how not to forget your trash pick up

Posted on: 27 August 2020

Roll-off dumpsters are so named because they are designed to roll off of the truck they are transported on. They are often used for commercial and residential projects that involve a lot of trash being generated, such as completely overhauling a yard or doing a home renovation, roofing projects, and so on.

If you have never rented a roll-off before, there are some important things to know.

To start with, not all things can be disposed of in roll-off dumpsters. There are local and state regulations regarding which kinds of items can be discarded this way, with which you are probably already somewhat familiar. Additionally, many of the dumpster rental companies do not wish to deal with certain types of materials and will ban you from discarding them in their dumpsters. So you want to be aware of that before you rent the dumpster and be certain you are getting the correct dumpster for your project.

Next, you need to think about size. Roll-off dumpsters are typically marketed by volume. A 20-yard dumpster, for example, would have 20 cubic yards of space inside of it. It can be hard for anybody to conceptualize a volume of this magnitude. For a comparison that may seem more grounded to you, soilbuildingsystems.com says that a full-size pickup bed is about 2.5 cubic yards. So a dumpster that is 20 cubic yards is roughly equivalent to 8 pickup truck beds.

It's also important to note that many of these dumpsters have a weight limit. This weight limit will vary by company and dumpster size, but generally, it's going to be in the range of several tons. Weight is an important factor to think about if you're dealing with particularly dense materials. This would include things like brick, dirt, stone, concrete, or anything else that is relatively heavy compared to its physical size. In cases where you are disposing of these denser materials, you should get a smaller dumpster than you think you need. This is because the truck that will be transporting your dumpster has a maximum weight limit, and filling a larger dumpster with brick may put you well past that. This can lead to expensive overages.

Finally, you will need to plan ahead for where you want your dumpster placed. Sometimes these dumpsters can scar concrete, so you will want to put a protective layer of plywood down where you want the dumpster to be. If you want to park your dumpster anywhere on public property, you will likely need to obtain a special permit (where eligible). If you have questions about this or other issues, you should reach out to a roll-off dumpster rental service. The staff will be happy to help you.