Eight Common Dumpster Rental Problems and Their Solutions

Advice

Renting a dumpster unit can solve many of your project waste problems. Waste disposal can be tedious if you always have to pay for a trip to the dumpster site.  

Before renting, however, common problems usually occur during the duration of one’s rental of a dumpster unit.  

To make sure you do not fall into paying unwanted fees or finding yourself with legal repercussions, the solutions to the said problems have been spelled out for you below. If you need further assistance, you can always consult your dumpster rental company or any local government agency responsible for waste management.  

Here are the most common dumpster rental problems and their corresponding solutions. As you read, try to visualize your plans for the project and how you can accomplish them without facing any troubles.  

1. Wrong Unit Size

Your rent on the dumpster prices gets calculated based on your estimated waste. Borrowing the wrong unit size can cost you more. It may even be more challenging to maintain it as you use it.

There are two ways to go about this. One, you can plan and assess the scale of your project first before going to the dumpster rental service.  

You may do this by assessing your existing and future materials. You may have furniture to dismantle or things to construct from your raw materials. Including the calculation of costs at this point in your project could also be helpful for your planning.  

Once you have these ready, you can talk to a dumpster rental service and ask what dumpster unit best fits all of your plans. 

Your second option for this problem is to go straight to your preferred dumpster rental service. If you are lucky, your preferred dumpster rental service may offer to assess your workspace, work plans, and predicted waste to provide you with the best-recommended dumpster unit size.  

2. Hazardous Materials

If you do not want to have legal repercussions for your straightforward project, you must pay attention to the materials you put inside your dumpster unit.  

Specifically, avoid disposing of hazardous materials within your dumpster unit. Having the knowledge of the common type sof hazardous materials can benefit you even before approaching a dumpster rental service.  

A common problem with hazardous waste is not knowing if a material is dangerous or not. If you are unsure of the material, it is best for you to keep it on the side. You can ask for help from your dumpster rental company on how to dispose of such waste.  

While it depends on your local jurisdiction to proclaim what is hazardous or not, dumpster rental companies can also provide you with a list of hazardous wastes. You should not dispose of hazardous wastes in your dumpster unit to avoid fees and ensure you do not face legal problems.  

Aside from being aware of hazardous materials, you can also segregate your waste depending on their material. This way, you ensure that whatever goes into your dumpster unit will not cause legal harm.  

Segregating can save you time in the long-term because some dumpster rental companies require you to remove hazardous wastes from your dumpster unit instead of asking you for additional fees so they can remove them.  

3. Exceeding Your Limit

There is a maximum weight capacity for the different dumpster rental units you can borrow. Aside from additional fees, a safety precaution comes with exceeding your limit.  

For example, locating a truck for a trip to the dumpster may cause you injury if you are not aware of the weight of the dumpster unit you are expecting to dispatch. 

Overflowing dumpster units are also a challenge to cover when on the move. You do not want to cause a scene on public roads in case your dumpster unit overflows.  

A solution to this problem is picking the right size for your project. This ensures that you do not have to exceed your limit in carrying what you can.  

Also, you can try weighing all your waste before putting it into your dumpster unit. While it may be impossible to access a dumpster truck weighing scale, you can still calculate the gross weight of your dumpster unit when you take note of the mass of the waste batch-by-batch before loading.  

Lastly, cover your dumpster unit to prevent rainfall from seeping through it. Wet materials, regardless of their composition, will be more likely to have more weight than dry waste. 

4. Illegal Dumping

You might be ready to start your project with everything in place. Your dumpster unit arrives, and you do the prep work. Unfortunately, you wake up in the morning with more waste than the day before.

It is illegal for others to dump their waste in your dumpster unit. It might be an innocent mistake, but it hinders you from making sure you stay within your weight limit.

There are a few ways to solve this. First, you can put a cover over your dumpster unit and hang signage. Covering your dumpster helps others become aware that your dumpster unit is not for public use. It should effectively work as it alerts the neighborhood to leave your property alone.  

You may install security cameras around your property or the dumpster unit to see who is responsible for illegal dumping. A record of the event can help you approach the authorities for assistance. Sometimes the local government may already have installed surveillance cameras near residential areas, which you can use for help if it is near your house.  

In cases of recurring illegal dumping on your dumpster unit (or even cases of theft), you may alert the local police to address the situation. They can assign a patrol officer to supervise your area now and then during the night. 

5. Unexpected Fees

Unexpected fees usually come from exceeding your weight limit or exceeding the time you proposed for your rental.  

The extra fees are used for additional costs for landfill disposal and even the price of a second dumpster when your first dumpster unit has overflowed. Extra fees indicate that the waste accumulated can no longer be transported safely.  

