mixed in, it's a C&D load and priced that way. Same goes for demolition debris that's heavy on rebar and tangled up with framing lumber.
Dirt is where people get tripped up. If any dirt is part of the job, flag it when you call — don't assume a little is fine and find out otherwise once the box is already on-site. It's a two-minute conversation, and it's a lot cheaper than guessing wrong.
10 yard or 20 yard
A 10 yard comes with one ton included and needs about 12 feet of driveway, roughly what a single-car driveway gives you. It's the right size for a small patio, a walkway, or a single driveway slab.
A 20 yard comes with two tons included and fits a standard two-car driveway. That's usually the better call for a full driveway tear-out, a small foundation, or a brick or block teardown.
Where these boxes get used most
Most of our concrete-only jobs are driveway slabs, patios, small foundations, and brick or block teardowns. We usually deliver same day if you order before noon, otherwise it goes out the next morning.
On delivery, we set boards under the container's rails so the driveway or patio you're keeping doesn't get scratched or cracked while the box sits there.
Pricing for concrete-only loads is set separately from mixed C&D and depends on your zone and volume. Use our online quote tool or call 813-210-1608 for an exact number.
Before you order a concrete dumpster
Dispatch answers 24/7. Tell us what you’re working on and we’ll get you the right size and price.
813-210-1608Get a price onlineCommon Questions
Why can't I just order a 30 or 40 yard for my driveway tear-out?
Concrete's too heavy for those boxes. A 40 yard would hit the legal road weight limit before it's even a third full, so we only run clean concrete, brick, and block in the 10 and 20 yard sizes.
Is there a weight limit on my concrete load?
Not the way there is with C&D or junk loads. As long as it's clean concrete, brick, and block, there's no tonnage cap on that container. Mix in other debris and it gets priced like a regular C&D load instead.
Can I mix some dirt in with the concrete?
Dirt isn't part of a clean concrete load unless we've talked it through first. Call us at 813-210-1608 before you order so we can set up the right container and pricing, instead of sorting it out once the box is already on-site.
How much does a concrete dumpster cost?
It depends on your zone and how much you're hauling. Concrete-only pricing is set separately from mixed C&D. Use our online quote tool or call 813-210-1608 and we'll give you an exact number.