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Dumpster Rental in Portland, Oregon: What To Know

Renovating a kitchen, clearing out an estate, or pulling a roof off a garage all share a problem — you generate way more trash than your curbside bin can swallow. A rented roll-off dumpster solves that for a few hundred dollars. In Portland the process is fairly standard, but there are a couple of local quirks worth knowing before you swipe a card.

Pick the right size

Roll-offs are sold by cubic yard. The four common sizes:

10 yard — small bathroom remodel, a single room cleanout, a couple of pickup loads worth of yard debris.
15 yard — most kitchens, mid-size deck tear-off, larger garage cleanout.
20 yard — full re-roof on an average house, a whole-floor remodel.
30 yard — big construction projects, full house cleanouts after a hoarding situation, large landscaping jobs.

People almost always under-estimate. If you are torn between two sizes, take the bigger one. Paying for a haul-and-return because you overflowed the small one costs more than just renting the larger size up front.

Costs in Portland

Expect roughly $350 to $550 for a 10 or 15 yard, $500 to $750 for a 20, and $650 to $900 for a 30, including delivery, pickup, and a normal one-week rental period. Extra days run $10 to $25. Going over the weight limit is the silent budget killer — heavy material like concrete, soil, and asphalt shingles will blow through the included tonnage fast. If you are tearing off a roof, ask specifically about a roofing dumpster, which is priced differently.

Where can you put it?

On your own driveway, no permit required. On a public street, you need a permit from the Portland Bureau of Transportation. Plan a couple of business days for that. The dumpster company can often pull the permit for you for a fee. Place plywood under the dropoff spot if the driveway is concrete you care about — the wheels can leave marks.

What you can't toss

Standard prohibited items: tires, batteries, paint, motor oil, refrigerators with refrigerant, asbestos, and medical waste. Mattresses are sometimes allowed with an extra fee, sometimes not. If you are not sure, ask before the truck arrives — finding out at the landfill costs you a return trip charge.