Residential dumpster directory

San Diego, CA · street permit · prices

Dumpster rental in San Diego — size, street permit, typical price

This page is for San Diego 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 permit is required, typical published prices (each source labeled separately), and what the city will not take in a box.

Sourced homeowner guide — not a live quote. Last researched August 29, 2026.

Size chooser

Uses the Dumpsters.com national size chart plus San Diego notes from Dumpsters.com (verified 8/22/2026) and Haul’n Off’s 2026 local guide.

10 yard

Best for: heavy debris (dirt, concrete, brick, roofing shingles), half-bath remodel, garage junk, removing a wall, yard waste. Fill heavy material only partway so the weight cap is not blown.

Dumpsters.com size chart: about 3 pickup-truck loads; typical box 14′ × 7.5′ × 3.5′. National FAQ: preferred size for roofing materials.

Haul’n Off 2026 San Diego notes: bathroom remodels, minor garage cleanouts, and heavy dirt/concrete; local roofers use 10-yard roofing bins and do not mix shingles with lighter debris. Kitchen guts are often a 10-yard here.

Dumpsters.com size chart · Haul’n Off 2026 SD

20 yard

Best for: full kitchen tear-out (cabinets, counters, flooring, appliances), whole-house cleanouts, typical home renovation, large deck removal. Most-used residential size on both cited guides.

Dumpsters.com size chart: about 6 pickup-truck loads; typical box 22′ × 7.5′ × 4.5′. Heavy shingles still belong in a 10-yard if weight, not volume, is the limiter.

Haul’n Off 2026 San Diego notes: whole-home cleanouts, large decks, and roofing when the limiter is volume. Dumpsters.com San Diego page (8/22/2026): small renovations, attic/basement cleanouts, downsizing.

Dumpsters.com size chart · Haul’n Off 2026 SD

30 yard

Best for: estate cleanouts, home additions, garage demolition, complete gut renovations. Often needs a two-car driveway.

Dumpsters.com size chart: about 9 pickup-truck loads; typical box 22′ × 7.5′ × 6′. Do not use for concrete, brick, or shingles — weight, not volume, will cap the load.

Haul’n Off 2026 San Diego notes: major additions, gut renovations, large tree removals. Dumpsters.com San Diego page (8/22/2026): garage demolition, additions, estate cleanout.

Dumpsters.com 30-yard · Haul’n Off 2026 SD

40 yard

Best for: home flipping, major demolition, complete estate cleanouts. Typical box is about 8 ft tall.

Dumpsters.com size chart: about 12 pickup-truck loads; typical box 22′ × 7.5′ × 8′. Heavy debris still goes in a 10-yard.

Haul’n Off 2026 San Diego notes: large-scale demolition and complete estate cleanouts; often a better fit on a jobsite than on a residential street.

Dumpsters.com 40-yard · Haul’n Off 2026 SD

Street permit

Required? YES — public right-of-way, including the sidewalk.

A Traffic Control Permit is required when a dumpster encroaches into the public right-of-way, including the sidewalk. Authority: City of San Diego Information Bulletin 718 (July 2026), citing San Diego Municipal Code §129.0702.

Private-property placement is not covered by IB-718. The city never published a “driveway = no permit” rule. The parkway between curb and property line is often public right-of-way (generally about 10 ft from curb face). Confirm with the city before you place a box.

How to apply

  • Complete Traffic Control Plan/Permit Form DS-269 and a traffic-control plan (IB-718 points to “Components of a Typical Dumpster Plan”).
  • Submit electronically through the DSD Traffic Control Permit page.
  • New permits and extensions can take about 15 business days to process (TCP landing page, fetched 8/29/2026).
  • Give at least 3 working days’ notice before placing the dumpster (IB-718).
  • Post Tow-Away / No Parking signs 72 hours before placement; deactivate meters where they apply.

