Renting a residential dumpster can help you solve numerous problems, whether you’re a private homeowner or a contractor with many high-profile clients. Most people are aware that dumpster rental is an option; they just aren’t aware of how many situations are easier when you choose residential dumpster rental for your waste management needs.

Then again, it’s easy to overcomplicate dumpster rental, and there are several factors that first-time renters do not always consider. You will always have a more productive and rewarding rental period if you do some research ahead of time, and prepare yourself to fill your container properly. One of the most important areas to learn about is the mistakes that people commonly make when renting a dumpster. The more you know about what not to do during your rental, the more equipped you’ll be to fill your dumpster quickly and easily when the time comes.

At Junk King, we have seen residential dumpster rentals for all kinds of different projects. Thanks to our considerable experience, we’ve developed a keen sense of what makes a dumpster rental effective and what can make the process unnecessarily difficult. Read on to discover everything you never knew about how to approach the residential dumpster rental process, so you can make smart choices the next time you need to dispose of unwanted materials.

The Many Uses of Residential Dumpster Rental

Some people assume that dumpsters are only useful if you do a lot of DIY home improvement work, but this could hardly be further from the truth. While home improvement certainly provides many suitable opportunities for residential dumpster rental, it is far from the only reason to rent a dumpster for your home. In fact, practically anyone living in a residential area can make use of dumpster rental at some point in their lives. The following list provides just a few examples of when dumpster rental can come in handy:

• You’re changing the purpose of one or more rooms in your house.

As time goes by, some rooms become less relevant than they used to be. If you’ve suddenly become an empty-nester, you may find yourself without a good reason to keep using the rec room. If you’ve recently started a new job and have fallen out of touch with your hobby, then maybe it’s time for that studio space to become a study. Then again, maybe you want to take on a brand-new hobby, and that study should really be a music room. In any case, you’re very likely to have all kinds of waste materials leftover once you knock out the walls, redo the floors, or even just declutter. A residential dumpster can be the ideal way to handle this junk.

• You’re in the middle of Spring cleaning.

Decluttering isn’t just something you do when you’re repurposing a room. It can be accomplished at any time—although most people prefer a good cleaning when spring rolls around. When the ice thaws and the snow melts, people often find that they’ve accumulated numerous unnecessary objects. If you choose a dumpster rental company that commits to eco-friendly disposal methods, dumpster rental can be the ideal solution.

• You’re expecting an addition to the family!

We talked a little about empty-nesters earlier, but what if you’re just starting your journey as a new family and are planning to have children? Well, first: congratulations! Now you’ll need to make space for the new baby. Many new parents decide to clear out unused rooms in their starter homes to make room for nurseries, but there are objects and materials all over your home that you’ll want to think about disposing of before the new baby arrives. Keep a particularly keen eye out for pieces of furniture with sharp edges, or small objects that could be choking hazards.

• You’re landscaping.

Who says dumpsters can only collect material from inside your house? Depending on the dumpster rental company you choose, you may be able to deposit many outdoor items in your container as well. At Junk King, we accept many natural and synthetic materials in our containers that are typically found outside. These items include lawn clippings, branches, scrap wood, and loose building materials such as stone, brick, or even concrete.

Common Dumpster Rental Errors to Avoid:

Dumpsters can be extraordinarily useful, but if you want your experience to be really smooth, you’ll need to avoid the following mistakes that first-time renters often make. Remember these anytime you go looking for a residential dumpster to rent, and stay ahead of the curve.

• Timing your rental wrong.

Dumpster rental is always easier during periods of clear weather, so you’ll want to check the weather report in your area for the foreseeable future before you call a rental company. After all, it’s probably safe to say you don’t want to be walking through snow drifts, sheets of rain or gale-force winds just to reach your container (especially not when you’re carrying a pile of bricks or other unwanted objects).

• Placing the wrong items in your dumpster.

Some people mistakenly assume that since they’re the ones renting the container, they can place any items they want in it. However, that isn’t true. Granted, dumpster rental can help you with a wide variety of different objects, and the best companies normally won’t impose too many restrictions of their own (unless the item is obviously unsafe or causes damage to the container). However, it’s always best to check the local laws in your area and make sure that the items you are dumping are not prohibited.

• Placing your dumpster in the wrong location.

When you rent a dumpster from a company such as Junk King, the container is delivered to your property by a team of professionals. However, those professionals need to know where to leave the dumpster once it reaches your home, and they’ll need you to tell them. Some people assume the dumpster can just occupy space on the curb outside their home, but most municipalities have laws stipulating that dumpsters need to be located on the properties themselves (though in some cases, exceptions may be granted to individuals with the appropriate permits). To maintain accessibility without breaking the law, consider putting your rental dumpster on your driveway. The debris boxes we rent out at Junk King are ideal for placement in driveways since they are small enough to still allow vehicle access.

• Choosing a company with an unfriendly fee structure.

Not all dumpster rental companies charge their customers the same way. There are several different common pricing models for dumpster rental companies in the United States. The first is to charge customers based on the type of container they rent, but this can encourage people to rent a size too large for their needs. They may think they are getting the best value by “upgrading” to a bigger container, but then find themselves with problems when it comes to placing it. The second common method of charging customers is to charge them based on the weight of the container when it is picked up for removal. However, this can be unfair if you are disposing of materials that are particularly heavy and dense, as your full container will cost much more than a container full of lighter items. At Junk King, our solution is to charge based on the amount of space customers actually use. During our three-day standard rental periods, customers can essentially earn a discount for themselves by packing the containers they have rented efficiently and making the best possible use of space.

The more you know about dumpster rental, the more prepared you will be to enjoy your first residential dumpster rental experience. Refer to the facts above often, and you’ll find that any project you rent a dumpster for will be a breeze.