A deck is mostly air once it comes apart. Long boards, joists and railing sections cross over each other in the container and leave gaps nothing else fills, so a deck takes more room than its weight suggests. That is the mistake this calculator is here to prevent.
Tell it the deck size in square feet, the kind of boards, whether the frame is coming out too, and how much railing there is.
What a deck weighs
Per part, the figures the calculator uses. Composite boards are about 45 percent heavier than pressure-treated wood of the same size, which surprises most people.
| Part of the deck | Weight |
|---|---|
| Pressure-treated wood boards (5/4×6) | 1.59 lbs per running foot, about 3.4 lbs per sq ft of deck |
| Composite (Trex, TimberTech and similar) boards (5/4×6) | 2.3 lbs per running foot, about 4.9 lbs per sq ft of deck |
| Frame: joists, beams, rim and posts | about 4 lbs per sq ft of deck |
| Railing: posts, rails and balusters | about 13 lbs per running foot |
What size dumpster for a deck
Worked from the same numbers, boards and frame together. A 300 square foot pressure-treated deck with 40 feet of railing comes to about 2,750 pounds and 16 cubic yards of loose debris, which is a 20-yard job. Cutting boards to length and laying them flat takes noticeably less room than this.
| Deck, boards and frame | Pressure-treated | Composite |
|---|---|---|
| 10×12, 20 ft of railing (120 sq ft) | 1,143 lbs · 6.8 yd³ 10-Yard (68% full) | 1,322 lbs · 6.8 yd³ 10-Yard (68% full) |
| 12×20, 32 ft of railing (240 sq ft) | 2,181 lbs · 12.9 yd³ 15-Yard (tight, 86%) | 2,541 lbs · 12.9 yd³ 15-Yard (tight, 86%) |
| 12×25, 40 ft of railing (300 sq ft) | 2,726 lbs · 16.1 yd³ 20-Yard (81% full) | 3,176 lbs · 16.1 yd³ 20-Yard (81% full) |
| 16×30, 60 ft of railing (480 sq ft) | 4,310 lbs · 25.5 yd³ More than one container | 5,029 lbs · 25.5 yd³ More than one container |
Before you start
Concrete footings and piers cannot go in. They are masonry, which Massachusetts bans from disposal. Cut the posts off above the concrete and plan a separate haul for the footings. Screws, joist hangers and other hardware are fine to leave in the wood.
Where the numbers come from
Pressure-treated 5/4 by 6 decking averages 1.59 pounds per running foot dry, and freshly treated boards run up to 2.79. Composite of the same size averages 2.3, with individual manufacturers' profiles between about 1.9 and 2.5. The frame and railing figures are worked from the same wood density, and the space loose deck lumber takes up is the U.S. EPA's volume-to-weight factor for treated wood, 169 pounds per cubic yard.
Questions about this tool
How much does a deck weigh?
A 300 square foot pressure-treated deck with its frame and 40 feet of railing weighs about 2,750 pounds. The boards are roughly 3.4 pounds a square foot and the frame underneath about 4 more.
What size dumpster do I need for deck removal?
Size a deck by space, not weight. A 300 square foot deck with its frame comes to about 16 cubic yards of loose lumber, which is a 20-yard container. Smaller decks, or boards only with the frame staying, fit a smaller box.
Is composite decking heavier than wood?
Yes, by about 45 percent: 2.3 pounds per running foot for composite against 1.59 for pressure-treated wood of the same size.
Can the concrete footings go in the container?
No. Concrete is masonry, which Massachusetts bans from disposal. Cut the posts off above the footings and plan a separate haul for the concrete.