NorthPoint Dumpster Rentals: Complete FAQ

It's straightforward: pick your container size and a delivery date online, or call your nearest location directly. We deliver and place it with our hook truck, you load your project debris, and when you're done, call or text us for pickup. If we don't hear from you by the end of your scheduled rental period, we'll come collect it on the last day automatically rather than leave it sitting indefinitely.

For most New Hampshire renovation projects, a 15-yard or 20-yard container is the right call — both are sized to handle bulky renovation debris like cabinetry, flooring, and drywall while still fitting comfortably in a standard driveway. Every delivery includes protective boards under the container as standard, not just on request, to help avoid damage to your driveway surface.

Our containers are roughly 8 feet wide, but the delivery truck needs some extra room to maneuver into position. We recommend at least 12 feet of clear width if your driveway or access point is tight, plus a resting spot at least 15 feet long by 10 feet wide — roughly the footprint of a pickup truck or SUV — so the container sits fully off any adjacent grass or landscaping. Container length varies by size, from about 12 feet (10-yard) up to 20 feet (20-yard) — most fit within a standard residential driveway or parking area.

Pavement, concrete, gravel, dirt, or grass all work — the surface just needs to be firm enough to support the container's weight plus whatever you load into it. On lawns or softer ground, protective boards go under the container automatically, on every delivery, to help avoid ruts or damage.

The best spot is a flat, hard surface your driveway can hold up well — not across a lawn or near a spot that would require the truck to drive off the pavement. We won't drive our trucks across lawns, and if a driveway placement is the only option, our drivers may recommend wood planks underneath the container for extra protection. Let us know your preferred placement when you book, and dispatch will flag it if that spot isn't accessible before the truck heads out.

NorthPoint runs hook trucks rather than traditional cable-and-rail roll-off trucks. A hook truck uses a hydraulic arm to lift the container directly off the truck bed, which generally means a tighter turning radius and more precise placement in narrow driveways than a cable roll-off system needs — useful across a lot of the tighter lake-road and mountain-town properties we serve.

Hazardous materials are never allowed in a standard container. This includes paints, stains, and lacquers (especially anything manufactured before the 1990s, which may contain lead or mercury), motor oil and other petroleum products, asbestos-containing materials, car and other lead-acid batteries, and any flammable fuels. Dry, fully hardened latex paint in a sealed bag and empty paint cans are typically fine — ask your location if you're unsure about a specific item.

No. New Hampshire state law (RSA 149-M:27, II) bans lithium-ion batteries from landfill and incinerator disposal statewide as of July 1, 2025 — they must be recycled through a battery collection program instead, since they can ignite if crushed or compacted. Most retailers and town transfer stations offer battery drop-off; NHDES's household hazardous waste line can also point you to a nearby option.

Yes — and if you have a significant amount of it, ask about a dedicated brush or yard-waste container instead of a standard mixed-debris one. We price these lower than a standard container, but the load has to stay brush-only, with no construction debris or household trash mixed in, since it goes through a separate recycling stream. If you're clearing the land yourself rather than just hauling away debris, our sister company NorthPoint Equipment Rentals rents chippers and stump grinders for the clearing work itself (northpointrentals.com).

No. We don't accept any material suspected of containing asbestos in a standard container. If you're not sure whether older shingles, siding, or flooring might contain it, have the material tested by a qualified inspector first — asbestos disposal has to go through a licensed hazardous-material handler, not a standard container.

Only in limited quantities — these materials are extremely heavy relative to their volume, and a standard container's weight allowance fills up fast with aggregate. If a container arrives too heavy with this material to be safely hauled, you may need to remove some yourself before pickup, and additional charges can apply — so flag it upfront rather than after the fact. If your project is mostly concrete, dirt, or masonry debris, ask about a dedicated heavy-debris container sized and priced specifically for that material instead.

Every quote is based on container size, your rental period, and distance from your nearest NorthPoint location, and includes a set weight allowance for that size. If your load comes in under that allowance, you pay the quoted price with nothing extra. If it comes in over, the overage is billed at a per-pound rate and shown on a certified weight ticket with your final invoice — every container is weighed at the disposal facility, both before and after unloading, so the number isn't a guess.

Yes, for certain items that require special handling or disposal: tires (with or without rims), mattresses and box springs, refrigerators and other appliances containing refrigerant, air conditioners, propane tanks, televisions and other screens, dehumidifiers, hot tubs, and lithium-ion batteries. Ask your location for current pricing on these if your project includes any of them — it's better to know upfront than to be surprised at pickup.

