What does a dumpster cost by size in Philadelphia?
Typical market ranges for a standard 7 to 14 day rental, reviewed July 2026. These are market ranges, not a quote for your address.
| Size | Typical week | Tons included | Extra day | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 yard | $425 to $625 | 1 to 2 | $50 to $95 | Bathroom gut, concrete, tight blocks |
| 20 yard | $475 to $700 | 2 to 3 | $55 to $105 | Rowhouse renovation, roof tear-off |
| 30 yard | $525 to $750 | 3 to 4 | $60 to $110 | Additions, fit-outs, multi-unit turnover |
| 40 yard | $575 to $775 | around 4 | $65 to $115 | Light demolition debris in volume |
Per cubic yard the 40 yard is the cheapest container we run. Per job it is often the wrong one, because most Philadelphia sites cannot take 22 feet of steel with 8 foot walls. Size selection is worked through on the sizes and dimensions page.
What are the add-on charges?
The number that surprises people is never the rental. It's what sits around it. Here is every line we know of in this market, broken out rather than folded into one figure.
| Charge | Typical range | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Tonnage overage | Per ton at transfer station rate | Load exceeds the included allowance |
| Extra rental days | $50 to $115 per day | Past the included period |
| Temporary No Parking permit | $40 per dumpster, max 7 days | Street or sidewalk placement |
| Curb occupancy | $50 per day for 40 ft in Center City and University City, $25 per day elsewhere | Published 2025 Streets Department rates |
| Dry run | Trip charge | Truck arrives, spot is blocked |
| Specialty items | Per item | Mattresses, tires, appliances |
| Clean load surcharge or credit | Varies | Concrete, dirt or masonry as a single stream |
Ask for the per-ton overage figure in writing before you book. A hauler that will not state it is the one you will argue with later.
What moves the price up or down
Six things move the number, and only two of them are about the container.
- Distance from the yard. A Center City drop and a Far Northeast drop are not the same run.
- Where it sits. Private ground is cheaper than curb, every time, because the curb has a meter on it.
- Debris density. Concrete at roughly 4,000 pounds per cubic yard blows a tonnage allowance in two and a half yards.
- Debris stream. A clean masonry or soil load goes to a different facility than mixed construction debris.
- Duration and swaps. One drop and one pickup beats three swaps on price per ton moved.
- Access. A block that needs a spotter and a Temporary No Parking posting costs more to serve than a fenced lot.
Pennsylvania's Vehicle Code at 75 Pa.C.S. Section 4941 caps gross vehicle weight at 80,000 pounds, so a hauler cannot absorb an overloaded can by driving it anyway. That is why tonnage is priced separately rather than bundled. The material-by-material figures are on dumpster weight limits.
What does a Philadelphia street permit add?
Two separate costs, from two separate agencies. The Department of Licenses and Inspections issues the dumpster license under Philadelphia Code Section 10-722, and the construction dumpster license under Philadelphia Code Section 11-610 runs $75 per three dumpsters or fraction of three, carried by the hauler rather than by you. The Streets Department Right-of-Way Unit at (215) 686-5500 issues the placement permit.
The one you pay is the Temporary No Parking permit, published at $40 per dumpster for a maximum of seven calendar days. Beyond that, the Streets Department's 2025 temporary parking prohibition rates were $50 per day for 40 feet of curb in Center City and University City and $25 per day everywhere else. On a six week renovation in Fishtown that is real money, and it is the strongest argument for finding private ground. Full process on dumpster permit requirements.
Three worked Philadelphia jobs
A South Philly bathroom gut. One 10 yard for a week at $425 to $625, tile and cast iron inside the 1 to 2 ton allowance, driveway placement so no permit. Expect $425 to $625 all in.
A whole rowhouse renovation in Fishtown, six weeks. Two 20 yard drops at $475 to $700 each, plus a curb placement needing the $40 permit and roughly $25 per day of occupancy outside Center City. Plaster and lath will push at least one load into overage. Budget $1,400 to $2,400 before tonnage.
A University City fit-out, eight weeks. One 30 yard on a standing swap, four swaps at $525 to $750, on-site placement inside the hoarding so no curb charge. Add restrooms and handwashing under OSHA 1926.51(c)(1), which requires a toilet where 20 or fewer workers are on site. Roughly $2,100 to $3,000 on the containers.
What should a fair quote include?
Delivery, pickup, the stated rental period, the tonnage allowance and disposal, all inside one number. Then, listed separately and in plain language: the per-ton overage rate, the per-day extension rate, permit cost passed through at cost, and any per-item charge.
What should never show up after the fact: a fuel surcharge that was not quoted, an environmental fee with no definition attached, or a trip charge for a dry run that happened because nobody told the driver about the block. If a line on the invoice has no explanation, ask for one. If you also need portable sanitation on the same site, porta potty rental cost is broken out the same way.
Can you save money on a dumpster rental in Philadelphia?
Yes, and none of it involves haggling.
- Put it on private ground. That removes the permit and the daily curb charge outright.
- Separate a clean masonry or soil load rather than mixing it into general debris.
- Book one longer rental instead of two short ones. Delivery and pickup are charged per trip.
- Sort out metal for scrap before the container arrives.
- Move small volumes yourself if you're a resident. Philadelphia's six Sanitation Convenience Centers run Monday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., with proof of residency, though they turn away commercial loads and vehicles over 6,000 pounds.
- Clear the spot before delivery day so nobody pays for a dry run.
Common questions about dumpster pricing
How much is a roll-off dumpster for one day?Rentals here are priced by the period, not the day. A short job still pays the weekly rate because delivery and pickup are the same two trips either way.
What happens if I go over the tonnage?It bills by the ton at the transfer station rate. Get that figure before the container arrives.
Is a permit included in the price?Not usually. It gets passed through at cost, and it should be itemised.
What can't I put in it without extra cost?Some things you cannot put in at all. 25 Pa. Code Section 273.201 bars bulk liquids and lead-acid batteries from Pennsylvania landfills, and Act 108 of 2010 has banned televisions, computers and monitors from municipal waste disposal since January 24, 2013. See what cannot go in a dumpster.
Do you serve the suburbs at the same rate?Rates vary with distance from the yard. King of Prussia, Norristown and Cherry Hill are all on the run, and the full list is on service areas.
What is a typical roll-off dumpster rental price?
Roll off dumpster rental prices in Philadelphia track size, tonnage and haul distance ahead of anything else.
What is the cost of roll off dumpster rental on a small job?
Ask the dumpster rental 10 yard price first. 10 yard dumpster rental prices are the cheapest entry point.
Start with the roll-off dumpster overview, or go straight to construction dumpster rental if this is a jobsite. Everything we run is on the home page and on porta potty rental in Philadelphia. Send the address and debris type through the quote form, call the contact page number, or read the FAQ.
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