# How to estimate Cubic Yards for Debris on Trash-outs



## Guest

I need some help guaging how many cubic yards of debris I have. Is there a formula or a visual measurement that I can follow. I once saw that a bag of garbage was 1 cubic yard. Thanks.....New to the game.


----------



## brm1109

a cubic yard is 3x3x3


----------



## Guest

Trash-out meaning gut job, or meaning removing trash?


----------



## BamaPPC

generally, it takes 3 normal sized trash bags (30 gal) stuffed full, to get close to a cyd. There isn't really any formula I can give you. It takes time and experience to be able to guage cubic yardage visually, when all the stuff is strown all over a yard or floor. It's kinda like riding a bike. Someone can tell you how to do it, but until it's you trying to keep your balance and pedal...well, you know how that goes.

It's best to build you a cubic yard frame. you can do this out of wood or pvc pipe. And just memorize it's volume. Maybe set the frame up in your office or just outside the door, so you can look at it often.

For an example: A queen mattress is 60 inches wide by 80 inches long and around 10 inches high. That makes 48,000 cubic inches or 27.78 cubic feet or just over 1 cubic yard. And that's just the mattress. Looking at a mattress standing against a wall, it's hard to tell how big it is in cubic yardage. Until you done the math and looked at enough of them.

I read this somewhere and it's good advice - if there is no profit in it, we’re not going to move it. We will move one cubic yard of gold bullion for free. One cubic yard of crushed stone in the front yard of a vacant home is going to cost considerably more than the allowable.


----------



## BPWY

What really chaps me is that some cubical mind in a far away place thinks they can count cubes from photos. 

Well you can once they are loaded in a dumpster etc. But to try and cut bids by the photos only??
What a joke!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## Juicy J

TRUE! I'm looking at a pile that is about 15' L, 10' W and 12'H. When worked with a formula I got offline, I come up with about 66 CYds. I'm going to pass on the job. I have to be able to make money.


----------



## david

*hi*

juicy with those measurements your nowhere close to 66 cu yds


----------



## Juicy J

Well. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. When I use that formula that's what it tells me based on those measurements. Would you consider a lazy boy to be 1 cubic yard?


----------



## Juicy J

Just checked the formula again. Seems to be right. LxWxH. Divide that by 27 and that give you the Cubic Yards.


----------



## Guest

i do the math and i come up with 66.66 cyds, keep in mind the pile is probably not a cube but more of heap, just because the highest point of the pile x' the whole pile is not x'


----------



## david

*hi*

close yes,as previous poster stated normal cu yd is 3x3x3 so figure your measurements by that,section off a 3ft high pile by 3 ft wide also size of a wsher or dryer and thats 1 cu yd....this will take time to learn it..and it doesnt matter what u decide it is whoever you work for will always say different normally...ive never been questioned on mine and done thousands of trashouts,guess i learned real quick...good luck


----------



## Guest

JuicyJ said:


> Well. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. When I use that formula that's what it tells me based on those measurements. Would you consider a lazy boy to be 1 cubic yard?


if it was 3'x3'x3' I would


----------



## Guest

What is in that pile... and how is the pile stacked. If you be loading a dumpster by hand, you can pretty much throw everything in trying to keep uniform and just doing that you can gain room for a few extra yards....If you have a piece of equipment and you compact the dumpster, you can also get room for a few extra yards. 

You have containers that mostly used on the site is 10-15-20-30-40 Yards.

