Dumpster Rental in
Cambridge, MA
Need a dumpster between Cambridge and Weymouth? Both are inside the delivery area. Sizes run 10 to 40 yards; the 10 yard is $865-$960 with a 10-day rental period.
Mon–Fri 8am–8pm ET
Fair. Simple. Reliable.
The price for every size is printed on this page, the order happens in one phone call, and the container arrives on the date you set. That is the arrangement, whether it is a weekend cleanout or a job site on its third container.
Cambridge packs a lot of building types into a small area. Victorian houses in Old Cambridge and West Cambridge. Postwar apartments around Neighborhood Nine. Dense commercial blocks near the main avenue. That mix shows up in what people haul away: plaster and lath from an old-house renovation, a full kitchen gut in a condo, or masonry from a foundation repair. The job determines the size. A tear-off or a concrete demo runs heavy, so a 10 or a 20 loaded level usually does it. Bulky stuff like framing and furniture is where a bigger container earns its keep.
Deliveries happen on the day you book. Timing in Cambridge is mostly a question of where the truck can line up straight. Side streets off Massachusetts Avenue or Broadway give you tight corners and parked cars to work around. A driveway in West Cambridge or Coolidge Hill is usually fine. But check the approach before the truck arrives. Look up for low branches and service lines. Make sure there’s room to swing the gate. That’s the one thing that stops a drop out here. Walk the route once and you’re set.
Dumpster Sizes in Cambridge
ZTERS rents five dumpster sizes in Cambridge, from single-room cleanouts to demolition-scale jobs.
- Dedicated account manager
- Best-in-class customer service
- Flat pricing, quoted up front
For jobs that sound small and weigh a lot — tile, plaster, a concrete stoop — the 10 yard is the right call at $865 to $960. Dense debris hits the weight allowance before it ever needs the space.
Holds about 3 pickup truck loads or 50–70 trash bags. Footprint roughly one standard parking space. Heavy-debris configs can carry up to 10 tons.
Best for dirt and soil removal, brick and masonry, concrete demo, and asphalt shingles. Also fits small bath remodels and garage cleanouts.
Most kitchen-plus-bath remodels land in the 20 yard, $935 to $1115. It takes the cabinets, counters, subfloor and trim in one go, with the footprint of a delivery truck.
Holds 8–10 pickup truck loads or about 120 trash bags. Footprint roughly two parking spaces end-to-end.
Best for kitchen and bathroom remodels, whole-house decluttering, mid-size garage and attic cleanouts, mid-size landscaping, and roof replacements on smaller homes.
The 40 yard at $1230 to $1415 holds bulk, not weight: the walls run eight feet, so loading means a ramp, a ladder or the rear door, and dense material hits the truck's legal limit long before the rim.
Holds about 12 pickup truck loads or 230–250 trash bags. The 8-ft walls make rear-door loading essential for bulky items.
Best for new construction, major demos, full kitchen-and-bath gut renos, and large commercial cleanouts. Note: dense debris (concrete, shingles) needs a heavy-debris bin instead.
The 15 yard suits estate cleanouts and downsizing jobs — volume without much weight — and sits in the same driveway slot the smaller container uses.
Holds about 4.5 pickup truck loads or 80–100 trash bags. Roughly the volume of 15 standard washing machines.
Best for multi-room remodels, flooring removal, garage cleanouts, light demo, larger landscaping, and deck builds. Heavy materials need a smaller heavy-debris bin.
The 30 yard is the clearout size: attic, basement and garage in one container, $1020 to $1100. Tall sides add capacity, not weight allowance, so concrete and dirt still price by weight.
Holds about 9 pickup truck loads or 170–190 trash bags. Footprint roughly two parking spaces end-to-end.
Best for whole-house cleanouts, large home demos, active construction, and commercial mixed debris. Note: cannot accept dirt, concrete, brick, or shingles.
Residential and Construction Dumpster Rental in Cambridge, MA
For homeowners
For a homeowner, the container usually lands on the driveway and holds a cleanout or a remodel: old furniture, drywall, flooring, the contents of a packed garage. Light, awkward material fills space long before it hits a weight limit, so pick the size by volume and load the big pieces flat.
For contractors
Jobsite debris runs heavier. Shingles, plaster, tile and the mortar bed under it reach the weight allowance while the container still looks half full. Crews on longer builds often run a smaller size and swap it more than once rather than push one load past its allowance, and they stage it where the truck can make a straight approach.
The Dumpster Rental Process in Cambridge
- Call for a quote. Describe the debris, the address, and the dates. One account manager takes the order and stays on it.
- Pick the size and the spot. Clear a straight run for the truck and check for low branches or wires over the drop point.
- Load it. Keep everything level with or below the top rail, and keep heavy material in a low, even layer.
- Call for pickup. Ring the same number when you are done, or at the end of the rental period.
How Much Does a Dumpster Rental Cost in Cambridge, MA?
Dumpster rental pricing in Cambridge varies with disposal costs, debris weight, rental length, and delivery distance. The ranges below reflect recent local pricing rather than a fixed quote — the final number depends on the size you pick and what goes in it.
Estimated Dumpster Rental Costs in Cambridge
| Dumpster Size | Estimated Price Range | Delivery Estimate* | Rental Period | Included Tonnage** |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Yard | $865 – $960 | — | Up to 10 days | 1–2 tons |
| 20 Yard | $935 – $1115 | — | Up to 10 days | 2–4 tons |
| 30 Yard | $1020 – $1100 | — | Up to 10 days | 4–6 tons |
| 40 Yard | $1230 – $1415 | — | Up to 10 days | 5–8 tons |
* Delivery is quoted separately and moves with distance from the yard, fuel, and how easy the drop spot is to reach. Where it shows as included, it is already inside the range.
