We created this awesome, content-packed dumpster rental guide to help you navigate through the entire dumpster rental process. You will learn how to get the lowest price through our actionable tips, how to decide on the right dumpster size and important things to consider when renting a dumpster. Enjoy!

1. Why are you renting a dumpster?

Before you decide on anything, you need to clearly define how big your project is going to be. We service a variety of customers such as contractors, homeowners, businesses, realtors, landlords and many more.

Here are a few examples of why each person mentioned above would need our dumpster roll off services:

• Contractors: building a home, demolishing a building or home, landscaping, roof removal, and home siding replacement.
• Homeowners: renovating a kitchen/bathroom/basement, cleaning a garage, removing a deck, gutting rooms, tearing down walls.
• Businesses: garbage disposal, office clean-outs, building remodeling.
• Realtors: cleaning out abandoned homes, home upgrades, home improvements, landscaping upgrades.
• Landlords: home/building demolition, clean-outs, remodeling, large home/building repairs.

Whatever your needs are, it’s important to specify with as much detail is possible so that you and our representatives can choose the best dumpster sizes available. The bigger your project is, the bigger the canister you will need to rent.

2. Choose a dumpster size

The next step in the process is to select your size dumpster. All sizes are based on cubic yards. For example, a 5 yard container will hold 5 cubic yards of waste and junk, a 10 yard container will hold 10 cubic yards of waste.

Some rolloffs have swinging doors that open on one side which makes it easier if you are disposing heavy junk, but most containers are your typical open top canisters. Here are some brief descriptions and dimensions of our dumpsters and their sizes.

The 5 yard dumpster bin is best used for the small jobs like garage and shed clean outs. This size can also be used for small bathroom renovations too. There are numerous projects that the 5 yard container can handle and it is very versatile because of its size and light weight. You don’t have to worry about damaging your driveway with this bad boy. Some common uses:

The 10 yard dumpster bin is one of the most common containers because it fits the needs of nearly any project. Being able to hold 10 cubic yards of junk, it will challenge you to fill it up. When you call your local hauler, tell them about your project and they will help you figure out whether this size is a good option for you. Here are typical projects for the 10 yard:

The 15 yard dumpster bin is a popular choice with homeowners, businesses, and contractors. This container will hold 15 yards of cubic junk and its common dimensions are 12 ft long – 7 ft wide – 5 ft high. Call your local haulers to see if this size is big enough or too little for your project. Typical uses for the 15 yard are:

The 20 yard dumpster bin is the most popular size out of any rental size. It’s small enough to easily fit in your driveway, but large enough to tackle big projects like building/home construction, large demolitions jobs, and large landscaping jobs. As you probably have guessed already, this container holds 20 yards of cubic junk. Here are the most common jobs for the 20 yard:

The 30 yard dumpster bin will hold 10-12 pick up loads and has an approximate weight limit of 4 tons. A 30 yard holds 30 cubic yards of junk. When the 20 yard is a bit too small for a job, you can always count on the 30 yard bin to hold all the big projects. The most common uses for this size are:

3. Get the best dumpster price quote

Before you go and rent a dumpster, it’s important to understand the extra fees that may be involved. Some of these can cost more than others.

Dumpster rental haulers all have their own fees they will charge. It may be because the landfills charge them more, or they might charge by weight, and they may even charge for fuel costs and days the roll off container is kept over the limited time period. Whatever the fees are, rolloff companies have a good reason to charge them and it won’t make or break the bank but it’s always nice to know the potential fees when buying anything!

Base Rate. The base rate is the flat cost of the dumpster rental. The price of the base rate will be most of the cost you pay for when renting dumpsters. These rates don’t change very often, and you can find these prices directly from hauler websites or by calling them directly if they don’t provide pricing on the website. 

Tonnage Fee. A tonnage fee is described as the amount (in tons) over the weight limit designated for a particular canister. For example, the weight limit of a 20 yard container is 4 tons. If you throw more than 4 tons of waste into it, then you will be charged a flat rate of $50 or so (the flat charge is not universal and depends on the hauler you use). 

Tipping Fee. Tipping fees are fees that the landfill charges the hauler each time they dispose of the waste from their dump truck and into the landfill. These fees vary by state and a good resource to find more information on tipping fees can be found at Recycling Today website.

Late Return Fee. Sometimes projects will take longer than expected, and because of that, you will have to keep the trash bin longer than the agreed upon time frame. Late charges are per day or per week and usually cost around $25-50 each day you keep the rental over the time frame.

Refill Fee. This fee depends on the dumpster hauler. Some will give you 1 free refill and others will charge you each time to have roll off trash bins refilled. Check with your local roll off companies to get more clarified answers. 

Hazardous Waste Fee. This fee can get pretty expensive so be responsible and don’t throw hazardous waste into the trash containers. Hazardous waste can be any of the following:

Miscellaneous Fees. Sometimes you will need a permit from your local municipality to park a roll off on a public street or cul-de-sac. Call your local municipality for more info. 

Extra Charge To Throw These Materials:

4. Comparing Different Dumpster Haulers

Once you have figured out your project needs, dumpster size, and you understand the costs, you can start to compare the haulers in your area. Comparing roll off dumpster services by price is a great indicator on who you will choose, but don’t overlook these other characteristics of a good company, and the potential of a great experience!

Featured services are vital for dumpster rental companies to separate themselves from the competition. These services might include:

Location. If the rental service is close to you, it might be cheaper. It could be cheaper because of less gas used to drive out, and less labor costs for not being on the road as long. You might not get the cheapest rate, but it doesn’t hurt to tell the company that you will go with them if they drop the price a bit because you live down the road. 

Apart from the featured services and location, make sure that they have your size needed. All roll off businesses are not the same and do not carry the same sizes. You need to know if they have any dumpsters available in stock for you to rent a dumpster.