Dumpster rental: what it really costs, sizes and weight limits

What a dumpster rental costs, line by line

Private companies usually quote one flat price that bundles a set number of days and tons. Some cities rent their own roll-offs and publish every piece separately, which shows exactly what you're paying for. The City of Temple, Texas:

Worked example: a 20-yard kept 7 days holding 3 tons of household junk: $35 rental + $70 delivery + $154 pickup + $98.46 disposal = $357.46, plus $29.49 tax = $386.95. Fill it with 4.2 tons of construction debris instead and disposal rises to $137.84, for about $429.58 with tax.

Two other published examples: Virginia Beach rents residents a 13-by-7-by-5-foot container for yard debris only, at $50 on weekdays (Monday to Thursday) or $150 over a weekend (delivered Friday, collected Monday). Garland, Texas rents residents 20-, 30- and 40-yard roll-offs and quotes on request.

The disposal line is the one that moves. Landfill rates vary widely — see what it costs to dump at a landfill — and a dumpster company's overage charge per ton is usually built on its own landfill's rate.

Dumpster sizes

Roll-off sizes are named by volume in cubic yards. Garland, Texas publishes the dimensions and weight limits of its residential containers:

Temple's are close: 22 by 8 feet, from 4 feet 6 inches high for a 20-yard to 7 feet 8 inches for a 40-yard. The footprint barely changes between sizes — the walls get taller — so a bigger container doesn't need a bigger driveway, just room to load over higher sides.

Weight limits: the part that costs you

You rent by size, but you pay by weight. EPA's standard conversion factors put mixed household junk at 250 to 300 lbs a cubic yard and construction and demolition debris at about 417 lbs. So a full 20-yard container weighs:

• Household junk: about 2.5 to 3 tons
• Construction debris: about 4.2 tons — already over Garland's 4-ton limit for that size

Heavy material is the trap. Garland lets you put dirt, rock, brick or dry concrete only in its 20-yard container, and only up to half full; its 30- and 40-yard containers take none. Ask about heavy-material rules and the overage charge per ton before you book.

What you can't put in a dumpster

Everything in the container ends up at a landfill or transfer station, so their rules become yours:

• Household chemicals — paint, fertilizer, pesticides. Garland tells renters to take them to a home-chemical collection center instead. See paint disposal.
• Whole tires — banned from landfills in thirty-six of the fifty states we cover (not Washington, Alabama, New Hampshire, Maine, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, New Jersey, Nevada, Rhode Island, Delaware, North Dakota, Wyoming or Alaska). See tire disposal.
• Car batteries — banned from landfills in forty of the fifty states (not Maryland, Alabama, Kansas, Montana, Oklahoma, Nevada, Delaware, South Dakota, Wyoming or Alaska). See battery disposal.
• Fridges, freezers and AC units — the refrigerant has to be recovered first. See appliance disposal.

Also ask your company about mattresses, electronics and heavy materials; many charge extra or refuse them.

Driveways, streets and permits

Most residential dumpsters go in the driveway. Garland's rules are a good checklist: a paved driveway, no overhead wires, the container not extending into the street, and a driveway at least 30 feet long from the sidewalk to the garage.

A dumpster on a public street or sidewalk usually needs city permission — ask public works or the right-of-way office who applies and what it costs. Some cities also regulate containers on private property: in Houston, properties with a dumpster or roll-off larger than 50 cubic feet, or any dumpster staying more than 60 days, need a City Combustible Waste Storage permit.

Dumpster or junk removal: which is cheaper?

• Rent a dumpster for a big project you'll load yourself over several days: a remodel, a roof, or a whole-house cleanout. You pay for delivery, pickup and weight, not labor.
• Hire junk removal for a handful of heavy items, a one-day cleanout, or anything you can't lift. You skip the rental days, the driveway and the weight tickets, and the crew does the carrying.
• Haul it yourself if you have a truck: a pickup load of household junk is only about 500 to 600 lbs. Check your local dump fee; many cities let residents dump free.