Junk removal vs dumpster rental in Providence

The short answer

Choose a dumpster for a multi-week renovation where you have space to place it, a crew to fill it, and debris that is allowed in it. Choose junk removal when the items are upstairs or in a basement, the street is narrow, the job is done in a day, or the load includes mattresses, TVs or appliances. Flat junk removal pricing runs from a quarter truck at $241 to a full truck at $732, loading included.

The space problem

A dumpster needs a place to sit. In the suburbs around Providence, that is usually a driveway, and in a Cranston or Warwick ranch with a wide driveway, a container can sit there for two weeks without bothering anyone.

In much of the city, it is not so simple. Triple-decker lots in Elmwood, the West End, Olneyville and Mount Pleasant often have a narrow driveway shared with the house next door, or none at all. On College Hill, Federal Hill and Fox Point, streets are tight and parked bumper to bumper. A dumpster on the street generally needs permission from the city, takes up parking for days, and can block a sidewalk or a neighbor's access.

A junk removal truck parks for the length of the job and leaves. Nothing sits on the street overnight, and nobody else's trash ends up in your container while you sleep.

The labor problem

A dumpster is a container. It does not carry anything. Someone has to bring every item down the stairs, out the door and over the side of the container, which on a standard roll-off is chest height or higher.

That is fine for a contractor crew already on site with a demolition schedule. It is a lot of work for a homeowner or tenant clearing a third-floor apartment or a packed basement. In a triple-decker, the carry down the narrow rear stairs is the hardest part of any job, and a dumpster does nothing to help with it.

With junk removal, the crew does the carrying from anywhere in the home, any floor, with no stairs fee. You point; they lift, load and leave.

The what-goes-in problem

Dumpsters come with rules on what can go in them. Many items that people most want to get rid of are restricted, either by the dumpster company or by state rules.

• Electronics. Rhode Island bans e-waste, including TVs, monitors and laptops, from the trash.
• Mattresses. Rhode Island recycles mattresses through its statewide Bye Bye Mattress program, and they are often handled separately.
• Appliances with refrigerant. Refrigerators, freezers and ACs need refrigerant recovered under federal rules before scrapping.
• Hazardous materials. Chemicals and solvents belong at RIRRC's Eco-Depot events.

Check the dumpster company's restricted list before you rent. With junk removal, mattresses, TVs and appliances are on the price list, and paint is accepted.

Flat junk removal prices

The price includes loading, hauling and disposal. If the load also has a few specific heavy items, they can be added at list price: a full truck plus a cast iron bathtub is $732 + $185 = $917.

The same cleanout, two ways

Take a typical job: clearing the second floor of a triple-decker in the West End after a long tenancy. There is a sofa, two beds with mattresses, a dresser, a kitchen table, a TV, and about twenty bags of household odds and ends.

With a dumpster: you arrange street placement, wait for delivery, then carry everything down a flight of stairs and lift it into the container yourself. The mattresses and the TV may not be allowed in, so they need another route. The dumpster sits out until pickup day.

With junk removal: you send photos, see the price, and book a two-hour window. That load is often around three-quarters of a truck, $587. The crew carries everything down, including the mattresses and TV, and the street is clear when they leave.

When a dumpster makes sense

A dumpster is the right choice in some situations, and it is worth saying so. A multi-week gut renovation of a house with a driveway, a roofing job, or a large demolition with a contractor crew on site can produce a steady stream of debris that suits a container sitting out for weeks.

Many renovators in the Providence area combine the two. They use a dumpster for the bulk demolition and book junk removal for the items that do not belong in it, such as old appliances, mattresses and TVs, and for the final clean-out after the dumpster is gone.

For renovation pricing, see renovation debris removal in Providence.

Side-by-side

• Who loads it: dumpster, you; junk removal, the crew.
• Where it sits: dumpster, your driveway or the street for days; junk removal, the truck leaves when the job is done.
• Stairs and basements: dumpster, your problem; junk removal, included.
• Restricted items: dumpster, check the list; junk removal, mattresses, TVs and appliances are on the price list.
• Timing: dumpster, delivery and pickup windows; junk removal, two-hour arrival window, same day when booked by 4 PM.
• Price: junk removal is a flat number shown before booking, from the $100 minimum up.

Frequently asked questions