Dumpster Rental -- tips or tricks?

[Jack Olsen]

My garage wouldn't appear to have multiple dumpsters worth of junk in it, but that's because through the last couple of years of renovation work inside the garage I moved all of the leftovers, scraps and other junk out. What never shows up in the clean-and-shiny pictures is the so-messy-it's-comical little back yard. I just sent out two truckloads of old steel and aluminum to the recyclers. I've still got some big piles of slowly-rotting wood and the random detritus of three years of garage-re-doing and (also) re-configuring the house for a new kid.

So, I need to rent a dumpster. I've done it before. But remember, I'm cheap. It hurts to spend any money, and it hurts even more if I suspect that I could have spent less if I dug around for information a little more.

I'm in Los Angeles, near the La Brea Tar Pits. I guess I'm wondering if anyone in the area knows of a decent (meaning: cheap) dumpster service, or if guys from other parts of the country have any suggestions on how to do it smarter or cheaper.

Suggestions?

 

[Steve from Socal]

Jack,

Look on C-list in services, the heyday for construction is long gone. You may be surprised to find a couple of guys that will come and load their truck for what you would pay a name brand dumpster service.

Steve

 

[ishiboo]

My garage wouldn't appear to have multiple dumpsters worth of junk in it, but that's because through the last couple of years of renovation work inside the garage I moved all of the leftovers, scraps and other junk out. What never shows up in the clean-and-shiny pictures is the so-messy-it's-comical little back yard. I just sent out two truckloads of old steel and aluminum to the recyclers. I've still got some big piles of slowly-rotting wood and the random detritus of three years of garage-re-doing and (also) re-configuring the house for a new kid.

So, I need to rent a dumpster. I've done it before. But remember, I'm cheap. It hurts to spend any money, and it hurts even more if I suspect that I could have spent less if I dug around for information a little more.

I'm in Los Angeles, near the La Brea Tar Pits. I guess I'm wondering if anyone in the area knows of a decent (meaning: cheap) dumpster service, or if guys from other parts of the country have any suggestions on how to do it smarter or cheaper.

Suggestions?

The haulers around here are all rednecks with trailers, probably the same anywhere. Should have gave them the scrap and in exchange had them take the trash too when they were done

 

[coldfusion21]

I know up here to get a dumpster it's big money, plus the usual dump fee. So if you can get the trash to the dump you save lots of money. Plus anything that involves a full size truck and associated driver isn't gonna be cheap ( diesel costs, plus maintenance, licensing fees and hourly wage for driver)

Cheapest option: haul yourself, or rent a truck to haul yourself.

 

[rsanter]

I take it your city dosent have a trash pickup day?

who do you work for? some employers will allow you to dump stuff there...

do you have a friend with a warehouse or buisness. these often have small to large dumpsters and you could use that

is there anything there of any value...if so start by giving that stuff away

bob

 

[tatra]

you have a jeep so maybe check into renting a dump trailer.........loading trash ***** , unloadings ***** more.........push of a button and the smile on your face will be priceless [ hopefully mrs. olsen is there to capture the moment ].......there are services here that use a big claw to come and load trash into their trailer and take it to the dump..........if you were in winnipeg you could just go to the areas of the city that use multi family auto bins [ mini dumpsters] and dispose of it in those.......seen and heard of lot's of contractors doing that around here...........

 

[neonnblack]

Dump it in the pits? Your best bet would probably like stated before to rent a truck or trailer and do it yourself to save the money. I dont know who the main trash company is in LA, but here its waste management and we ordered a 30 yard open top dumpster the other day at work and it was 500 bucks.

 

[Daniel Dudley]

I pay a lot less if I haul it to the transfer station myself, but I am seeing three day rental specials on dumpsters and even huge bags that they sling out, so it is worth calling around to see.

Latest deal around here is three days, no dumpster fee, only the transfer fee.

 

[Koken]

What about that bag you fill up and then call for a pick up. Home Depot sells them.

http://www.homedepot.com/buy/cleaning/trash-recycling/wm-bagster/dumpster-in-a-bag-86457.html

Here is a video:

 

[ptschram]

The town I recently moved out of, it was unlawful to use a roll-off bin at a residence without a building permit. The law stated that all residential trash had to be hauled by the contractor for the city.