Yes — mattresses and box springs are accepted, but carry an added fee rather than being included in a standard load, since they take up disproportionate space and some facilities charge separately to process them. Ask your location for the current mattress fee when you book.

Yes, with a fee for any appliance containing refrigerant — refrigerators, freezers, and window air conditioners fall into this category, since the refrigerant has to be safely removed before the appliance can be recycled or disposed of. Appliances without refrigerant, like washers, dryers, and stoves, are generally accepted without an added fee.

Yes, hot tubs are accepted, but they carry an added fee given their size and the mix of materials (fiberglass, foam, wiring, sometimes a wooden frame) that need to be separated during disposal. Let your location know in advance so the size and price reflect it accurately.

Yes — tires are accepted with an added per-tire fee, whether or not they're still mounted on rims. Most landfills charge a separate tire-disposal fee, which is why this isn't bundled into a standard container's base price.

Yes, televisions and other screens are accepted with an added fee, since many disposal facilities require electronics to be handled through a separate e-waste stream rather than standard solid waste.

Weight, mostly. A 15-yard container full of typical household or construction debris usually weighs 2,000 to 4,000 pounds. That same container full of asphalt shingles can weigh 12,000 to 15,000 pounds or more. Tell us how many squares and layers of shingles are coming off the roof when you book — your roofing contractor can usually give you this number — and we'll quote a size and weight allowance that actually fits the job instead of surprising you with an overage charge later.

Delivery is included in your quoted price within your nearest location's standard local service area. If your address falls outside that radius, we'll let you know about any additional delivery charge before you confirm your reservation — there's no surprise fee added afterward.

Often yes, if you book before late morning and your address falls within one of our six locations' standard delivery radius — same-day and next-day delivery are both common. Call your nearest location directly for the fastest read on same-day availability, since it depends on that day's route load.

Yes — a weekend project doesn't require a special short-term rate. Standard pricing includes 7 rental days, so a Friday delivery with Monday pickup (or whenever you're done) falls well within what's already included; you're never billed extra for finishing early.

Standard pricing includes 7 rental days, which covers most cleanout and renovation projects. Need more time? Additional days are normally available for $5 per day, subject to container availability — just let us know when you book, or call partway through. No new reservation needed.

This comes up often on bigger projects. Call your location and we can usually arrange a swap — picking up the full container and dropping an empty one in the same visit — rather than making you wait for one container to be emptied and returned.

Deliveries are generally scheduled between 7am and 6pm on your delivery date, routed by our dispatch system alongside that day's other deliveries. We can give you a tighter delivery window if you call the morning of your delivery. If you're on a tight schedule, we recommend having the container delivered a day before you plan to start loading it, so you're not waiting around.

No. Most of our customers aren't on-site when we deliver. Pay online when you book, tell us where you'd like the container placed, and our driver will handle the rest — you can leave placement notes or even a rough sketch with your reservation if you want to be specific.

Yes, standard rentals are prepaid at booking. Any additional charges that come up afterward — extra rental days or a weight overage — are billed to the same card once the container is picked up and weighed. Accounts with an outstanding balance won't be scheduled for pickup until it's settled.

Normal wear and tear is on us — that's expected with regular use. Damage caused by loading with heavy equipment rather than by hand, or otherwise not following basic safety guidance, is different, and in serious cases can mean covering repair or replacement costs, which run into the thousands for a full container. Loading by hand rather than with machinery is the simplest way to avoid this entirely.

Level to the top of the container's sides — not built up higher with an improvised structure. Overloaded containers aren't safe to transport, and our driver may need to remove excess material on-site or leave the container until it's brought down to a safe level before we can pick it up.

It can, for absorbent materials like drywall, cardboard, or insulation — our containers aren't watertight or covered by default, so anything that soaks up water will weigh more at the scale. A basic tarp, available at most hardware stores, is a cheap way to keep a container dry between work sessions if this is a concern for your project.

Call or leave a voicemail as soon as you're finished loading; we don't automatically assume a rental is done just because the term is up, except for short-term rentals, which are picked up automatically at term's end unless you call to request earlier removal. Once you call, pickup is typically completed within 24 to 48 hours, though it isn't guaranteed to the hour given routing and disposal-facility wait times.