Massachusetts, City by City: Three Price Markets From Boston to the Berkshires, the Street Permits Every City Runs Its Own Way, and the State Waste Bans That Actually Matter

How much does a dumpster cost in Massachusetts?

Start with the price, because Massachusetts has three markets, not one. On our dumpster rental pages, most of the state shares one ladder: a 10 yard at $495 to $695, a 15 yard at $575 to $775, a 20 yard at $685 to $885, a 30 yard at $795 to $995 and a 40 yard at $1,100 to $1,300. Boston, Cambridge, Somerville and Quincy run higher, a 10 yard at $595 to $795 and a 20 yard at $795 to $995. Lowell sits between them on the small sizes, a 10 yard at $575 to $775. Every price covers delivery, pickup, disposal, taxes and 7 days, and extra days are $40 each.

Prices move with your ZIP and date. For today's numbers see Massachusetts dumpster rental prices, or browse dumpster rental in Massachusetts city by city.

Do I need a permit for a dumpster in Boston?

Boston has the most detailed street rule in the state. A Boston dumpster rental on your own driveway or private lot needs no city permit. Anything on a street or sidewalk needs a Street Occupancy Permit from Boston Public Works, applied for online at least seven business days ahead. The city lists a $50 base fee plus a per square foot daily charge, $20 per meter per day in a metered space, and a $5,000 surety bond. That is real lead time, so a Boston street drop gets planned a week out, not the night before. For contractor jobs, see construction dumpster rental.

What does Cambridge require?

Cambridge adds a second layer. A Cambridge dumpster rental in the street needs a Dumpster Permit to reserve the curb space, up to two spaces, and the city's Inspectional Services also runs a Dumpster License program that covers temporary dumpsters too, with inspections for overloading and fines that can reach $300 a day. Somerville and Quincy share the Boston price ladder; tell us the exact spot and we confirm what your street needs.

How do Worcester, Springfield and Lowell handle street permits?

The other big cities each run their own desk. In a Worcester dumpster rental, the DPW permit manual issues street obstruction permits for dumpsters to the container's owner, meaning the hauler, with a 72 hour review, plus lights on arterial streets and reflective tape. A Springfield dumpster rental in the street needs a DPW Street Occupancy permit with a certificate of insurance, also about 72 hours to process. A Lowell dumpster rental in the street needs the City Engineer's dumpster permit, a $50 application, at least 20 feet from an intersection and 5 feet from a hydrant, and in a winter snowstorm a permitted street dumpster has to come off the street. On a driveway, none of that applies.

What is the price on the South Shore, the Cape and in Western Mass?

Outside the inner core the price drops and stays put. A remodel in Framingham, a cleanout in Brockton, a roof in Plymouth, a Cape house in Barnstable or a project in Pittsfield starts at $495 for a 10 yard, the same flat number as Worcester and Springfield.

What can't go in a dumpster in Massachusetts?

Here is the part that is different from every other state. Massachusetts bans a long list of materials from disposal under its MassDEP waste disposal bans: asphalt pavement, brick and concrete, metal, wood from landfills, clean gypsum wallboard, cardboard, yard waste, white goods such as appliances, and, since November 1, 2022, mattresses and textiles. That does not mean a remodel cannot use a dumpster. Mixed construction loads go to licensed handling facilities that pull out the banned material for recycling, and MassDEP treats a load that is more than 20 percent banned construction material by volume as a failed load. In practice, a mattress, a fridge or a pile of clean concrete should not ride in a mixed box. Tell us what is going in, and concrete or brick goes in its own heavy load box.

How much weight is included, and what about asbestos?

The weight rules hold everywhere. The allowance is built in, about 1 ton on a 10 yard up to 4 tons on a 40, and anything over is billed at $260 a ton from the scale ticket on our Massachusetts pages. Roofing shingles are regular construction debris, sized by the squares and the layers, so a roofer tells us the squares and we do the tonnage math. Older homes bring one more Massachusetts rule: if asbestos is coming out, MassDEP requires an asbestos removal notification at least 10 working days before the work starts, and asbestos never goes in a regular dumpster. For fall storm and snow timing, the National Weather Service in Boston covers the forecasts.

What is the fastest way to get a real price?

So in Massachusetts the job comes down to four things: which price market you are in, where the box will sit, which city's street permit applies, and what is going in it. The fastest way to the real number is to price your exact ZIP, which shows your flat rate, your included tons and your delivery day in a couple of minutes, or start from the Massachusetts coverage hub and pick your city. Not sure on size? The free size calculator matches the box to the job, and our assistant Sam answers on site chat, and picks up the phone when our team is busy.