The Ugly Truth about Ordering a Dumpster

When done the right way, ordering a dumpster can do a lot to make your life easier. Whether you order a dumpster for a big residential decluttering project or a major commercial construction contract job, the benefits are numerous. You have a convenient place to deposit junk and debris, you can move through your project at a pace that makes sense for you, and when you’re done, everything gets hauled away.

When done the wrong way, though, renting a dumpster can end up being more trouble than it’s worth. For all its conveniences, the dumpster hire process is littered with potential pitfalls that can cost you time and money and undo a lot of the benefits of ordering a dumpster. The key to having a positive experience, then, is dodging the pitfalls.

Before You Order a Dumpster, Make Sure You’re Aware of These Ugly Truths

So, what are the ugly truths of renting a dumpster? Below, we’ve outlined some of the biggest pitfalls you’re likely to encounter when you order a dumpster. Hopefully, knowing about these roadblocks and hurdles before you place your order will help you avoid them.

1. The Pitfall: “Choose your size.”

If there’s one pitfall that hits almost every first-time dumpster rental, it’s size. Do you know how much junk is in your basement, or how much debris your roofing or renovation project is going to generate? Unless you’re a mathematical genius with superhuman estimating powers, the answer is probably “No.”

With the average dumpster rental company, though, you do have to make an estimate. These businesses offer 5-6 different dumpster sizes, and you can only rent one by choosing a size. Since most people don’t know how much space they need—and don’t really know what 20 or 30 cubic yards of space looks like anyway—they tend to book bins that are too big. Unfortunately, even if you don’t use all that space, most dumpster rental companies make you pay for it. The pitfall of the “choose your size” business model, then, is that you end up flushing money down the drain.

The Solution: Look for a dumpster company that bills differently. There are businesses out there that will charge you for the amount of space you use rather than just billing you a flat fee for the dumpster. There are also companies that streamline the rental process with a one-size-fits-all model. Not having to pick a bin size takes most of the stress out of ordering a dumpster for most customers.

1. The Pitfall: Big delivery fees

When you rent a dumpster, the payment model will vary a bit depending on the company you use. Usually, though, there are three main factors at play: the dumpster you rent, the amount of space you use (if you find a company that bills this way), and the delivery and pickup distance.

Just like you’d pay more for a long cab ride, you are going to pay more if the dumpster rental company has to travel a long way to deliver your bin. These fees can add up between drop-off and pickup, so make sure you know what you are getting yourself into before you finalize the transaction. Otherwise, you could find yourself facing some nasty and unexpectedly high costs when you get your invoice.

The Solution: As you’re researching different dumpster rental companies in your area, make sure to take note of their locations. While there are probably multiple businesses serving your city, town, or suburb, you want to find the ones that are nearest to your location. Another strategy is to get quotes from multiple services. Price quotes should include pickup and delivery costs and will give you a sense of just how much distance affects the price of your service.

1. The Pitfall: “You can’t put that in your bin.”

You can’t just assume that you are permitted to throw any junk into your dumpster. Virtually every dumpster rental business will have restrictions on what you can or cannot deposit in the bin. Sometimes, these restrictions are straightforward and unsurprising. For instance, you are unlikely to find a company that will let you put hazardous waste in your dumpster. Motor oil or gasoline can’t go in your dumpster because it’s just not safe to throw that stuff away.

Other times, though, the restrictions will come as bigger surprises. For example, some dumpster rental companies don’t accept electronic waste. Others have limitations on furniture and appliances. Some will require you to rent separate bins for particular kinds of waste, such as construction debris or yard waste.

If you don’t know about these limitations beforehand, you can find yourself in some pretty irritating situations. You might have to remove certain items from your dumpster at pickup time or make alternate arrangements for different kinds of waste. These kinds of complications make it harder to hit deadlines for your project or stick to your initial budget.