A pretty stupid contradiction in a town with an aggressive neighborhood code enforcement arm.

I'd be concerned about the gypsy haulers just dumping it and it making its way back to me a la Alice's Restaurant. Call around, but, you're likely to find that all of the trash companies are pretty close in price.

 

[spongerich]

Call around, but, you're likely to find that all of the trash companies are pretty close in price.

I think most of them are owned by the same organization.

 

[Cardboard Man]

Cheap you say? Break it up, cut it up, whatever you need to do to fit it in a trash bag. Put as many bags on the curb as you can with your household trash and let the city haul it away for you. You're paying taxes for that after all, no sense paying twice. It might take longer and be a little more work than you want to get rid of it all, but as you stated, it took 3 years to accumulate it, a few more weeks to clear it out is no big deal.

 

[Zeke]

Well, Waste Management, the Home Depot partner in the dumpster bag does not service the La Brea area. I've used 1 800 GOT JUNK twice and found them to be pretty cheap if you have everything in a group and fairly close. They charge by a combination of how much it fills the truck by 1/8th loads (1/8 the total bed volume) which is a visual guess at best, and by the time it takes to load. They have little tools by way of ramps for a wheel barrow, so it's pretty much a hand load deal.

Next best deal is a 3 to 4 yard roll off which you can get into the yard and get back out front if you're enterprising. If you cut and stack, you can get your money's worth. I saw one company local to your area at $160/4 yd.

Yelp will scare you because people don't understand the dumpster type business owners.

 

[ptschram]

I think most of them are owned by the same organization.

Or, they all use the same landfill as landfill real estate is highly valuable as there aren't many new ones opening up. I can't imagine the permitting process in California.

 

[Call me the Breeze]

The Jack Olson I thought I knew would fabricate his own dumpster, out of recycled material, paint it with some latex green, and after he was done using it for hauling his garbage, he would cut it up and turn it into some storage container or work bench.

 

[Torque1st]

Box it up one box at a time, wrap it like a birthday present and leave it in your Jeep when you go to the mall.

 

[malibu101]

I got a 78 Buick Regal as a frame donor for my 79 Chevy Malibu.
All I wanted/needed from the Regal was the solid frame.
Between a sawzall, torch, and cutoff wheel the entire car interior and body was turned into bite size pieces that I could lift and fit into the dumpster at work over a short period of time. It was easier for me doing that than loading it up to the scrapyard at the time.
I did scrap the engine and trans as they were too big/heavy for me to pick up and toss in the dumpster.

 

[PeterT]

I do more dumpster diving at constructions sites then dumpster renting...

 

[southalabama]

In most places its illegal to dump in someone else's dumpster.

C list...hit or miss with who you hire. For me, usually turns into more trouble..they don't show on time, etc.

For cheap...I like the idea of gradually getting rid of it in your household garbage. Inch by inch...

I had a rolloff put outside my office building. They put it on the asphalt parking lot in the summer and damaged the surface of the asphalt. Getting a rolloff in your small driveway might prove to be a logistical nightmare.

Sell pieces of the famous green garage on ebay?

 

[6768rogues]

My son has dumpsters and a dumpster truck although we are in NYS. He uses two charge plans. Plan 1 is a fee for delivering and picking up the dumpster, plus $60 per ton for anything put in it. Contractors generally use this plan.
Plan 2 is $180 more, but includes up to 3 tons of stuff. Extra tonnage beyond 3 tons is $60 per ton. Homeowners use this plan because they generally don't have as much heavy stuff as contractors and they want a more accurate price up front.

 

[70redbee]

Make friends with a super at a construction site. Then ask him if you can put your trash in the dumpster on the job. I was a super for 30yrs and I always let people, who asked, put small amounts in my dumpster. The ones who didn't ask...got to pull it out and take it with them.

 

[VWingman]

I have heard that it may be cheaper to rent a U-haul and dump it yourself vs. renting a dumpster.

