Measure the pile before you call
Walk the pile and measure length, width, and a realistic average height in feet. A mound is taller in the middle than at the edges, so use an average rather than the peak. If the pile is in a truck, measure the bed inside the rails and the depth of the load, not the outside of the truck. Write the three numbers down. A neat stack fills a box. A loose mound does not fill the corners of the box you measured around it. Note that on the paper so you do not treat a heaped look as solid volume. Search Dumpmapper by ZIP code or city to see sites on a map, and remember listings can be out of date, so confirm with the site before you treat a volume guess as a plan.
Convert feet to cubic yards
Multiply length times width times height, then divide by twenty-seven. That is the volume of the box in cubic yards, because a cubic yard is a cube three feet on each side. If the pile is a loose mound, reduce the result so you are not billing yourself for empty air at the corners. A common careful habit is to use about two-thirds of the box for a rounded mound and the full box only for a packed, level load. This is an estimate for the phone call, not a certificate. Different people will pace the edges differently. If two helpers disagree, measure with a tape. Do not multiply the cubic yards by a price you heard from a neighbor. The site's posted fee sheet is the only price list that matters, and some sites ignore volume and weigh the truck.
Use the number only as a description
When you call, say the measured cubic yards and also describe the material. A yard of brush and a yard of broken concrete are the same space and very different loads. Ask whether that site uses cubic yards, tons, item counts, or a minimum. Ask them to point you to the row on the fee sheet that would apply. If they bill only by the scale, your cubic-yard math will not predict the ticket, and that is useful to know before you drive. Take a photo of the pile next to the measurements so you can explain it if the attendant asks. If the sheet is posted at the gate, read it before you unload. Correct the description if you measured a second pile you forgot to include.
Before you go
- Measure length, width, and average height of the pile in feet.
- Multiply the three numbers and divide by twenty-seven.
- Reduce the result if the pile is a loose mound with empty corners.
- Ask the site which fee-sheet row uses volume, weight, or a count, and read that sheet.
Multiplying a rough cubic-yard guess by a price someone quoted for a different material.
Questions people ask
Is a pickup bed one cubic yard?
Do not assume a universal bed size. Measure the inside length, width, and load depth of the truck you are actually driving, then divide by twenty-seven. A short bed and a long bed are not the same box.
Will the site accept my cubic-yard number as the charge?
Only if that site bills by volume and agrees with the measurement. Many sites weigh the vehicle and ignore a home estimate. Read the posted fee sheet and ask which method they use.
Search Dumpmapper by ZIP code or city, then call the site before you load the truck. Hours and accepted materials change.