A solution to this is to follow your dumpster unit’s fill line. This line marks the limit where you can fill the dumpster unit without exceeding your weight limit.  

Also, when choosing the appropriate size for your dumpster, opt for the largest possible one. The price for availing of a larger dumpster is lower than the additional fee of going over your weight limit.  

Although you have to pay more upfront, it prevents paying excess fees when you return them. It lessens the likelihood of you going over your weight limit.  

Check the type of dumpster you rent and see the materials it can hold without exceeding the weight limit. Knowing the variety of dumpsters for handling raw materials can help you stay below your weight limit and avoid additional fees.  

If you plan to dispose of raw, heavy materials such as bricks, concrete, or dirt, there is usually a specific type of dumpster rental to handle those heavier materials. There are also certain types of dumpster units made for lighter-weight materials, such as the debris of cement or wood.  

6. Price Negotiation

You may already be weary of talking too much about the unwanted costs of renting a dumpster unit. You can study the quote and policies your dumpster rental company provides to prevent getting caught off guard by unexpected fees. 

But you can go beyond what is on paper, too. Many dumpster rental companies can offer you price negotiations. 

How would this work? Go over the quote they send you and try to ask if you can remove some of the costs. You can even point out shady coverage and, if you feel they are unnecessary, have them remove these things from the quote.  

For other large-scale or collaborative projects, your collaborator may hire a contractor to do the planning, assessment, and waste management. Instead of asking the contractor to find a dumpster rental service for you, you can do it yourself to cut costs and ask for a better price range when you negotiate.  

Also, you may extend the timeline of your projects as you experience delays to ensure the quality of your output. When this happens, opportunities open for both you and the dumpster rental company.  

They are typically willing to offer you promotions or bundles, provided that you maintain a good relationship with them. Usually, talking to a representative or employee will get you a better deal than just doing everything online.  

If you unsuccessfully negotiate for the price you want, you can always look for other dumpster rental companies to consult who may be more open to negotiating. After all, you may need their services for a long time, so getting off on the right foot during negotiation can be the start of a great long-term business deal. 

As long as you get a fair price range without going over budget, that would be a win for your project costs.  

7. Poor Location of Your Dumpster Unit

The rule of thumb is to keep your dumpster unit within your private property. Although putting it on the road for a fewhours may be tempting due to space constraints, these may cause you penaltiesfrom the local or municipal government.  

It would be best to take some time to familiarize yourself with your local zoning laws. Knowing these laws can prevent you from facing penalties and records. Even if dumpster units are best placed on flat, open spaces, this does not grant you permission to put it on public roads.  

If you can avail a permit from your municipal or local office, it protects you from legal concerns when someone calls you out. Many factors are considered when talking about granting your permission, so it would be important to have your project plan ready when you pay their office a visit.

Even with permission, you may have a bad experience with your neighbors if you step either onto or near their property. Blocking their driveway or path without their permission can hinder your project’s progress. Settling a dispute while working on a project can cost you both time and money.  

8. Bad Customer Service

The worst part of getting into trouble with your dumpster unit is the prospect of delayed resolutions due to bad customer service. While it is understandable that no dumpster rental service is perfect, expecting a quality service must be part of your expectation to ensure your project’s progress. 

Internet reviews can be a great way to survey for other customer experience experiences with dumpster rental companies. Other people may have already shared their views and opinions with a company after using them.  

You can also seek help from your own network and trust others’ word-of-mouth. Although informal, you can ask for the pros and cons from their experiences and determine whether their experience qualifies for the customer service you prefer.  

Conclusion

Avoiding paying extra fees is your primary concern when renting a dumpster unit for your project. What constitutes the fees you have to pay depends on the terms you violated when you borrowed it.  

The most common issue is overloading your dumpster unit and going overweight. To solve this, you can opt for choosing the right size for your waste management. It is recommended to go for the larger units if you are unsure. They cost more upfront, but this saves you more money than going overweight.  

Putting hazardous materials in your dumpster unit can also bring you unnecessary fees. Some dumpster rental companies ask you to remove them rather than adding fees. Although tedious for some, segregating your waste can be more helpful to make sure you avoid including hazardous materials in your dumpster unit.  

You may also experience problems with neighbors or other people. One, they might illegally dump waste into your unit. Two, you might block their pathway and create conflict when you block their driveway.  

Make sure that you place your dumpster unit within your property and clarify if you have a permit for moving your dumpster unit through common areas even for just a few hours.  

Lastly, try to negotiate for the best price you can get for renting a dumpster. Good dumpster rental companies are willing to negotiate their price and prioritize customer service to address your concerns. Surveying for the right dumpster rental can help you throughout your project’s waste management concerns.

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