Dumpster rental in Denver — size, street permit, typical price
This page is for Denver homeowners who need a residential roll-off for a remodel, cleanout, roof, or yard job. It covers which size fits the work, when a street / right-of-way permit is required, typical published prices (each source labeled separately), and what Denver’s HHW and trash rules keep out of a mixed box.
Sourced homeowner guide — not a live quote. Last researched September 10, 2026.
Size chooser
Uses Dumpsters.com Denver size notes (verified 9/5/2026) plus Dumpster Champs’ June 27, 2026 local 7-day list. Dimensions can vary by manufacturer; volume is what the size name means.
10 yard
Best for: removing a wall, remodeling a half bathroom, garage junk, general yard waste. Prefer this size for heavy debris (concrete, dirt, brick, small roofing loads) so the weight cap is not blown.
Dumpsters.com Denver: typical box 14′ × 7.5′ × 3.5′; about 3 pickup-truck loads. Driver needs about 60 ft of space and 23–25 ft of vertical clearance (hauler, not the city).
Dumpster Champs (June 27, 2026): garage cleanouts and small bathroom remodels; they print a 12′ × 8′ × 3.5′ box and a 1-ton weight allowance on that 7-day list.
Best for: small home renovations, basement and attic cleanouts, downsizing before a move, kitchen tear-outs. Dumpster Champs calls the 20-yard the most popular residential size in Denver.
Best for: garage demolition, home additions, estate cleanouts, large-scale lawn work. Often needs a two-car driveway — street parking still needs the hauler’s ROW permit first.
Best for: home flipping, warehouse or multi-unit renovations, storefront remodels. Typical box is about 8 ft tall — better on jobsites than tight Highlands / Cap Hill driveways.
Dumpster Champs (June 27, 2026): major demolition and large commercial work; 4 tons included on that 7-day list. Prefer loose bulky debris over dense concrete or brick.
Required?YES — public right-of-way. Permit is obtained by the container company only.
Denver’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) states: all containers — dumpsters, roll-offs, and other containers — require a permit when placed in the public right-of-way. Reference: DOTIPT-104.1 on the city’s Right-of-Way & General Permits page (last modified 1/30/2025 on that listing).
Two application paths exist: a Residential Annual Permit (company plate program) and an Arterial & Collector / Residential One-Time Permit. The city is explicit: the permit for containers is ONLY obtained by the container company, because that company is responsible for maintenance, proper placement, and moving the box. Ask your hauler for a local representative — homeowners do not pull this RSOP themselves on the one-time path.
Before any ROW dumpster/container permit, the company needs a ROW Dumpster License number (Dumpster & Container License Request Form, emailed to contr.licensing@denvergov.org). One-time permits go through e-Permits; allow 5 business days for processing (DOTI one-time information sheet). Annual plates are emailed to dotipermitoperations@denvergov.org. Annual permits are not available for personal use or individual addresses (annual requirements PDF, August 1, 2024).
Authority on the annual sheet: Denver Revised Municipal Code Chapters 49 and 54. A Revocable Street Occupancy Permit (RSOP) is required prior to placing any dumpster/container in the ROW, and the permit must be visible on the property or item.
Private driveway: the city’s dumpster sheets frame the requirement as ROW placement. They do not print a Minneapolis-style “driveway you own = no permit” sentence. Private driveway placement that stays entirely on private property and does not occupy the street, sidewalk, tree lawn, travel lane, or alley is outside the dumpster/container ROW program as described — confirm the property line with DOTI / 3-1-1 before you place a box. Dumpsters.com Denver FAQ (verified 9/5/2026): you need a permit if the dumpster is on the street or blocks a public area.
How to apply
Prefer private driveway when the box fits entirely off public ROW. Check HOA / landlord rules separately.
Street / curb / parking-lane placement: call the hauler and ask them to pull the DOTI Revocable Street Occupancy Permit (they must already hold a ROW Dumpster License).
One-time path: company uploads the application (with traffic-control plans when applicable) via e-Permits — allow 5 business days.
Annual company plate path: Annual Dumpster/Container Requirements & Application PDF; expire March 31 each year. Not for personal / single-address use.
Non-standard fee (dumpster non-compliance): $500 each
Those dollars are municipal ROW occupancy fees from the ROWS Development Engineering Services 2024 Consolidated Fee Schedule (effective 01/01/2024), confirmed on the live PDF 2026-09-10. They are not the hauler’s 7-day rental price. Confirm live fees with DOTI before you budget a street placement — schedule years can update.
Placement (DOTI dumpster / container sheets)
Parking lane only; at least 20 ft from any corner, ramp, alley, or entrance
Do not occupy or obstruct a sidewalk, tree lawn, travel lane, fire hydrant, No Parking Zone, temporary loading zone, or alley
Each RSOP covers up to 40 linear feet of parking lane; one-time applications allow no more than 2 dumpsters/containers
Maximum 180 days in the public ROW within any 12-month period at an address
Reflective tape (min. 6 in × 4 ft vertical on each corner) or four vertical barricades with flashing lights on the street-facing side
Company name and contact must be clearly visible on the container; permit/plate visible (rear upper left on the annual program)
Arterial / collector streets or metered spaces: annual plate is not accepted — use a separate Revocable Street Occupancy / Meter permit (5 business days)
No overflowing, leaking, or debris polluting streets, sidewalks, alleys, or drains
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.
