How to Avoid Hidden Fees in Dumpster Rental Agreements

There’s four key things to do to avoid being surprised by fees in your dumpster rentals: prepare carefully, look over all your documentation, be proactive in communication with your dumpster provider, and only work with a Bloomfield dumpster rental company that has a good reputation and a commitment to transparency.

Avoiding Hidden Fees in Bloomfield Dumpster Rentals

Choose Your Rental Company Carefully

All rental contracts are going to have some clauses for contingencies, like: 

• What happens if the dumpster is over weight?
• What happens if something is damaged? 
• What happens if you load the dumpster with things the city won’t allow in there?
• What happens if you need it longer than you thought?
• What happens if the dumpster needs to be moved?

These are all standard concerns, and a quality company will make them clear right from the beginning.

What you don’t want is hidden fees. These are fees that are in such small print or so strangely worded that a reasonable person could easily miss them, or they’re fees that aren’t even discussed, which can happen if you do a verbal agreement only. Your first line of defense is to work with a dumpster rental company with an established reputation in the community.

Prepare Carefully 

Begin by obtaining a complete written quote from your rental company. Don’t go with any verbal estimates or website advertisements, and ask that your written quote explicitly break down every component of the cost, the maximum allowable weight or tonnage limit, any included disposal fees at the landfill, applicable taxes, and any standard surcharges.

Review Your Paperwork

Read every section of your contract, and pay close attention to clauses covering overage fees. These are the fees that will be applied if you exceed the included weight limit, and these are the most common “surprise” fees people complain about. Heavy debris like concrete, dirt, roofing shingles, or construction materials can quickly go over your weight expectations, even in a seemingly appropriately sized container. You can estimate the weight of your materials beforehand with handy charts like this one.  

Look also for extension fees if you keep the dumpster beyond the agreed rental duration, and check for trip fees or dry-run fees, which get charged if the delivery or pickup truck cannot access the site and has to come back. You can avoid these by being very sure the driveway is clear, there are no low-hanging branches, and there’s plenty of space for the roll-off truck to maneuver. Finally, make sure you know what’s prohibited or if there are any items that have to be specially handled, like hazardous waste, paint, tires, batteries, appliances, electronics, mattresses, or flammable materials.

Be Proactive in Communicating

Finally, be sure to communicate. As soon as you find out about something, like a change in the weather or your schedule or the presence of waste items that you weren’t expecting, call your dumpster rental company right away.

For transparent contracts and experienced dumpster rental help, call us now at Windsor Sanitation in Bloomfield, CT at (860) 688-3955.