Dumpster Rental Costs - How To Keep Low

So, you are looking for a local dumpster rental to get rid of all that extra junk? A dumpster rental is the perfect and most convenient way to do it for sure. Today dumpster rental is a lot more common than it used to be. This is partly because a few companies (like Trash Daddy 🧐) have made it much easier for the average person. You are looking for a dumpster rental, but how much will it cost? That varies by many factors, starting by the area of the country where you rent it. In this article, we will go over some factors that affect dumpster rental prices. We will also discuss ways you as a customer can help keep those dumpster rental costs low.

Flat Rate Pricing

The dumpster rental companies with the lowest costs will usually have flat rate pricing. This means one price with no extra fees, normally up to a certain weight limit. Costs will be minimal with a flat rate because there is a certain amount of weight included in the price. The good dumpster rental companies will build their pricing around the average weight of a dumpster. This means that the majority of customers will not exceed the weight limit. That will keep any overweight fees to a minimum.

Another common price option for dumpster rental is what is called "haul plus ton". This is not ideal, because you pay a base rate, plus a rate for however many tons the dumpster weighs. This can be good if you aren't throwing away much and the dumpster is light. However, that is not the case for most customers. Most people want to "get their money's worth" if or when they rent a dumpster. Usually that means clearing out years of built up junk and debris. Most customers will see lower costs with flat rate pricing, rather than haul plus ton.

Weight Limits

Most dumpster rental companies will have a weight limit that goes with each size. Any dumpster can hold 10 tons or more of weight. However, once you fill it with more than 10 tons of material, it becomes dangerous to haul. A typical 20 or 30 yard dumpster rental will weigh around 3 tons, if being filled with normal household items. This would be within the weight limit of most companies, which would keep your costs down. If you go over the weight limit, most companies will charge an "overweight fee". This is because the heavier the dumpster, the more it costs to dispose of at the landfill. You can keep your costs down by making sure not to add heavy material like brick, rock, concrete, dirt or sod.

If you DO need to dispose of heavy material, the companies that are on the ball and have experience in this industry (like Trash Daddy 🤩) have an option to still keep your costs down! The name for this is "heavy can", usually preceded by the size. For example, a "12 yard heavy". Normally this is a smaller size dumpster. Most haulers won't want to use larger dumpsters (like 30s or 40s) for heavy material. A "heavy can" is simply a smaller dumpster with a higher weight limit for a slightly higher price. So it will have a slightly higher flat rate cost, but the weight limit is often double or more what that same size normally is. This is the best option to keep your costs down if you need to get rid of heavy material.

Rental Periods

You should just pay close attention to the rental period of the dumpster. A few years ago it was common for haulers to let customers keep the dumpsters for an "open-ended" time frame. Today, that is much more rare, especially in certain areas of the country. Many haulers are trying to cycle through their dumpster inventory as often as possible. So, now you see companies offering much shorter terms like 7, 5, and even 3 days in some cases. We would not recommend these extremely short terms normally. It's very easy to start a clean up project, and have it take longer than you think. If you hold on to the dumpster longer than the rental period, there are extra fees. You can keep your dumpster rental costs down by staying within your rental period.

Extra Charges

There are a couple of extra charges that are less common in dumpster rental. If you are aware of them, it makes it easy to avoid them. A "dry run" fee is the one of these charges. If a driver comes out and he isn't able to deliver or pick up the dumpster, it results in a dry run fee. That might be because the dumpster is behind a locked gate or blocked by cars. Or in many cases the customer tells the driver to come back another time. Many customers don't realize that by doing this, you will incur a fee. This because there is a cost to operate the truck and sending a driver out.

A "relocate fee" is another of these charges. When a driver places a dumpster in a spot that the customer does not want, and the customer asks for it to be moved, this will normally result in a relocate fee. Most customers don't consider the fact that there is a cost to getting a truck and driver back to a location. If you are very clear and precise about the placement of the dumpster rental at the time of order, the majority of the time there will never be an issue. If the driver just makes a mistake, most of the time the company will waive this fee (the good ones will).

How To Keep Your Dumpster Rental Costs Low - Conclusion

There are multiple ways a customer can control their dumpster rental costs to help keep them lower. Use companies with flat rate pricing, pay attention to what you put in the dumpster to keep it under the weight limit, look at dumpster rentals with longer rental periods, and be aware of extra charges and how they occur like dry run fees or relocate fees. By being aware of these few simple things, it could potentially save you hundreds of dollars on your next dumpster rental!