Waste Management's Dumpster Rental Prices Are Costly Compared to Local Haulers

National chain Waste Management (WM) offers 10, 20, 30, and 40 yard roll-off dumpsters for rent in most areas throughout the U.S.

While WM is a great, affordable option for regularly scheduled residential trash pickup services, their dumpster rentals are oftentimes more expensive in comparison to locally-owned dumpster rental services. 

The 20 yard roll-off container is the most commonly rented dumpster option that WM offers, so we'll compare WM's average price for this size to other service providers throughout the country. 

Jump to:

• WM's Dumpster Costs vs Local Dumpster Rental Costs
• Nationwide Market Cost Survey
• Finding the Right Dumpster Rental Company

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Waste Management's Dumpster Costs vs Local Dumpster Rental Costs

Nationwide, the average cost to rent a 20 yard dumpster from Waste Management is $450-$650.

We compared rental prices for a 20 yard Waste Management dumpster to the average cost to rent a 20 yard dumpster from smaller, locally-owned haulers in 48 metro areas across the U.S.

Renting from a local hauler instead of Waste Management costs around $100-$200 less on average.

Local haulers offer much lower dumpster rental prices than Waste Management. In most markets, it's not even close.

Local haulers charge $350-$550 on average for a 20 yard dumpster, while Waste Management charges $450-$650 on average for a container of the same size.

Sometimes companies include a low amount of weight in their price, which can make a company look like the cheaper option at first, but you could end up paying extra in the end if you go over your dumpster weight limit.

In our survey, the amount of weight included in the price was similar, with local haulers offering slightly more on average.

Local haulers include 7,230 lbs on average in their price for a 20 yard container, and WM offers 6,850 lbs on average for the same size.

Dumpster rental overage fees usually come into play if you exceed the included weight of the dumpster.

Haulers typically price extra weight on a per-ton basis (per 2,000 lbs), though some will pro-rate additional weight.

Again, extra charges for additional weight were similar between local haulers and WM, with a slightly lower average price for the locally-owned haulers.

Local haulers charge $54 per additional ton on average, while WM charges $62 on average per additional ton.

The cost results from each market surveyed can be found in the chart below.

Learn more: Top 6 Ways to Avoid Dumpster Overage Fees

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Nationwide Market Survey

Waste Management is the largest waste and recycling company in North America, with over 21 million customers throughout the United States and Canada.

It’s a good company, and we have great respect for WM’s green initiatives and sustainability leadership.

But if you're looking for a good price on a temporary dumpster, you generally won't find it at Waste Management.

With their impressive truck fleet and mastery of logistics, WM’s scheduled curbside collection is highly efficient and often more affordable than local haulers, but WM’s size and scale actually work against it for renting dumpsters.

Roll-off dumpster rental is temporary, often not scheduled far in advance, and typically involves a phone call or text message for booking and another for pick-up, which are not WM's strengths.

The following chart showcases the information gathered from our market survey across 48 metro areas across the U.S.

Pricing information collected in 2019

Finding the Right Dumpster Rental Company

Many people don't realize that there are three different types of companies that rent dumpsters, and understanding the distinction between them can save you money.

3 Types of Dumpster Rental Providers

1. Independent, locally-owned dumpster services
2. Large, national trash companies (Waste Management, Republic Services, etc.)
3. Out-of-state brokers that book the dumpster and pass the order onto a local service provider

We always recommend hiring from a local dumpster company because they generally provide better customer service and better prices.

Your other two options—renting from a large national hauler or from a dumpster broker—are almost always more expensive for lower quality customer service.

Along with better prices, local dumpster companies also tend to offer better customer service.

Ensure you get the best price by getting several dumpster rental quotes from rental companies in your area.

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Keep reading:

• Why Big Box Store Dumpster Rental Isn't Always the Best Option
• 7 Factors That Affect the Cost of a Dumpster Rental
• Why Large Dumpsters Sometimes Cost Less Than Small Dumpsters