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At Prime Dumpster, we provide roll-off dumpster rentals across Ames, Iowa, and the Story County towns around it, in sizes from 10 to 40 yards. Ames runs on two cycles: a university town where rental houses turn over every August, and a growing city with steady construction on its north and west edges. Both throw off debris that a city garbage cart was never meant to hold.
What you pay here comes down to the container size, what you load, how long you keep it, and the per-ton charge at the city's own recovery plant. Below you will find our price ranges, the permit rule for blocking a street, what Iowa keeps out of landfills, and where an Ames load actually goes.
Looking for a dependable waste management solution? Contact us today for a free quote! We're here to give you a straightforward and competitive estimate for all your dumpster rental needs. Find out how easy waste disposal can be with Prime Dumpster.
Curious about the cost? We’re all about being transparent. Reach out to us and get a clear breakdown of our dumpster rental prices—no hidden fees, no surprises. With Prime Dumpster, you’ll know exactly what you’re paying for.
Ready to get started? Scheduling your dumpster delivery is a breeze. Just tell us when and where you need it, and we’ll handle the rest. Prime Dumpster is all about quick and reliable service, getting the right dumpster to your site when you need it.
Done with your project or need your dumpster emptied? Just give us a call to arrange a fast and convenient pickup. We’re ready to quickly remove your waste and make your experience hassle-free. Count on Prime Dumpster for timely and efficient service.
The prices below reflect average ranges for a standard five-day rental period. Your account manager will confirm tonnage, overage rates, and other project specifics during your free, custom quote.
| Size | Average Price Range | Approximate Dimensions | Common Uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-Yard Dumpster | $399–$499 | 12' L × 8' W × 3.5' H | Concrete, brick, and heavy debris; small cleanouts; single-room remodels |
| 15-Yard Dumpster | $449–$569 | 16' L × 7.5' W × 4–5' H | Garage cleanouts, kitchen and bathroom remodels, small roof tear-offs |
| 20-Yard Dumpster | $499–$649 | 22' L × 7.5' W × 4.5' H | Whole-home cleanouts, multi-room renovations, flooring removal, roofing |
| 30-Yard Dumpster | $599–$799 | 22' L × 8' W × 6' H | Major renovations, new residential construction, large commercial projects |
| 40-Yard Dumpster | $699–$899 | 22–24' L × 8' W × 8' H | Commercial demolition, industrial cleanouts, large-scale construction |
Size comes first. A bigger container costs a bit more up front and saves you the cost of a second haul when a job runs long.
Weight is next, and in Ames the number is public. The city charges commercial loads $85 per ton at its recovery plant, so a roof tear-off or a plaster job moves your bill in a way a garage full of cardboard does not.
Some items are priced one at a time rather than by weight. Appliances, televisions, monitors, mattresses, couches and tires each carry their own charge at the plant. Mention them when you book and they get built into the quote instead of showing up later.
Timing is the last piece. The plant takes commercial loads Monday through Saturday, and it closes at 3:30 on weekdays, so a late Friday fill can push the haul into the following week. Your account manager will work the schedule back from that.
Perfect For:
Weight Limit: Up to 2 tons (4,000 lbs)
Bags of Trash: Approximately 50-70 large trash bags.
Truck Loads: Roughly 3 pickup truck loads.
*These are general estimates and can vary depending on the type of trash being disposed of and how tightly it’s packed.
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Perfect For:
Weight Limit: Up to 3 tons (6,000 lbs)
Bags of Trash: Approximately 80-100 large trash bags.
Truck Loads: Roughly 4.5 pickup truck loads.
*These are general estimates and can vary depending on the type of trash being disposed of and how tightly it’s packed.
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Perfect For:
Weight Limit: Up to 3 tons (6,000 lbs)
Bags of Trash: Approximately 110-130 large trash bags.
Truck Loads: Roughly 6 pickup truck loads.
*These are general estimates and can vary depending on the type of trash being disposed of and how tightly it’s packed.
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Perfect For:
Weight Limit: Up to 4 tons (8,000 lbs)
Bags of Trash: Approximately 170-190 large trash bags.
Truck Loads: Roughly 9 pickup truck loads.
*These are general estimates and can vary depending on the type of trash being disposed of and how tightly it’s packed.
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Perfect For:
Weight Limit: Up to 5 tons (10,000 lbs)
Bags of Trash: Approximately 230-250 large trash bags.
Truck Loads: Roughly 12 pickup truck loads.
*These are general estimates and can vary depending on the type of trash being disposed of and how tightly it’s packed.
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Match the size to how much you have, then check it against how heavy it is. Prime Dumpster carries containers from 10 to 40 yards.
The 10-Yard Dumpster is our smallest. It handles a bathroom, a single room, or a load of dense material like brick and broken concrete, which reaches the weight limit before it fills the walls.
The 15-Yard Dumpster is the usual answer for a garage, a basement, or a student rental cleared at the end of a lease. It holds a lot more without needing much more space.
The 20-Yard Dumpster is the size we send most often in Ames. It covers a full house cleanout or a remodel that touches several rooms, and it sits comfortably on a normal driveway.
The 30-Yard Dumpster is for additions, gut renovations and new builds. Its taller walls help when the debris is bulky rather than dense.
The 40-Yard Dumpster is our largest container, aimed at commercial demolition, industrial cleanouts and big construction sites.
Torn between two sizes? Describe the job to your account manager and let them run the weight math.
If the container stays on private property, like a driveway or a fenced job site, Ames asks for nothing extra. That covers most residential work.