** Each rental carries a base weight allowance. Debris over that allowance is billed as an adjustment at pickup.
Why Is There a Price Range?
Five things move the number inside that range:
- Debris type. Clean wood and household junk dispose cheaply. Shingles, plaster, tile, dirt and concrete are billed by weight and hit the allowance early.
- Weight. A container can reach its tonnage cap while it still looks half empty, which is the single most common surprise on a first rental.
- Rental length. The quote covers 10 days. Longer rentals are extended for an additional fee.
- Delivery distance. How far the truck runs from the yard to your address, and whether it can make a straight approach.
- Local disposal rates. Landfill and transfer-station fees are set locally and are the largest single input to the price.
What Is Included in the Base Rental?
- Delivery to your Cambridge address on the date you book
- A 10-day rental period
- Pickup and haul-away when you call
- Disposal up to the size's included tonnage
- One account manager handling the order from quote through pickup
Charged separately: weight over the included allowance, days past the rental period, and any load containing prohibited material.
How to Get an Exact Quote
Have these ready and the quote takes a couple of minutes:
- What the debris is — remodel, roof tear-off, cleanout, yard waste, concrete
- Roughly how much of it there is
- The delivery address and where the container should sit
- The date you want it dropped
Call (888) 664-7740 and describe the job. If two sizes both look plausible, say so — the gap between them is usually smaller than the cost of a second haul.
What You Can Put in a Dumpster in Cambridge
Most of what comes out of a house or a job site is fine. The restricted list is set by the disposal facility, not by us, and it is short.
Accepted
- Household junk, furniture, and general trash
- Renovation debris — drywall, lumber, trim, cabinets
- Flooring, carpet, tile, and countertops
- Roofing shingles and underlayment
- Yard waste, brush, and branches
- Appliances with the refrigerant already removed
- Concrete, brick, dirt, and asphalt — mention these when you book, because they are priced by weight
Not accepted
- Paint, solvents, and other liquids
- Motor oil, fuel, and antifreeze
- Batteries and propane tanks
- Tires
- Asbestos and other hazardous material
- Medical or biological waste
- Appliances still holding refrigerant
Everything has to sit level with or below the top rail — an overfilled container cannot be tarped, so the driver has to leave it until the load comes down. If you are not sure about an item, ask before it goes over the side.
Need a dumpster fast?
Speak with one of our Cambridge account managers. Most quotes take less than five minutes by phone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cambridge dumpster costs can be impacted by dumpster size, local landfill fees, fuel prices, and any required permits. Cambridge dumpster costs range from $865 for a 10 yard dumpster up to $1415 for a 40 yard dumpster.
Each dumpster size includes a maximum allowable tonnage and a 10-day rental period. If you need the dumpster longer, you can extend your rental period for an additional fee. Delivery is quoted separately and moves with distance, size, and access. The full breakdown by size, including the delivery estimate and the included tonnage, is in the pricing section above.
Three things before the truck arrives. Surface: a level spot on pavement or packed gravel, long enough for the container plus a straight run in behind it. Clearance: nothing overhead, because the bed tilts higher than the container stands and a low limb or service line stops the drop cold. Access: move vehicles off the drive the night before and unlock any gate the driver would need.
Plywood under the rails keeps a soft or freshly sealed driveway from marking. Mark the spot if you will not be home. A blocked drop usually turns into a trip charge and a rescheduled delivery, which is the one avoidable cost in the whole rental.
Whatever project you’re in the middle of, we’ve got you covered across Cambridge. Drivers are up and down the block every week in Old Cambridge, Baldwin, Avon Hill, and Neighborhood Nine. They handle remodels in Huron Village, roof work in Prospect Hill, and cleanouts in Union Square and Spring Hill. The drop works the same in all of them. Pick the size that fits the job and we’ll take it from there. Boston and Somerville are within reach too, if your work spills over the line.
The standard window is 10 days, counted from delivery. Most renovations and cleanouts finish well inside it.
The period is not rigid in either direction. A job that runs long can be extended by phone for an additional daily fee, and a container that fills up fast can be collected early if the pickup schedule has room. Either way, one call settles it.
Work from what is coming out, not from the size of the house. A single bathroom or one room of flooring fills a 10. A kitchen with cabinets and counters wants the 20. Gut work across several rooms, or a barn with decades of storage in it, is 30 yard territory.
Roofing is its own case. Shingles are heavy for the space they take, so the tonnage allowance runs out long before the walls do. If concrete, brick or dirt is going in, say so when you call, because that changes the answer completely.
When two sizes both look plausible, the gap between them is usually smaller than the cost of a second haul.
There is no fixed answer, because the trucks work routes. A delivery lands in Cambridge when a truck is already headed that way with room on its schedule, so the honest window shifts week to week.
The reliable move is to call with your start date and ask what the current window looks like. Book a day or two ahead of when you want to start loading and the timing takes care of itself.
Your container will sit on private property in most of Cambridge. That means no permit. Driveways and yards are fine as long as you own the place or have the owner’s okay. If the dumpster has to go on a public street, that’s different. Check with the Cambridge Traffic, Parking, and Transportation Department for a street occupancy permit. They’ll tell you what’s needed for your location.
ZTERS Dumpster Rental Customer Reviews
"Liz Dillon is great. She always responds in a timely manner and if there is an issue Liz always finds a way to resolve it. Overall good costumer service."
"I work at a roofing company each and every time or emailed. I got a qucik response and VERY helpful and always delivered my orders in a timely manner. Customer service is AMAZING!!!!"
"Incredible service! I have been using them for two years and they are professional, communicative, and thorough in their work. Sierra Williams has provided exceptional customer service."
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