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If you’re working on a construction, renovation, or home improvement project, there’s one indispensable tool you will not want to do without: a rental dumpster. These essential tools ensure that your project will go off without a hitch, keeping costs, time spent, and safety hazards to a minimum. In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about renting a dumpster to get the best deal possible while making the most of your investment.
Taking Out the Trash
Finding the right dumpster rental for your project is a fairly straightforward process, with the main factor requiring consideration being the overall size of the dumpster. Rentable dumpsters usually come in a range of sizes from between 10 to 40 cubic yards. These full-size 40 cubic yard dumpsters are the ones you can find placed at any construction site and are approximately the length of a semi truckload.
Most rentable dumpsters are known as “temporary roll-off dumpsters” and will be delivered and removed from your property by a semi-truck or other large vehicle. It’s important to make sure you have an adequate place to park the dumpster where it is easily accessible and won’t block roads, sidewalks, or other highly-trafficked thoroughfares. Most dumpsters, especially the large ones, allow you to either open doors on the side to bring objects into the dumpster or simply throw them over the top into the receiving area.
Selecting the Right Size
Choosing the right size for you will depend on what type of project you are working on. It’s critical not to underestimate the size you will need, as trying to fit too much trash into a small dumpster can create unsafe working conditions and raise overall costs.
Some of the typical projects that will work well for different sizes are:
- 10 cubic yards: Attic or basement cleanout, yard work, small amounts of heavy material
- 20 cubic yards: Kitchen or bathroom renovation, roofing cleanup, bedroom remodel
- 30 cubic yards: Large-scale home or office cleanout, home addition job, demolition work
- 40 cubic yards: Long-term projects, home demolition or construction, major remodeling work on multiple rooms
How to Lower Costs When Renting a Dumpster
There are some things to keep in mind when working with rentable dumpsters that can both save you money and prevent you from incurring higher costs. To save money, consider discussing a “clean load” with the waste disposal company, which is a load consisting of all “green” ecological waste, recyclable material, or all one type of material. This type of load is easier to dispose of, and many companies will provide a discount if you can ensure your load will meet these requirements.
To make sure that you don’t incur extra fees, there are two things to consider:
Weight limits
Most normal loads and projects won’t come close to exceeding the weight limits imposed by these companies. After all, having a full, heavy load is expected of anyone renting a dumpster. However, if you’re loading a full dumpster with extra-heavy material like concrete or dirt, it’s a good idea to make sure that you won’t exceed any weight limits by discussing the specifics of your load when renting the dumpster.
Prohibited items
There will always be some items that can’t be disposed of in a rentable dumpster. Obviously, materials that are explosive, dangerous, or hazardous to human health must be disposed of properly. There may also be less obvious prohibited items you should discuss with the company before loading, such as batteries, paint, printer ink, or certain appliances like refrigerators.
As long as you don’t violate these requirements, anything else should be fair game for a rentable dumpster. These are commonly used to dispose of everything from household trash to old furniture, and most waste disposal companies have the means to dispose of any normal waste you may have.
For appliances like refrigerators or ovens, the EPA’s responsible appliance disposal program has lots of tips and even ways you can get rebates or buyback offers for disposing of them the right way.
Get it Done Safely
When it comes to projects that will produce large amounts of waste, it’s best not to skimp out on the cost of a dumpster. Nothing creates health hazards and toxic environmental dangers like piles of trash that people can trip over and catch their clothes on, or even worse, might leak into the environment. The most effective way to mitigate these risks and liabilities is to make sure that you have an adequate rentable dumpster on site.
The main thing you should take away from this article is this: if you think you might need a dumpster for a project you’re working on or about to start, you probably will. Renting the right dumpster will make sure that your workflow is unimpeded and that anyone on site has the safe working conditions they deserve. Get your project on the right track today by contacting a waste disposal company that can get the perfect dumpster for you.
