Before the move
Moving or downsizing with a dumpster
Moving day is the worst time to discover how much is in the basement. A container in the driveway for the last week or two keeps junk off the moving truck.
Answered Mon–Sat 8am–8pm, Sun 8am–1pm (Eastern)
A timeline that works
Three or four weeks out
Walk through each room with tape. Mark what moves, what's sold or donated, and what's thrown out.
Two weeks out
Call about the container. Pick a drop-off date after donation pickups and before the packers arrive.
Container week
Toss as you pack. Broken furniture, worn rugs and the boxes of cords go in first.
Before closing
Schedule the pickup a day or two ahead of the walk-through, so the buyer sees a clear driveway.
Downsizing is mostly decisions
Going from a house to an apartment means letting go of furniture that won't fit, not just broken things. Give donation centers and family first pick, and save the container for what nobody wants.
Size it to what's actually leaving. A three-bedroom house that's moving most of its furniture often needs only a 10 or 15-yard container; one that's clearing out decades of storage needs more.
Renters and landlords
Renting? Ask your landlord before a container lands in a shared lot or a driveway that isn't yours. Landlords turning over a unit after a tenant leaves things behind can use the same approach: one container, one day of clearing, then cleaning.
Moving questions
Will the container damage the driveway before I sell?
Ask for plywood under the rails and point out any cracks to the driver.
Can I keep it after I move out?
Arrange pickup before your keys change hands; the new owner won't want it.
Talk to a local dumpster company
Have your address, the project and a rough start date handy. The company will suggest a size and tell you the price, the weight allowance and when it can bring the container.
Answered Mon–Sat 8am–8pm, Sun 8am–1pm (Eastern)
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