How much does a 30 yard dumpster cost?
A 30 yard container typically runs $400 to $950, with $600 a common midpoint. That figure is a range and not a price, because your quote is built from a landfill gate rate set regionally plus the drive to reach it. Ask what tonnage is included before you compare two quotes.
- Volume
- 30 yd³
- Dimensions
- 20–22 ft × 7.5–8 ft × 5.5–6.5 ft
- Weight included
- 3–5 tons
- Pickup loads
- ~12
- 33 gal bags
- 125–185
- Driveway footprint
- 150–176 ft²
What actually determines the price you are quoted
Six things move a roll-off quote, and container size is not the biggest one. The largest input is the tipping fee: what your hauler pays per ton at the gate. The US average was $62.28 per ton in 2024, up 10% in a single year. Regionally the spread is wide — the Northeast averaged $84.44 in 2023 against $62.28 in the Pacific region.
After the gate rate comes the drive, because a roll-off truck carries one container per trip and delivery, collection and the run to the transfer station are three separate drives. Then comes whether you called a hauler or a broker, what material you are throwing away, how much weight is included, and how long you keep the container.
Why two quotes for the same size are not comparable
Because a rental price is two numbers pretending to be one. A $325 rental including 2 tons and a $425 rental including 4 tons cost the same at 4 tons of debris — and the cheap one is more expensive the moment you go over, because overage is charged per ton on top.
Get the included tonnage and the per-ton overage rate for both quotes before you decide. If a company cannot tell you those two numbers without checking, you are talking to a broker relaying someone else's terms.
Show the data
| Year | Unweighted $/ton | Ton-weighted $/ton |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $58.47 | $57.73 |
| 2023 | $56.80 | $57.63 |
| 2024 | $62.28 | — |
Common mistakes
- Comparing quotes on the headline price aloneA quote with two fewer included tons costs you the difference at the overage rate, commonly $40 to $150 per ton.
- Assuming a national average applies to your cityRegional gate rates differ by more than $20 a ton, which is $60 or more on a typical three-ton load before anyone drives anywhere.
- Not asking whether fuel and environmental surcharges are in the numberThese are where a quoted price and an invoiced price separate, and they are often percentage-based.
Sources
- Primary source 2024 Analysis of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Landfill Tipping Fees — Environmental Research & Education Foundation · last reviewed 2026-08-17
The full report is a paid publication. The national average and the year-over-year change are reported in the publisher’s own product description and in trade press covering the release. - Industry / technical 2023 Landfill Tip Fees In The U.S. — BioCycle · last reviewed 2026-08-17
Trade-press reporting of the EREF 2023 survey. Used for the figures EREF states publicly; the full regional table is behind the paid report.