Dumpster Rental Terms Explained
The vocabulary haulers use, in plain language. Most surprise charges come from one of these terms being on the invoice but not in the conversation.
- Roll-off dumpster
- An open-top waste container delivered and collected by a truck with a hydraulic hoist. It rolls off the truck bed on wheels, which is where the name comes from. Sizes run 10 to 40 cubic yards.
- Cubic yard
- The unit dumpsters are sized in — a volume three feet on each side. A 20-yard dumpster holds 20 cubic yards of loose material, roughly six pickup truck loads.
- Tonnage allowance
- The weight included in the rental price, commonly one to two tons. Weight beyond it is billed separately, and it is the single most common source of an unexpected charge.
- Overage
- The per-ton charge for weight above the included allowance. Typically $50 to $125 per ton depending on local disposal costs.
- Tipping fee
- What a landfill or transfer station charges a hauler per ton to accept waste. It is the largest single input to a dumpster rental price, and why the same container costs far more in some regions than others.
- Square (roofing)
- One hundred square feet of roof area. Roofers quote in squares, and it is the unit that matters for estimating tear-off weight: architectural shingles run roughly 400 to 430 pounds per square.
- Clean fill
- A load of only concrete, brick, dirt or asphalt with no wood, trash or metal mixed in. Because it can be recycled rather than landfilled, many haulers charge a lower flat rate for it.
- C&D debris
- Construction and demolition debris — lumber, drywall, roofing, flooring and fixtures. It usually goes to a dedicated C&D facility rather than a municipal landfill.
- Dry run / trip fee
- A charge applied when a truck arrives and cannot deliver or collect — a car in the way, a locked gate, an overloaded container. Usually $75 to $150.
- Swap
- Collecting a full container and dropping an empty one on the same trip. On longer projects a scheduled swap rate is normally cheaper than repeated one-off rentals.
- Prohibited items
- Material a hauler will not accept: paint, oil, batteries, tires, propane tanks, asbestos, refrigerant appliances and most electronics. Lists vary by state and by facility.
- Level load
- Debris filled no higher than the container walls. Anything above the rim cannot be legally tarped or transported, so the driver will refuse it or charge to have it levelled.
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