With a dumpster swap out, your business keeps a roll-off on site and calls for an empty one when it fills, or books one rental per job. Both setups use the same dumpsters and the same booking. They differ in how long the rental runs and how often you call.
Family Trash runs Charleston, SC roll-off container rental out of James Island for homeowners, contractors and businesses, and Tony does every delivery, pickup and swap-out himself. His wife Toni and his sister-in-law Tracy answer the phone, so a call during a busy morning still reaches a person.
How do you figure out how much your business throws away?
Start with the volume, because the setup follows from it.
Spend a week paying attention to what leaves your building or job site. Is it bagged trash and broken-down cardboard, or construction debris from work you do off site? Does it come out a little every day, or all at once when a project wraps? A shop that fills a few bags a day has a different need from a contractor who fills a dumpster on demo day.
Write down roughly how many pickup truck loads you'd fill in a week. As a general rule of thumb, a full pickup bed holds about 2 to 3 cubic yards. Four to six bed loads is about the size of a 13-yard. Six to eight is closer to a 17. Use that number to pick a size and to guess how often you'll be calling for a swap.
What does one rental per job look like?
You book, Tony drops a dumpster, you fill it, and he picks it up. A business rental runs anywhere from 1 to 30 days, so it can match the length of the job.
This suits project work: a build-out, a remodel, a unit turnover or a seasonal clear-out. The debris has a start and an end, so the rental does too. It also suits a business whose messy weeks are rare, since there's no dumpster sitting half empty between jobs.
How does a swap-out work?
Call or text for a swap when the load is level with the top edge. Tony picks up the full one and sets an empty one in its place, then takes the full one to the landfill. Clean concrete and dirt go to a recycle plant instead.
You call each time you need one, and there's no standing schedule.
To make the swap go quickly, keep the area around the dumpster clear and leave room for the truck to back straight in. Move pallets, parked cars and stacked materials out of the truck's path before you call.
When does a long rental with swap-outs make more sense?
If your crew makes debris on most days of a long job, a long rental with swap-outs fits. The crew loads it as they go, so debris goes straight in instead of onto the ground.
If you find you're booking a fresh rental every couple of weeks, switch to one long rental.
When should Tony drop the dumpster on a project?
Time the drop to the phase that makes the debris. If Tony drops it on day one of a four-week job, it can sit empty through prep and layout, then fill in three days when the tear-out starts. On a remodel, that phase is demo. On a build-out, it's often the last week, when packaging and offcuts pile up.
Plan the pickup the same way. Put it on your closeout list so the dumpster goes out when the work is done, and the site is clear for the final walkthrough.
Where should a business dumpster sit?
On your own lot, a dumpster needs no permit. Pick a spot close to the door your crew uses most, with nothing low overhead, such as wires or branches, and describe it when you book.
Think about your customers too. Keep the dumpster out of the parking spaces they use and away from the entrance, so deliveries and foot traffic move around it. If you share a lot, check with the owner or the other tenants before the drop.
If the only spot is a City of Charleston street, the city requires a permit, and you pull it. The city's Traffic Operations Division says it monitors "the placement of storage devices and dumpsters in the public right-of-way." For more on that, see our dumpster permit page.
Which size fits commercial debris?
Pick the size first.
The 7-yard dumpster is for heavy clean loads like concrete, dirt, brick and block, and our concrete and dirt dumpster page explains the clean-load rule.
Cardboard, furniture, fixtures, wood, drywall and general trash go in the 13, 17 or 22. The 13-yard dumpster fits a small job, such as one unit or one room. The 17-yard dumpster includes 1.5 tons and 5 days, and contractors often pick it. The 22-yard dumpster includes 2 tons and 7 days, for a full renovation or a large clear-out.
Shingles are heavy. A small roof goes in the 13, and a bigger roof goes in the 17 or 22.
How should your crew load a business dumpster?
Break down cardboard flat before it goes in. Flattened cardboard takes far less room than boxes left standing. Lay the heavy, flat pieces down first, fill the corners, and stop at the top edge.
Keep a separate pile for concrete or dirt if you want those to go in a clean 7-yard load, and tell us what's going in when you book. Businesses can look at the County's business recycling program for cardboard and other recyclables.
What's included in the price?
Delivery, pickup and disposal are included. A business within 25 miles of James Island pays no fuel fee, and past 25 miles a fuel fee applies. Tony serves out to about 40 miles. Our dumpster rental cost page explains what goes into the price, and the booking shows the total.
How do you choose between the two?
If your debris comes in projects, book one per job. If it comes every week, go with a long rental and swap-outs. If you're in between, start with one rental per job and count how often you book. Our commercial dumpster rental page covers business use in more detail.
Common questions about dumpster swap-outs for a business
How far ahead should I call for a swap-out?
Call on the day it's full, and we'll tell you when we can be out.
What happens if my job runs past 30 days?
Rentals run 1 to 30 days, and longer if you call before the 30 days are up.
Can I use a different size for the next part of the job?
Yes. Book the next rental in the size you need, and tell us the size when you call.
Do I need to be on site for a swap-out?
No. You don't need to be there for delivery or pickup. Tell us where the dumpster sits and anything about access, like gate codes or loading dock hours.
Can a business pay by card?
Yes. Online booking takes a card, and Tony calls every online order to confirm it.
Text or call (843) 800-0689 to set up your first rental.
Need a dumpster in Charleston? Call or text Tony at (843) 800-0689, or order online.
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