“Go Local” Bigger well known national companies are almost always more expensive than local companies…and their customer service isn’t usually as good either.
Another culprit for increasing your total cost is by renting from a broker or a middleman. Oftentimes, these companies pose as local, when in fact, they hire out the work to an actual local contractor.
Here’s how dumpster brokers operate:
- The broker gets a call or a website request for a dumpster.
- The broker then calls around to legitimate local contractors to see how much they charge to rent.
- If they like the price, the broker pays the local company, tells them to drop it off at your place, and then increases your costs.
- Another thing to look out for: If you’re like most people, you use Google to find pretty much everything, and dumpster rental is no different. The search results page often display ads at the top — They’re clearly labeled with a small ‘Ad’ symbol.
Don’t necessarily choose these advertised companies or . These companies pay for their advertising to be placed at the top of the first page. Sometimes the better values can be found on page 2 or 3 of your Internet search.
“Look for Hidden Fees” Check the small print for hidden fees. Some companies charge delivery and pickup fees along with their basic usage charge. Look at what you are going to be putting into the dumpster and determine what you think the weight of those materials might be. Flat rate dumpsters might be a good choice for someone who knows their weight will be under the flat rate fees.
“Donate or Sell Items before Dumping Them” Many local agencies will come to you home to pickup unwanted items. Usable clothing, small appliances and small furnishings can be driven to local thrift shops in your car.
“Share the costs with a neighbor” Many dumpsters are not filled to capacity when returned. If you think there will be space in the dumpster let your neighbor know. Perhaps they might share part of the expense in return for getting rid of some clutter on their side of the hedge