With a long term dumpster rental, one container stays on site for a slow remodel or cleanout, so you skip rebooking every time the work pauses. A short rental fits a weekend job: you book it, fill it, and Tony picks it up. Plenty of jobs around Charleston run longer than that. On a kitchen remodel you may wait weeks for cabinets. A house cleanout depends on how fast the family can sort through decades of belongings.
We're a family-owned Charleston, SC rent-a-dumpster service on James Island, and Tony does every delivery and pickup himself.
How long can you keep a dumpster?
Included time is 5 days on the 7, 13 and 17, and 7 days on the 22. Past that, a rental can run to 30 days, and longer than 30 is fine if you call. Some customers keep a dumpster 20 to 30 days on a remodel or a cleanout. Extra days past the included time are added to the rental, so ask about them when you book.
If you know the job will take three weeks, say so at booking and plan the dates from the start. Tony calls every online order to confirm, and that call is a good time to go over the schedule.
Why does one longer rental work better than several short ones?
When you book a short rental and the job runs over, you either rush to fill the dumpster before pickup or call to extend. On a renovation that can happen two or three times, and each time you stop loading until the next dumpster arrives.
With one longer rental, the dumpster stays on site for the length of the project. You or your crew load it as the work happens, on the days the work happens. For contractors juggling several jobs, the dumpster is in the driveway Monday and still there Friday.
Which jobs need the extra time?
Full home renovations. Demo, framing, drywall, flooring and trim each make their own waste, on different days. A full renovation goes in the 22-yard dumpster, which includes 2 tons and 7 days. A full kitchen remodel fits the 17-yard dumpster, with 1.5 tons. A bathroom or a small kitchen fits the 13-yard dumpster, with 1 ton.
Estate cleanouts and downsizing. Sorting through a lifetime of belongings is slow, and a family shouldn't have to rush it to meet a pickup date. For an estate, the 17 or the 22 fits, depending on the house; tell us the house and what's going.
DIY projects over several weekends. Clearing a garage, redoing a deck and pulling out an old fence over a month of Saturdays fits one 13 on a longer rental.
New construction and additions. Contractors use the 17 or the 22 on builds and call for a swap before the dumpster is full.
How do you pick a size for a long job?
Size the dumpster for the phase you're in, keep it on site through the slow stretches, and call for a swap-out when it's full. If the next phase needs a different size, book that rental when the first one goes, or ask Tony to bring two dumpsters at once.
If one phase is digging out a footing or breaking up a slab, that clean dirt or concrete goes in the 7-yard. Footing dirt with nothing else in it goes to a recycle plant and has no overweight charge. Dirt from the dig mixed with framing scrap goes to the landfill and is charged by weight. If the long job includes a re-roof, a small roof's shingles go in the 13, and a bigger roof goes in the 17 or 22. Tile from a long remodel goes in with the rest of the demo, and it's heavy, so tell us how much.
How do you keep a long rental tidy?
Break down bulky items before they go in. Cabinets, shelving and furniture take up much less room flat. Stacking instead of tossing fits a lot more into one dumpster over a few weeks.
Load the heavy, flat pieces on the bottom and spread them out. Put loose packaging, foam and insulation scraps under heavier debris so the wind doesn't carry them into the neighbor's yard. Over the weeks, keep the load below the top edge.
Watch the weather. Debris that sits open through a few rainstorms soaks up water and gets heavier. If rain is coming and the dumpster is mostly full, pull a tarp over the load. On a long job, fill and swap instead of letting a full dumpster sit through weeks of rain. If you live in a neighborhood with an HOA, check its rules on how long a dumpster can sit in a driveway.
What should go in a long-term dumpster?
Tony takes almost everything, paint included. Oil goes in only in a sealed, wrapped container. You may find surprises in walls and crawl spaces during a long renovation, so tell us what's going in when you book, and call if you find something new partway through. Contractors can read the SC Department of Environmental Services page on construction and demolition debris for builders and contractors.
How do swap-outs work on a long job?
If a long renovation fills the dumpster before the work is done, call, and Tony will pick up the full one and set an empty one in its place. Your crew keeps working while he does it. Call when the dumpster is getting close to full, and Tony will tell you when he can be out. You don't need to be home for delivery, pickup or a swap-out.
Where does a dumpster sit for weeks?
Pick a spot that stays out of the way for the length of the job, like the side of the driveway the cars use least. A dumpster on your driveway or your own property needs no permit.
On a tight downtown lot with a long remodel, Tony can angle the dumpster or set it out front. If a dumpster sits in a City of Charleston street for the length of a remodel, the city requires a permit, and you pull it. The city's Traffic Operations Division monitors "the placement of storage devices and dumpsters in the public right-of-way," and our dumpster permit page covers the rest.
What does a long rental cost?
Delivery, pickup and disposal are included. A job site within 25 miles of James Island has no fuel fee, and a fuel fee applies past 25 miles. Your booking terms cover weight over the included tons. The price shows in the online booking, and our dumpster rental cost page explains what goes into it.
Common questions about long-term rentals
Can I rent a dumpster for more than 30 days?
Yes. Rentals run 1 to 30 days, and longer is fine. Call and Tony works out the dates with you.
Can I pause the job and come back to it?
Yes. You may be waiting on materials or weather, and with a dumpster on site you pick the work back up without rebooking.
Should I book long from the start or extend later?
Book for how long you expect the job to take. If it runs over, call and extend.
Does rain make a long rental heavier?
It can. Debris that sits in the rain holds water. Cover the load with a tarp when rain is coming, or swap the dumpster once it's full.
If you have a project that will take a while, text or call (843) 800-0689. Tell us how long the work will run and what you're throwing out.
Need a dumpster in Charleston? Call or text Tony at (843) 800-0689, or order online.
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