Dumpsters.com Denver — blended roll-off
Verified 9/5/2026. All sizes blended. By-size dollars are not printed on that city block. Price includes delivery, pickup, disposal fees, the rental period, and a set weight limit (exact day count not printed as “7 days” on that city block).
$445–$1,081. Average $667.
Hometown — August 2026 quote sample
Updated August 2026. Based on 33 recent Denver market quotes. Duration varies by size class.
Size class
Range
Tons on page
Period on page
6–11 yard
$318–$534
1–2 tons
1–7 days
14–21 yard
$378–$674
2–4 tons
5–10 days
30 yard
$432–$470
3 tons
14 days
40 yard
$742–$809
4 tons
14 days
Dumpster Champs — explicit 7-day list
Last updated June 27, 2026. Single-vendor published flat rate: delivery, pickup, 7-day rental, and a weight allowance. Page warns prices may vary by location and debris.
Size
7-day list
Tons included
10 yard
$595
1 ton
20 yard
$695
2 tons
30 yard
$795
3 tons
40 yard
$895
4 tons
TapDump — typical 2026 Denver range by size
2026 local pricing article. Labeled “Typical 2026 Price Range.” Exact 7-day window is not locked on that table.
Size
Typical 2026 range
10 yard
$325–$475
20 yard
$425–$625
30 yard
$525–$725
A dated 2026 20-yard band sits near $378–$674 (Hometown 14–21 class) or $425–$625 (TapDump), while an explicit 7-day vendor list prints $695 for a 20-yard with 2 tons. Dumpsters.com’s blended Denver envelope is $445–$1,081 (verified 9/5/2026). Weight limits, overages, extra days, and any ROW pass-through are usually extra — we did not invent those beyond what a source printed.
Omitted as headlines: Town Bins’ $75–$150 “permit cost” band (not on denvergov.org); RightDumpster’s RSMeans-modeled 20-yard estimate (not a live vendor quote); undated comparison sites below the dated 2026 vendor/aggregator quotes.
What not to put in
From Denver’s Household Hazardous Waste At-Your-Door program, city trash / large-item rules, and Dumpsters.com Denver’s hazardous/flammable/toxic ban. These items do not belong in a residential dumpster headed to ordinary trash disposal.
Paint, stains, solvents, paint thinner, spray paint, stripper, varnish (city HHW accepted list — keep out of mixed roll-offs)
Batteries of all kinds (household, auto) — HHW program
Hot ashes, free liquids, commercial quantities of hazardous chemicals
City trash rules also keep construction/demolition debris, concrete, rocks, sod, and dirt out of regular carts and DHA dumpsters — that debris belongs in a proper roll-off channel with a hauler, not bulky set-out.
Homeowners do not pull the ROW dumpster permit — only the licensed container company does.
Allow 5 business days for one-time e-Permits processing before delivery day.
Annual dumpster plates are a company program, not a personal / single-address product.
Tree lawn / parkway between curb and sidewalk is often public ROW — a strip that looks like yard can still be city space.
Arterial / collector streets and metered spaces need a separate occupancy path; annual plates are rejected there.
180-day-in-12-months cap on ROW placement at an address.
Dumpsters.com Denver delivery envelope: about 60 ft of length and 23–25 ft of vertical clearance (wires and mature street trees on older blocks matter).
HOA / gated / historic overlay rules are not the city permit. Check them separately.
Weight beats yards for concrete, dirt, brick, and wet loads — a 10-yard is often safer than a half-filled 40-yard.
Yes for public right-of-way placement. Denver DOTI requires a Right-of-Way Revocable Street Occupancy Permit before any dumpster or roll-off sits in the ROW. The city says that permit is obtained only by the container company (not the homeowner). Prefer private driveway when the box can sit entirely off the public ROW.
Can I put a dumpster on my driveway in Denver without a city permit?
Denver’s dumpster/container program is framed for placement in the public right-of-way. Private driveway placement that stays entirely on private property and does not occupy the street, sidewalk, tree lawn, or alley is outside that ROW program as described on the DOTI sheets — but the city does not publish a Minneapolis-style “driveway you own = no permit” sentence on those dumpster PDFs. Confirm the property line and HOA rules before delivery.
What size dumpster do most Denver homeowners need?
Most Denver residential jobs land on a 10-yard for heavy debris (concrete, dirt, brick, small roofing) or a 20-yard for kitchen/mixed cleanouts. A 30–40 yard needs serious driveway length and height clearance. Weight and included tons beat “bigger is better.” See the Size chooser on this page for Denver-specific notes.
What does a typical dumpster rental cost in Denver?
This page lists sourced ranges, not one invented quote. Dumpsters.com Denver shows a blended $445–$1,081 (average $667, verified 9/5/2026). Hometown’s August 2026 quote sample and Dumpster Champs’ explicit 7-day list are labeled separately. Always confirm included tons, days, and overage with the hauler.
What should I not put in a dumpster in Denver?
Keep household hazardous waste, wet paint/solvents, batteries, tires, Freon appliances, asbestos, medical waste, and similar banned items out of a mixed roll-off. Use the “What not to put in” section on this Denver page for city HHW and trash rules, and ask the hauler before you load gray-area items.