Fees (IB-718, July 2026)

  • Traffic Control Dumpster Fee: $176.57 per month
  • Traffic Control Processing Fee: $87.68 (flat)
  • Together, without meters: $264.25
  • Metered space: $20.00 per meter, per day

Placement (IB-718)

  • 10 ft clearance from the dumpster door to the nearest obstruction
  • 25 ft from the dumpster door to an alley or curb return
  • 15 ft from the dumpster door to a fire hydrant
  • Not in front of a painted curb: red (no-parking), white (passenger loading), or blue (accessibility)

Do not confuse this with a POD / storage container. IB-718’s “permit valid up to 7 days” sentence is for storage containers only. The dumpster fee is billed per month (IB-177, May 2026, labels the same $176.57 fee “up to 4 weeks”).

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 San Diego — blended roll-off

Verified 8/22/2026. All sizes blended. 7-day period is not stated on that city page. By-size dollars are not printed.

$615–$1,430. Average $880.

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.

Size 7-day list
10 yard$795
20 yard$895
30 yard$995
40 yard$1,095

Hometown — August 2026 quote sample

Updated August 2026. Based on 20 recent San Diego quotes. Duration varies by size class. No 30-yard row on that page.

Size class Range Period on page
10-class (6–12 yard)$588–$1,0274–10 days
20-class (14–21 yard)$809–$1,2683–10 days
40 yard$960–$1,0477 days

Haul’n Off — 2026 averages

2026 local guide. Period is not labeled 7-day. Figures below are the published averages, not the wide tails on that page.

Size Average
10 yard$558
20 yard$637
30 yard$752
40 yard$850

Published 7-day asks in mid-2026 clustered near $800–$1,100 depending on size; blended city indexes run wider. Weight limits and tonnage overages are usually extra — we did not invent those numbers so they are omitted.

What not to put in

From the City of San Diego Household Hazardous Waste page and the Miramar Landfill unacceptable-waste flyer. These items do not go in a residential dumpster.

  • Paint, stains, lacquers, varnishes, paint thinner, and solvents
  • Batteries (alkaline, lead-acid, lithium, nickel-cadmium, mercury)
  • E-waste, TVs, CRTs, and computer monitors
  • Appliances that contain Freon / refrigerant
  • Tires
  • Friable asbestos
  • Motor oil, oil filters, and other auto fluids
  • Aerosols, compressed-gas cylinders, and propane
  • Pesticides and pool chemicals
  • Fluorescent, HID, and CFL lamps
  • Mercury items (thermometers, thermostats, switches)
  • Solar / photovoltaic panels
  • Sharps and medical waste
  • Explosives, ammunition, and flares

City HHW drop-off: 5161 Convoy St, San Diego. Appointment only. Wednesday and Saturday, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. (City HHW page, fetched 8/29/2026).

Gotchas

  • 15 ft from dumpster door to a fire hydrant (IB-718).
  • 25 ft from dumpster door to an alley or curb return (IB-718).
  • No placement in front of a red, white, or blue painted curb (IB-718).
  • Tow-Away / No Parking signs 72 hours before placement (IB-718).
  • Traffic-control plans must show bike lanes and bike buffers (IB-177). That is a plan requirement, not a dumpster-specific ban.
  • About 15 business days for the city to process a new Traffic Control Permit (TCP landing page).
  • The parkway is often public ROW — generally about 10 ft from curb face to property line (Think Blue construction BMP). A strip that looks like your yard can still be city space.
  • HOA rules and CC&Rs are not the city permit. Check them separately.

Sources

San Diego dumpster FAQs

Do I need a permit for a dumpster in San Diego?
Yes for public right-of-way placement, including the sidewalk — that requires a Traffic Control Permit path summarized on this page. Prefer private driveway when the box can sit entirely on private property.
Is driveway placement permit-free in San Diego?
Private property placement that does not occupy the public ROW (including sidewalk) is the usual way to avoid the Traffic Control Permit path. The city does not publish a “driveway = no permit” rule on the sources used here. Confirm property lines and HOA rules.
What size dumpster do most San Diego homeowners need?
Most San Diego 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 San Diego-specific notes.
What does a typical dumpster rental cost in San Diego?
Dumpsters.com San Diego shows a blended $615–$1,430 (average $880, verified 8/22/2026). Other labeled sources on this page add more bands. Confirm whether your quote is ~7 days and what tonnage is included.
What should I not put in a dumpster in San Diego?
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 San Diego page for local HHW / landfill rules, and ask the hauler before you load gray-area items.
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