Dumpster rental in Boston — size, street permit, typical price

Driveway or street? Decide before you call

Boston’s street permit asks specifically about dumpsters — and it takes a week. Run these three checks before you book.

1. Will the whole box fit on your driveway? If yes, you are outside the street permit. Dumpsters.com’s Boston page says no permit is needed if the bin is on your property and lists a delivery envelope of about 60 ft of approach and 23–25 ft of overhead clearance.
2. Need the street or sidewalk? Boston Public Works’ Street Occupancy permit restricts access to a section of street or sidewalk for a set time. The application asks how many dumpsters, their size, and whether a chute feeds them. You must show proof of a bond.
3. Give it seven business days. Apply at least seven business days before you need the space, then post signs for neighbors at least three days before the job (two days at metered spots).

Unsure who pulls the permit, you or the hauler? See who applies for the dumpster permit.

Have these five answers ready when you call

• Job type and debris: remodel, roof, cleanout, yard, or heavy material like concrete, dirt, or brick.
• Size you think you need (10 or 20 yard covers most homes; see the Size chooser below).
• Placement: driveway, yard, or street, and roughly how much straight approach the truck gets.
• Drop-off date and how many days you need it.
• Questions for the quote: included tons, overage per ton, extra-day charge, and anything the hauler won’t take.

Comparing more than one quote? Use the 7-day quote checklist so the numbers line up.

Call (773) 285-6637

Calls to this number are tracked. You may be connected to a partner. We may be paid if the call qualifies.

Size chooser

Uses Dumpsters.com Boston size notes (verified 10/3/2026). That page lists 10, 15, 20, 30, and 40-yard boxes; a 15-yard is about 4–5 pickup-truck loads. In Boston the box footprint also drives the permit fee, which is charged per square foot of street occupied. Dimensions can vary by manufacturer; volume is what the size name means. Weight, not just yards, drives overage charges — fill dense debris only partway.

Street permit

Required? YES — Boston Public Works Street Occupancy permit for a dumpster on the street or sidewalk.

Boston Public Works’ How to get a Street Occupancy, Excavation, or Driveway Permit page says these permits allow you “to restrict access to a section of a street or sidewalk in Boston for a certain amount of time.” Scope questions on the application include, for dumpsters: how many, what size, and whether there will be a chute.

Before you start (same page): apply at least seven business days before you need the public space; describe the job and time needed, your traffic plan, and your plan for hiring a Boston police detail; give proof that you are bonded; and list parking meter numbers if you take metered spots. Companies not already listed as a permittee or contractor send a $5,000 surety bond for occupancy permits.

After you get the permit: in residential areas, post signs for neighbors at least three days before the job and flier doorways and cars within a half-block each day for at least two days. At metered spots, post signs at least two days before and flier at least one day before.

The city page covers street and sidewalk occupancy. It does not publish a “driveway = no permit” sentence; keeping the box on private property is the way to stay outside it.

How to apply

• Apply through the Public Works online permit portal with contact details and a description of the work.
• Have bond proof ready (the city’s bond form is completed with a bonding company). Because of the bond, ask your hauler or contractor whether they apply under their own bond.
• City staff follow up and email payment instructions; print the permit from the portal once finalized.
• Questions: Public Works 617-635-4900; Transportation permit branch (meters, signs, traffic plan) 617-635-4675 or btdpermitbranch@boston.gov.

Fees (Boston Public Works — fetched October 7, 2026)

• Base fee: $50
• Space fee: $0.10 per square foot per day for the first 500 sq ft; $0.05 per square foot per day beyond that
• Signage: $4 each
• Metered spaces: $20 per meter per day

Illustration only: Dumpsters.com’s typical 20-yard footprint is 22 ft × 7.5 ft = 165 sq ft, which at $0.10 per sq ft per day is $16.50 per day in space fees, before the $50 base fee, signs, and meters. Your permitted area may be larger than the box itself.

Typical price

Sourced ranges, not a single quote. Each row is labeled with the date and what that page actually measures. These are not mashed into one invented band.

Two published Boston indexes land close together. Weight limits and overages are usually extra; we did not invent those numbers.

The call button on this page is a tracked partner line for a rental quote (see the disclosure next to the button), not a Boston permit-desk number. Permit fees in the section above are municipal charges, not a rental price.

What not to put in

Ask before you load. Keep household hazardous waste (paint, solvents, chemicals, batteries), tires, appliances that hold refrigerant, and anything flammable or toxic out of a mixed roll-off unless the hauler confirms it can take it. Dumpsters.com Boston’s page says flammable, toxic, and hazardous materials are not allowed in its dumpsters. Local household-hazardous-waste drop-off rules were not re-checked for this Boston page — ask the hauler or the city before you load gray-area items.

Gotchas

• Seven business days minimum lead time on the Street Occupancy permit.
• Proof of a bond is required; companies not already listed send a $5,000 surety bond for occupancy permits.
• The application may require a traffic plan and a plan for a Boston police detail.
• Space fees are per square foot per day — a bigger box or a longer stay costs more.
• Neighbor notice: signs at least three days ahead in residential areas, plus two days of fliers.
• Dumpsters.com Boston delivery envelope: about 60 ft of approach and 23–25 ft of vertical clearance.
• HOA, co-op, and landlord rules are not the city permit. Check them separately.

Sources

• Boston Public Works — How to get a Street Occupancy, Excavation, or Driveway Permit — fetched 10/7/2026
• Boston Public Works — Street Occupancy Permit Fees — fetched 10/7/2026
• Dumpsters.com Boston — last verified 10/3/2026; fetched 10/7/2026
• Budget Dumpster Boston — last verified 10/3/2026; fetched 10/7/2026