If this is your first time hiring a dumpster rental company, here are a few tips that will save you time, money, and potential headaches. Luckily the dumpster rental process is pretty easy and is meant to be a convenience to you when you need to dispose of large amounts of waste.
The first step is to figure out precisely what you need to get rid of, and how much of it you have. If you are moving out or doing a spring cleaning, a 10 or 20 yard dumpster is likely to be all you need. You can dispose of most household materials in a dumpster, but note that hazardous materials like gasoline, chemicals, medical waste, oil, are usually prohibited. Items like drywall, branches, shrubbery, trash bags, pieces of furniture (that fit in the dumpster), stale food, and other pieces of household junk are typically fine. An easy way to estimate the size of dumpster you’ll need is to estimate how many trash bags you would need to clean up everything. Estimate that a dumpster can hold about 1.5 trash bags per cubic yard, so just divide the estimated number of trash bags by 1.5 to figure out approximately which size of dumpster you’ll need.
If you are undergoing a construction project and need to throw out heavier items like roof shingles, concrete, or demolition waste, you will need a dumpster with a higher weight limit like a 30 or 40 yard rental. Naturally, larger dumpsters cost more money, and it’s important to note that you likely won’t save any money for unused space, but you will definitely be charged if you go over the dumpster’s weight limit. Note that the “size” of the dumpster actually refers to how many cubic yards of waste it can hold, so a dumpster nearly half the size of a football field won’t be showing up to your house!
Properly loading the dumpster can allow you to get much more value out of your rental. You want the densest materials at the bottom of the dumpster, so load those in first. If you are getting rid of dirt also make sure to put that in the dumpster early, because if it lies too close to the top then it could fly up and get in your eyes. You’ll need to make sure that everything is securely in the container and not overflowing before the company picks up your rental, so it’s best to load unwieldy items early as well. 30 or 40 yard rentals frequently have doors so that you can easily walk in large items. Try to break down any especially large items like tree trunks, branches, or pieces of wood to make loading the dumpster easier.
Renting a dumpster is meant to make your life easier, and chances are good that it will. If you have any questions, simply reach out to your local dumpster rental company and they will very likely be able to help you.