Cleanouts
Dumpster for a garage or home cleanout
A cluttered garage is mostly light, bulky stuff: boxes, old furniture, bikes, shelving. That fills a container by volume long before weight becomes a problem, so a mid-size roll-off is the usual pick.
Phone hours: Monday–Saturday 8 a.m.–8 p.m. and Sunday 8 a.m.–1 p.m., Eastern time
Pull these out before anything goes in
Garages in Lee County tend to collect the things a roll-off company won't take. Walk the shelves first and set aside:
- Pool chemicals, pesticides and drain cleaners
- Half-used cans of paint, stain and thinner
- Car and boat batteries, motor oil and old gas cans
- Propane cylinders from the grill
- Fluorescent tubes from the shop light
All of these go to Lee County's household chemical drop-off on Topaz Court in south Fort Myers, open weekdays and the first Saturday of each month. Put them in a box by themselves so nobody tosses them in by mistake on cleanout day.
Does the city curb pickup cover it?
Maybe. Inside the City of Fort Myers, the weekly bulk collection takes up to four cubic yards of household items such as furniture and mattresses, according to the Solid Waste FAQ. A one-car garage of mostly boxes can sometimes go out over two or three weeks that way.
A roll-off earns its keep when you want it gone in one go: a house sale, a tenant moving in, or a garage you finally want to park in before summer storms. It also helps when the pile is mixed, because curb crews want junk and brush kept apart.
Sizes that usually fit
| Job | Size people often book | Why |
|---|---|---|
| One-car garage, mostly boxes | 10 or 15 yard | Light load, fits a short driveway |
| Two-car garage with furniture | 15 or 20 yard | Sofas and shelving take up room |
| Garage, attic and spare rooms together | 20 or 30 yard | Bulky, but still light |
Not sure? The size guide shows how to measure your pile in cubic yards.
Plan the day around the heat
Attic work in Southwest Florida is a job for early morning. Bring things down before late morning, stage them in the shade of the garage, and load the container from the rear door end so heavy items go in first and flat boxes fill the gaps on top.
Break down cardboard. Flat boxes take a fraction of the space and leave room for the awkward pieces, like a rusted bike frame or a broken patio set.
Fort Myers and nearby Lee County
Get a size, a drop-off date and a price
Tell the company what you're throwing out, which spot on the property you have in mind and how many days you need it. Booking is up to you.
Rent by phone
You'll speak with an independent local dumpster rental company. Have the address and a rough list of what's going in.
Call (239) 312-9438Phone hours: Monday–Saturday 8 a.m.–8 p.m. and Sunday 8 a.m.–1 p.m., Eastern time
You speak with an independent company, not with this website. See the referral disclosure.