 

[cnc-me]

Box it up one box at a time, wrap it like a birthday present and leave it in your Jeep when you go to the mall.

Laughing my a$$ off....

 

[suprvee]

Cheap you say? Break it up, cut it up, whatever you need to do to fit it in a trash bag. Put as many bags on the curb as you can with your household trash and let the city haul it away for you. You're paying taxes for that after all, no sense paying twice. It might take longer and be a little more work than you want to get rid of it all, but as you stated, it took 3 years to accumulate it, a few more weeks to clear it out is no big deal.

I threw out my entire kitchen that way . I tossed everything into the garage, and over the span of 2 months, I got rid of it all. A cheap harbor freight circular saw, and blades, made the process go by pretty quick. I put all the wood bits into cardboard boxes, duct taped them, and put them on the curb.

http://i.imgur.com/dhpeX.jpg

 

[Ford12508]

My son has dumpsters and a dumpster truck although we are in NYS. He uses two charge plans. Plan 1 is a fee for delivering and picking up the dumpster, plus $60 per ton for anything put in it. Contractors generally use this plan.
Plan 2 is $180 more, but includes up to 3 tons of stuff. Extra tonnage beyond 3 tons is $60 per ton. Homeowners use this plan because they generally don't have as much heavy stuff as contractors and they want a more accurate price up front.

Those plans make no sense. Plan 2 has no pick up or delivery fees. That means $180 for 3 tons, which is $60 per ton. So it costs the same as plan 1, but has no delivery or pick up fees. Makes no sense to choose plan 1.

 

[nate379]

Get a free 55 gal drum, cut the top off, load it up, dump some old oil on it and light it up. Repeat as needed.
That's how I get rid of my trash. The stuff that doesn't burn, I throw in the dumpster at work.

 

[D.J.]

Nate, do you have any neighbors that are within a half of a block of your "incenerator", if so I bet they are proud of you! Jack, might I suggest a BBQ grill, for wood pieces cut with a circular saw into managable sizes with a very inexpensive cut of meat mabe hot dog etc. to keep the authorities of of you!
Just my $ .02

 

[Zengineer]

What about that bag you fill up and then call for a pick up. Home Depot sells them.

http://www.homedepot.com/buy/cleaning/trash-recycling/wm-bagster/dumpster-in-a-bag-86457.html

Here is a video:

I tried these... flipping expensive in the end. Would have been cheaper to rent a large bin.

 

[nate379]

Sure, one is about 35 ft from the corner of my garage and the other about 60 feet from my house. They have burn barrels too. My barrel is a few hundred feet from the house.
As long as there isn't black smoke pouring out of that thing so you can see it 10 miles away no one is going to say anything.

Nate, do you have any neighbors that are within a half of a block of your "incenerator", if so I bet they are proud of you! Jack, might I suggest a BBQ grill, for wood pieces cut with a circular saw into managable sizes with a very inexpensive cut of meat mabe hot dog etc. to keep the authorities of of you!
Just my $ .02

 

[ddawg16]

Jack...PM sent

 

[Torque1st]

Get a free 55 gal drum, cut the top off, load it up, dump some old oil on it and light it up. Repeat as needed.
That's how I get rid of my trash. The stuff that doesn't burn, I throw in the dumpster at work.

I have a neighbor like that also. The smoke and smells can get noxious. He is an OK guy so I usually don't say anything to him but I have a few times. There are limits to that behavior since we do have trash services and burning ordinances with permits required. I suspect he has skipped the proper permissions a number of times.

I have visited LA many times since my daughter lived in Santa Monica but I doubt the local authorities would allow any open burning. The smog out there is bad enough as it is.

 

[Borrego]

I'm in L.A. as is Jack, although in a different part. I strongly suggest calling 311 and ask to speak with the folks at the Waste Management Department for a couple of reasons. One, If you have any large items (couch, fridge, anything large) and can place them out on the curb, you can request a large item pick up. Folks around my neck of the woods do this all the time with furniture mostly and I often call the city to report it. Best of all, it is FREE........All they ask is location and type of material or what needs to be picked up. They do not ask who put it there.......It will be picked up on your normal trash day. Last week, neighbors replaced some carpet, left everything on the curb and the city picked it up......
Secondly, the Waste Management Department may have programs you are not aware of. I once called to see if they would pick up a large tree trunk I dug up from the yard. They told me they offer a once a year, up to a ton, free "green" pick up program, per address......Never would have known if I did not call.......
PM me if you have any questions........