If any part of it blocks a street, a sidewalk or a public parking area, the city requires a Temporary Obstruction Permit from the Public Works Department. The city lists construction projects and renovation or repair work as exactly the sort of thing it covers, and it explains the process on its temporary obstruction permit page.
The good news is that the city charges no fee for the permit or for the online application. The catch is the insurance and the queue. You need a certificate naming the City of Ames as an additional insured, with comprehensive general liability of $500,000 combined single limit in force for the whole permit, and you have to register in the city's online system and wait for that registration to be approved before you can even apply.
The Engineering Division in Public Works handles these, and the number is 515-239-5436. Starting that process early is the single best thing you can do for a street job. If you are not sure whether your spot counts as right-of-way, your account manager can check and point you to the right person.
Everyday building and household debris is fine. The limits come from Iowa law and from what the receiving plant will take.
Iowa bans burying yard waste, lead acid batteries and waste tires. Yard waste can still go to a landfill when it is separated at the source for composting, which is why grass and branches belong in their own pile rather than mixed into a cleanout load. Batteries and tires have to be routed to a recycler.
Hazardous waste, liquids, paint, solvents, fuel and asbestos cannot go in a standard container either.
A few things are allowed but priced separately. The Ames plant charges per item for appliances, televisions, monitors, mattresses, couches, hot tubs and tires, and it accepts over-the-scale and construction loads at its own discretion based on the material. That makes it worth naming the oddities up front.
When you are not sure about an item, ask your account manager before it goes in the container.
If the item you want to dispose of isn’t on this list, give us a call for more guidance or check out our guide of what you can throw in a dumpster.
*Approved items may vary by location. Always check your local laws and regulations to avoid any fines or additional fees.
Ames is unusual, and in a good way. The city does not run curbside garbage trucks, but it does own and operate the plant where the waste ends up.
Loads from the city go to the Arnold O. Chantland Resource Recovery Plant at 110 Chantland Ave., Ames, IA 50010, the first municipally owned and operated waste-to-energy facility in the country when it opened in 1975. It pulls metals back out of the stream and turns part of what is left into fuel burned at the city power plant. Trash is delivered at 410 E 2nd St on the north side of the building. The plant is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon, and the office number is 515-239-5137.
What the plant cannot process goes on to the Boone County Landfill, and the city publishes the two sets of holiday closures together because they move as a pair.
One change is coming that is worth knowing about. The city is retiring the waste-to-energy process and building a new recovery and recycling campus on Freel Drive, targeted to open in July 2027, after which waste will be consolidated and trucked to a landfill. Your account manager will confirm where your load is going and what it means for your quote.
110 Chantland Ave., Ames, IA 50010
City-owned plant, open Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m. to noon.
Most Ames rentals can be scheduled within one to two business days, with delivery arriving in a 24 to 48 hour window. If a street permit is involved, start earlier, because the city's online registration step has to clear first.
Five habits that keep an Ames delivery on schedule:
Keep the plant's week in mind too. It closes at 3:30 p.m. on weekdays and at noon on Saturday, so a container filled late in the day may not be emptied until the next business day.
Client Reviews
Prime Dumpster works throughout Ames and the surrounding Story County communities, from the campus neighborhoods and the older streets near Main Street out to the newer subdivisions north of 13th and the business parks along the Lincoln Way and Interstate 35 corridors. Whether the job is a student rental turnover in August or a commercial build on the edge of town, we arrange the container, the haul and the disposal around your schedule.
Tell us about your project and your zip code. We will size the container, explain what the city charges by the ton, and give you a clear number on the call.
Your Prime Dumpster account manager handles the details, from tonnage and overage rates to permit contacts and delivery timing, so you can focus on the work.
A 10-yard container runs $399 to $499 and a 40-yard runs $699 to $899, both on a five-day rental. The city charges by the ton at its recovery plant, so the weight of your debris moves the final number most. Your account manager confirms included tonnage and overage rates before delivery.
For one small load, hauling it yourself is reasonable. The plant charges by vehicle size for small drop-offs and by the ton over the scale, and most remodels need several trips. Add fuel and your time and a single container usually comes out cheaper and much faster.
Yes. A three-seat couch takes about a fifth of a 10-yard container, leaving room for a mattress, a dresser and boxes. Furniture is bulky rather than heavy, so space runs out well before weight does. Note that the plant charges per couch if you drop one off yourself.
Keep out hazardous waste, liquids, paint, solvents, fuel and asbestos. Iowa also bans burying yard waste, lead acid batteries and waste tires, so those need their own route. Appliances, televisions and mattresses are accepted but priced individually, so mention them when you book.
The 10-yard container starts lowest at $399 to $499. Whether it stays cheapest depends on what goes in it. Dense material can push a small container past its weight allowance, and the overage charge erases the saving. Your account manager can compare two sizes against your actual debris.
Three days usually costs what five days costs, because the price is built around the delivery, the haul and the tonnage rather than the calendar. Trimming days rarely trims the bill. Ask what tonnage is included and what each extra ton adds before the container arrives.
Ordinary construction and cleanout debris is welcome: lumber, drywall, shingles, flooring, cabinets, doors, siding, furniture, carpet and cardboard. Clean concrete and brick are fine too, and often cost less when kept in their own load. Check anything unusual with your account manager before loading it.
| Business Name: | Prime Dumpster |
| Address: | Ames, Iowa 50010 |
| Phone: | 515-304-5594 |
| Website: | https://primedumpster.com/ |
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