10 Yard - 10'x 10'5"x 48"
15 Yard - 14'x 10'5"x 48"
20 Yard - 20'x 10'5"x47" 
30 Yard - 20'x 10'5"x67"
40 Yard- 20'x 10'5"x90"

P.S Juicy, I don't mean to be out of line, but I have to say that is one beautiful smile you have in the picture :thumbsup:


----------



## Splinterpicker

standard pick up load 8 cydfor a quick and easy anyone been told that 125 gal paint =1 cyd from the nationals when it costs 2$ a gallon to make it a solid so you can dispose of it that is going backwards way too quick. The nationals response will be well you are making $$ on the trash out. NOT IF we are say supposed to do a trashout janit and yard for 600 take out sales tax (of 60 (540) 250 for paint chems (290) dump fees of 125 (165) janitorial supplys 10 (155) yard supplys 7 (148) labor 100 (48) gas 45 (3) workers comp and wear and tear ( we are not going to make any money) I don't see the industry getting any better anytime soon. These nationals are taking way too much and it is just going to be really nip and tuck till they figure out there is going to have to be a pay increase. If they cant trim the FAT in their house tough. We are ALL ( vendors ) working as lean and mean as possible.


----------



## Juicy J

Thanks so much! I don't mind compliments at all Greg.


----------



## Juicy J

They are really tough though. For some stuff that they can't even see. Everything looks soooo different in the pics.


----------



## BPWY

d+jhomeservices said:


> juicy with those measurements your nowhere close to 66 cu yds





Whats she doing wrong?

It was 66.7 when I figured it.


----------



## Dirtywhiteboy

At a pile that big I'd be looking at trucks loads and not Yards3 :blink: dose your dump charge or do you dump free:blink: we get charged for commercial dumping and free to dump 2 a week for privet.


----------



## Gypsos

A very simple method is what I call counting washing machines. 

A washing machine is about 1 cubic yard. 

How many washing machines does the pile equal? 

How many washing machine sized boxes will the debris fill? 

I do not ever ever ever count anything as being broken down and I do not break things down or crush them. When I get paid by volume, not weight, I want it to take up space in the trailer. 

Dressers go in empty and upside down. Buckets get stacked upside down and empty. Chests, trunks and boxes go it the same way. 

Small loose stuff gets tossed in around the other stuff. I load trailers with a plan and a purpose, like a puzzle. If I bid 40 cubic yards you can bet my pictures will show 40 cubic yards when loaded.


----------



## BPWY

Gypsos said:


> A very simple method is what I call counting washing machines.
> 
> A washing machine is about 1 cubic yard.






Same here.


----------



## BBJP

BPWY said:


> Same here.


What about the compressed cubic yard count? Explain this to her.


----------



## Gypsos

BBJP said:


> What about the compressed cubic yard count? Explain this to her.


Never had to deal with this one so I am not the guy to tell you about it. Sorry.


----------



## reoguys

Ditto


----------



## Guest

BBJP said:


> What about the compressed cubic yard count? Explain this to her.


Isn't the compressed cubic yard something that Safeguard uses? We did work for them a while back but not any longer. I remember watching their training module -- a guy took a whole room of furniture and crap, broke it all down and made it fit into a 1-cu-yd container!! Now of course they don't tell you that it took him all dang day to do this! And like anybody with half a brain is going to do this anyway. Well, someone might but it isn't me! 

Juicy -- 1 cu yd = 1 standard sized washer (or dryer). When you take your photos, make sure you take pics from all sides/angles as possible. Who cares if your pics show some of the same items. You want to be able to "prove" that the # of cubic yards you are bidding are actually what's in the photos. For something like your 66 cu yd job, I would submit probably about 100-150 photos. I bombard them with pics. And I will still usually get the standard "photos don't justify number of cubic yards bid, please lower your bid" line... to which I say NOPE. Stick to your guns. If they don't like your bid, let them get some other hack to go do it for less. It really is a lot less hassle instead of you having to do all the work and it not be worth your time and you lose money in the end.

Good luck to you.


----------



## Guest

The 66.66 answer is only correct if your 'pile' was a perfect rectangular cube of stuff, dimensioned at the 15x10x12 you mentioned. However, I doubt your debris pile is a perfect tall 12 high rectangular. If your debris pile was pyramidal like a pile of dirt, your answer might be about 22.5 cubic yards.

So, what does your pile of crap look like?:whistling


----------



## BPWY

BBJP said:


> What about the compressed cubic yard count? Explain this to her.





At one point the brothers tried to do that.
I haven't heard of it lately so wonder if they didn't have to drop it to keep contractors doing the trash outs.