 

[Norcal]

Get a free 55 gal drum, cut the top off, load it up, dump some old oil on it and light it up. Repeat as needed.
That's how I get rid of my trash. The stuff that doesn't burn, I throw in the dumpster at work.

From what I understand burn barrels are illegal in CA,and being in SoCal would suspect that South Coast Air Quality Management District* would not allow dooryard burning.

*Not sure if that is the correct agency......

 

[Steve from Socal]

From what I understand burn barrels are illegal in CA,and being in SoCal would suspect that South Coast Air Quality Management District* would not allow dooryard burning.

*Not sure if that is the correct agency......

You are correct and, the SQAMD would have their ******* in a wad if somebody tried that here. Also in a city like this the fire department would be called and you would get a nice bill from them!

Steve

 

[ajchien]

I'm in Chino, CA. My city has a "large item trash pickup" if you call ahead. Found it on the city website under recycling. It's usually used to haul away Christmas trees, appliances and the like. We're allowed 3 free pickups per year. Maybe that'll help out your dumping load.

 

[admactanium]

I disposed of our master bedroom's old Sheetrock via WM weekly regular trash pickup. I live in Manhattan Beach. I do agree that you should call WM and see f they have any deals like large item pickup, which we used last year. I think they have a restriction against construction debris though. 1800GOTJUNK is also more exensive for construction waste. I think they quoted me $450 for that same load of drywall.

 

[mdbeck1]

You are correct and, the SQAMD would have their ******* in a wad if somebody tried that here. Also in a city like this the fire department would be called and you would get a nice bill from them!

Steve

SQAMD???

 

[bgott]

I ended up with an old POS Dodge maxivan a few years ago. I had just gotten into the property rental business and was doing a lot of remodeling. I would drive the van to where we were working and stuff all the trash into it and take it home. There I would load out two extra trash cans on trash days and set 'em on the curb. Trash runs twice a week here, it didn't take too long to empty out the van.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I threw out my entire kitchen that way . I tossed everything into the garage, and over the span of 2 months, I got rid of it all. A cheap harbor freight circular saw, and blades, made the process go by pretty quick. I put all the wood bits into cardboard boxes, duct taped them, and put them on the curb.

http://i.imgur.com/dhpeX.jpg

That would be a pile of kindling for me. It'd last a better part of the winter.


Jack, did you give away the metal scrap ? If you did , that was a mistake. The money gained from the metal scrap should have offset the cost of the dumpster rental.

 

[wssix99]

At first thought - If you dump the stuff in the Tar Pits... the rubble may end up being a great archeological find a million years from now!

If you go the dumpster route - I'd recommend negotiating with different companies if you can separate the garbage. My wife and I just did this as we removed debris and asphalt from our new house lot and it saved us thousands:

- Separate the non-organic waste. (Drywall, masonry, pavement, dirt, etc.) The garbage companies can use this as landfill cap material and (if you have a lot of it) should give you a better rate on the dumpster, etc. In our case, we were able to dispose of 10 tons of this stuff for the price of 3 tons of mixed garbage. This stuff tends to be really heavy (around 1 ton per square yard) - so the price of the dumpster/haul-away was well worth it.

- Get a U-Haul van and haul the rest yourself. You should be able to find a garbage transfer station in the city that will accept walk-up dumps. They will have you drive on a scale with the truck, direct you where to unload, and then weigh you on the way out. If you do this, make sure you take a dust mask and boots that you can hose off. (These places are not too tidy.) They will usually charge you by the ton and different transfer stations will charge different prices. (In Chicago, one wanted $90 a ton and another was $45.) This is the cheapest way to go if you have high-bulk/low-weight debris. If you have more weight and start getting up to several tons, a dumpster may start getting more economical when you take in to consideration the truck rental.