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

Driveway or street? Decide before you call

Placement decides the permit in San Jose. Run these checks before you book.

1. Will the whole box sit on your driveway or lot? Then it stays off the public right-of-way. The San Jose page we fetched does not publish an explicit driveway exemption, so confirm with the city.
2. Street, curb lane, sidewalk, or alley? San Jose Public Works charges for a temporary storage unit in the right-of-way; the fee schedule does not use the word “dumpster,” so confirm with the city.
3. Lead time: not printed on the city page — check with the city and order early.

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

Dumpsters.com San Jose (verified 10/10/2026) lists 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, and 50-yard boxes. Weight, not just yards, drives overage charges — fill dense debris only partway, and measure driveway length and overhead clearance.

Street permit

Required? YES (confirm) — San Jose Public Works charges for a temporary storage unit in the right-of-way; the fee schedule does not use the word “dumpster,” so confirm with the city.

San Jose Public Works’ permit fee schedule (effective August 10, 2026) lists, under Revocable Encroachment Permits, a temporary storage-unit-in-right-of-way line at “$226 per storage unit.” The schedule does not say whether a roll-off counts as a storage unit, so ask Public Works Development Services before you book curb placement.

The same schedule adds a 4% record retention fee to permit fees ($15 minimum) and a separate street-closure surcharge when a permit needs a lane or parking-lane closure ($1,738 half-street, $2,234 full).

How to apply

• Contact San Jose Public Works Development Services, 200 East Santa Clara Street, (408) 535-3555 (number printed on the fee schedule).
• Ask whether your roll-off is permitted as a temporary storage unit and whether the parking-lane closure surcharge applies.
• Ask the hauler whether it handles the encroachment permit.

Fees

• Temporary storage unit in right-of-way: $226 per storage unit
• Record retention fee: 4% of permit fees ($15 minimum)
• Street closure surcharge (if required): $1,738 half-street / $2,234 all

From the Public Works Permit Fees schedule effective August 10, 2026. Whether a residential roll-off is billed under this line is not stated — check with the city.

Typical price

Sourced ranges, not a single quote. Each row is labeled with the date and what that page actually measures.

Blended San Jose index from one published source. Weight limits, overage per ton, and extra days 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 San Jose 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 San Jose’s page says flammable, toxic, and hazardous materials are prohibited. Local household-hazardous-waste drop-off rules were not checked for this San Jose page — ask the hauler or the city.

Gotchas

• The city permit fee is separate from the hauler’s rental price.
• Weight, not just yards, drives overage charges — fill dense debris only partway.
• HOA, co-op, and landlord rules are not the city permit. Check them separately.

Sources

• City of San José — Public Works Permit Fees (effective August 10, 2026) — fetched 10/13/2026
• Dumpsters.com San Jose — last verified 10/10/2026; fetched 10/13/2026