If you want to go compressed yards then the price will go up by about 10 times per yard.


----------



## GTX63

Safeguard only pays for some items by their size once they have been broken down. You may see an entertainment center or computer desk and count it as 2 or 3 cyds. You are to break down the pieces and stack them, then calculate the mass (1 cyd). And no, your time to do so isn't a factor to them. They consider is as a helpful hint (free advise) for the contractor so he can load even more items into his trailer.


----------



## JDRM

Exactly!! I picture a dishwasher as 1cyd. And always give yourself some breathing room. Expect to be talked down, so prepare accordingly.


----------



## Guest

Remember that nationals will never e-mail you stating, "Photos support 10 CY more than invoiced. Thank you." 

It's integral to their business model to cut invoices.


----------



## Guest

d+jhomeservices said:


> size of a wsher or dryer and thats 1 cu yd\


I've never heard that, but a pretty simple trick. Thanks.


----------



## BigMonkey

I have a yardstick nailed to a 3' wide stand.. it's florescent pink. I put this in all my debris pictures. 

then I take a huge load of pics to justify my bids.


----------



## Guest

I'd just tell them I want X amount of dollars for the trash out or they can pound sand! :whistling

Man, what you guys put up with is beyond belief.


----------



## Guest

W x D x H


----------



## JFMURFY

JuicyJ said:


> They are really tough though. For some stuff that they can't even see. Everything looks soooo different in the pics.


That point is one to remember... It's all in the photo's. Learn what and how to take them. Very important.


----------



## BamaPPC

open the boxes to show they are full. open dresser drawers to show what is in them. take photos from multiple angles. and having something of known size in the picture is a good way to show scale. (55 gal drum, 5 gal bucket, ect)


----------



## BPWY

TimberlineMD said:


> I'd just tell them I want X amount of dollars for the trash out or they can pound sand!




That's where I am.
Had one last week that wasn't too bad but was scattered around quite a bit with heavy items.

Told them my price because of the time involved.
They said that's ok, we'll get some one else.

Oh well.


----------



## JDRM

BPWY said:


> That's where I am.
> Had one last week that wasn't too bad but was scattered around quite a bit with heavy items.
> 
> Told them my price because of the time involved.
> They said that's ok, we'll get some one else.
> 
> Oh well.


Similar one here yesterday, 35cyd upstairs, 20cyd in basement which had to be pumped down due to flooding, everything in basement was soaked, bid the basement debris double due to extra weight. They approved the upper levels only.


----------



## GTX63

You mean they denied even pumping out the basement? Don't they have an emergency allowable? What clown outfit was that?


----------



## JDRM

GTX63 said:


> You mean they denied even pumping out the basement? Don't they have an emergency allowable? What clown outfit was that?


No, they denied the debris removal at double price $ 80cyd, the pumping was done. The debris sits soaked still from the flooding, which is why I bid double, it is obviously much heavier!


----------



## GTX63

LOL. We used to argue over debris totals and weights with Nationals. They tried to give us the cockamamee spin that 100lbs of bricks is billed out at the same rate as 100lbs of feathers, so it all evens out.
When is the last time that formula tilted in your favor?


----------



## Benluby

GTX63 said:


> LOL. We used to argue over debris totals and weights with Nationals. They tried to give us the cockamamee spin that 100lbs of bricks is billed out at the same rate as 100lbs of feathers, so it all evens out.
> When is the last time that formula tilted in your favor?


Are they stupid? 100 pounds of feathers would take up a LOT more cubic yardage than 100 pounds of bricks. So, by their own example, they were wrong.


----------



## HollandPPC

JuicyJ said:


> I need some help guaging how many cubic yards of debris I have. Is there a formula or a visual measurement that I can follow. I once saw that a bag of garbage was 1 cubic yard. Thanks.....New to the game.


The best way to estimate yardage is go to the house and take lots of pictures. Send all your photos into your coordinator. Wait and see what the bank tells you is the yardage, then go and do work. Easy enough right?


----------

