Dumpster Rentals: The Truth About Hidden Surcharges & Unnecessary Fees

​Restoration, remodeling, and clean-out projects can be stressful enough… The last thing you want to worry about when you rent a dumpster is getting hit with hidden surcharges and unnecessary fees after the project is complete. Unfortunately, it happens more often than you’d think.

National waste management and disposal companies are notorious for tacking on these kinds of fees. Their invoices and receipts can be complicated and very hard to understand, and unsuspecting customers can end up paying a large amount over and above what they anticipated thanks to these additional costs.

Here are a few additional costs I’ve seen on some of their invoices:

• Fuel surcharge
• Environmental fee(s)
• Administration fee
• State generator tax fee
• Host fee
• Regulatory cost recovery charge

Lucky for you, there are a few things you can do to help avoid these types of surprises. Request an online quote to help track exactly what is included in each company’s estimated price. Be sure to ask about a few standard things, like how much is the delivery/pick-up charge, how many tons are included in the base price, and what is the cost for additional tons if you happen go over. A lot of the surcharges are tied to the amount of waste to be disposed of, so with many dumpster rentals, the heavier the load, the higher the price.

Also, when shopping around for waste containers, provide as much information as you can about your project upfront. This includes things like:

• Type of project and the kinds of materials being discarded. (Many have programs for recycling construction waste, so be sure to ask if they do construction waste recycling!)
• Property address and requested dumpster placement.
• What size construction dumpster you need. (They can help you determine the appropriate size based on the other information you provide.)
• Anticipated dates/number of days dumpster is needed

Bottom line is, do your homework! The more educated you are upfront about the companies you do business with, the less surprise you’ll encounter in the end.