Bathrooms are small rooms but they generate surprisingly heavy debris. A single cast iron tub can weigh 300 to 500 lbs by itself. Full ceramic tile floors and walls add up fast once they are broken up and piled. Vanities, toilets, drywall, and old flooring layers all contribute. Underestimating the weight on a bathroom demo is one of the most common reasons people end up with overage charges.
For a single bathroom remodel where you are replacing tile, a vanity, the toilet, and maybe the tub, a 15-yard container is typically the right fit. You will have plenty of space for the volume and your load will likely come in under or around the 3,000 lb weight limit if the debris is a normal mix of ceramic, drywall, and fixtures.
When to step up to a 20-yard: if you have a cast iron tub, multiple layers of tile on the floor, or if you are combining the bathroom with other demo work happening at the same time. Cast iron tubs are legitimately heavy and combined with tile they can push a load close to or past the 15-yard weight limit before the container is even visually full.
The tile weight question is important. Standard ceramic or porcelain tile runs about 4 to 6 lbs per square foot. A medium bathroom with tile on the floor and surround might have 150 to 200 square feet of tile. That is 600 to 1,200 lbs just in tile, before anything else. Factor that into your size decision early rather than after the container is already on your driveway.
If you are in West Chester, Hamilton, or Fairfield and are not sure which size covers your bathroom project, call Jason at 513-484-2414 and describe what you are pulling out. We will give you a straight answer based on what the job actually involves, not the upsell.