Get Your Projects In Before Winter Hits: The Right Dumpster Size, the Portable Toilets, and Our Busiest Cities

Here is why the next few weeks matter. A roll-off needs a firm, level spot and a clear path for the truck. In the fall you have both. Once winter hits, soft or frozen ground, plowed snow banks at the end of the driveway and short holiday weeks all make it harder to land a box exactly where you want it, on the day you want it. So if a remodel, a roof or a cleanout is on your list, book the dumpster rental now and get the day you actually want.

Start with the size, because that is what sets the price. A 10 yard typically runs $390 to $595 all inclusive with 1 ton of weight included, the right box for a garage, a single room or a small yard cleanup. A 15 yard runs $450 to $695 with 1.5 tons, good for a bathroom or a midsize cleanout. The 20 yard runs $525 to $795 with 2 tons and fits most kitchen remodels and roof tear-offs. A 30 yard runs $650 to $995 with 3 tons for a whole house or estate cleanout, and the 40 yard runs $750 to $1,200 with 4 tons for large construction. Every one of those prices covers delivery, a 7 day rental, pickup and disposal.

Cleaning up after a storm? See storm cleanup dumpsters.

Which projects should you get in before winter? Roofing is the big one, because nobody wants a tear-off in sleet, and shingles are heavy, so size by weight, not just by volume. Fall yard and storm cleanups, garage and basement cleanouts before the holidays, and interior remodels you want finished before family comes into town are the other classic fall jobs. If you are not sure which box fits, the free size calculator matches the job to the size in about a minute.

Job sites do not stop for the cold, and neither do portable toilets. A standard portable toilet typically runs about $270 to $350 for a weekend and about $320 to $450 for a month with 4 service visits, all inclusive of delivery, pickup and fees. Deluxe flushable and ADA accessible units run about $329 to $449 for a weekend, and hand wash stations are available too. For holiday parties and fall events, book the units at the same time as the date, because the busy weekends go first.

Where are we busiest? New York City leads the list, with Brooklyn, Manhattan, Staten Island and the Bronx all near the top. Outside New York, our busiest cities include Chicago, Long Beach, Minneapolis, Portland, San Francisco, Jacksonville, Houston, San Diego, Milwaukee, Atlanta, Denver and Phoenix. In the northern cities on that list, winter arrives first, so those are the places where booking early matters most.

A few winter rules hold everywhere. Put the box on firm, level ground or on boards so it does not sink into soft soil. Keep the path clear of snow for delivery and for pickup. Tarp the container if snow or ice is coming, because wet, frozen debris weighs more. The National Weather Service winter safety page is the forecast to watch before you schedule. And construction and demolition debris is the heaviest waste stream in the country, which the U.S. EPA explains, so heavy fall jobs need their tons planned up front.

The fastest way to lock in your date is to price your exact ZIP. It shows your flat rate, your included tons and your delivery day in a couple of minutes. Or call, and our team or our assistant Sam will size it with you. Get it on the calendar before the first hard freeze.