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At Prime Dumpster, we provide roll-off dumpster rentals across Cambridge, Massachusetts, and the surrounding Middlesex County cities in sizes from 10 to 40 yards. Triple-decker renovations, condo conversions, lab and office construction around Kendall Square, and university-driven turnover all keep containers moving here, often on tight streets where placement matters as much as size.
Your price comes down to the size you choose, how heavy the load is, how long you need it, and what the receiving facility charges. Cambridge also asks for more paperwork than most cities, so the sections below cover the two permissions you need, what the state keeps out of a container, and where the material 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? Reach out to us for a clear, upfront breakdown of dumpster rental prices. 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, and in Cambridge it is often decided by the spot rather than the job. A 30-yard container needs room that a Cambridgeport driveway may not have, so the practical choice is sometimes a smaller container swapped twice.
Weight is next. Plaster and lath, slate, and tile from the city's older housing stock are dense, so the weight allowance runs out long before the walls do. Tell your account manager the material and they will size the tonnage to it.
Street placement adds real cost and lead time here. A container on a Cambridge street needs its own curb-space permit from the City, and the City limits each dumpster permit to two parking spaces. On a street with permit parking and a tight schedule, that is the single biggest factor in how a Cambridge rental gets planned.
Disposal is the last piece. Massachusetts bans asphalt, brick, concrete, clean gypsum wallboard, metals, and wood from landfill disposal, and there is no construction landfill anywhere in the state, so a Cambridge load goes to a processing facility that sorts it. The nearest one of any size is in Boston.
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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Pick by volume first, then check the drop spot will take it. Prime Dumpster carries containers from 10 to 40 yards for Cambridge work.
The 10-Yard Dumpster is the one that fits where others will not. It suits a single bathroom, a small basement cleanout, or a dense load of concrete and brick, and it is the usual choice for a narrow driveway or a single curb space.
The 15-Yard Dumpster works for a kitchen gut, a flooring pull, or a small roof tear-off. It is the step up most Cambridge homeowners take when a 10-yard looks tight on volume but the spot cannot hold a 20.
The 20-Yard Dumpster is the standard for a multi-room renovation or a full apartment cleanout. It is the largest size that still drops comfortably on many Cambridge driveways.
The 30-Yard Dumpster is for additions, commercial fit-outs, and whole-building cleanouts. It needs a yard, a lot, or a reserved stretch of curb rather than a residential driveway.
The 40-Yard Dumpster is our largest and it is built for demolition and large commercial projects. Access has to be planned in advance, because the truck needs a straight run and overhead room to tip.
Describe the street and the spot to your account manager along with the job, and they will tell you what will actually fit.
Private property is the easier case everywhere else, but Cambridge is different: a container on a driveway or a private lot still needs a City license. The rule covers every container in the city, names roll-offs by type, and treats a construction container as a temporary dumpster.
That license comes from the Inspectional Services Department, and it is the property owner, tenant, or property manager who signs for it and holds it. A temporary license runs for up to thirty days and can be renewed in thirty-day blocks, up to a total of twelve months. The application comes with a dumpster plan that has to name the hauling company and its phone number, state the service frequency, and include a copy of the service contract. We supply that part, and your account manager puts the details together for you.
If any part of the container sits on a City street, you also need a separate dumpster permit from the Cambridge Department of Transportation to reserve the curb space, and the City issues these for a maximum of two spaces. Location also needs the Fire Department's sign-off, and a container may not be placed where runoff would reach a catch basin or storm drain.
Two more conditions are worth knowing. A temporary container has to be covered whenever it is not in use, including overnight, with a tight-fitting tarp at minimum. And the container may only take material from the lot it was licensed for.
Inspectional Services is at 831 Massachusetts Avenue and can be reached on 617-349-6100; its dumpster licensing page is where the application lives, and it warns that inspectors may impose a fine of up to $300.00 per day where a violation is found. The Department of Transportation is at 344 Broadway on 617-349-4700. Your account manager will confirm which permissions your address needs before the truck is booked.
Most construction and household debris is fine. The limits come from the state disposal bans, from the city's recycling rules, and from what the receiving facility will take.
Massachusetts bans a long list of materials from being thrown away or sent for disposal, and the duty sits with the hauler as well as the generator. MassDEP's banned list covers asphalt pavement, brick and concrete, clean gypsum wallboard, ferrous and non-ferrous metals, glass, metal and plastic containers, lead acid batteries, leaves and yard waste, mattresses, recyclable paper and cardboard, textiles, white goods, and tube televisions and monitors. Wood and whole tires are barred from landfills.
Those materials can still leave in a container, because the load is sorted at a processing facility rather than buried. Cambridge goes a step further and asks for proof of recycling as part of the dumpster plan, so keeping cardboard, metal, and clean wood separated is worth doing on paper as well as in practice.
Hazardous waste, liquids, paint, solvents, fuel, and asbestos never go in a standard container. Asbestos in particular needs a licensed abatement route before any demolition starts.
Ask your account manager about anything you are unsure of before it goes in.
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.
Cambridge has no landfill, no transfer station, and no construction and demolition processing facility inside the city. MassDEP's own list of active handling facilities shows none in Cambridge, Somerville, Everett, Medford, Malden, Watertown, Waltham, or Newton either.
The nearest large construction and demolition processing facility is on Gerard Street in Boston, permitted for 450 tons a day. It is privately run, so we name it by street and city and carry no card for it. Loads that cannot be recovered there travel further out, since Massachusetts has only five waste-to-energy plants statewide and no construction landfill at all.
What that means for you is simple. Nothing from a Cambridge job gets buried nearby. It gets trucked to a sorting facility, separated into recovered streams, and only the remainder goes on for final disposal. That processing step is the reason a clean single-material load of concrete, brick, or clean wood usually costs less to move than a mixed one.
Your account manager confirms the receiving facility for your load, and the charges that come with it, before delivery is scheduled.
Most Cambridge rentals can be scheduled within one to two business days, with delivery arriving in a 24 to 48 hour window. The license is the thing that usually sets the real timeline, so start that first and book the container around it.
Use these tips for a smooth delivery:
Facility hours matter at the back end too. The processing sites that take Cambridge loads run weekday schedules, so a container filled late on a Friday is normally hauled the following week.
Client Reviews
Prime Dumpster serves every part of Cambridge, from Cambridgeport, Riverside, and Mid-Cambridge to North Cambridge, Porter Square, Inman Square, and the lab and office blocks around Kendall Square, plus the neighboring Middlesex County cities just over the line. Whether the job is a condo gut on a one-way street or a commercial fit-out with a loading dock, we plan delivery, pickup, and disposal around your access.
Tell us about your project and your zip code. We will size the container to the spot, talk you through the City license, and give you a firm price 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.
Cambridge rentals run from $399 to $499 for a 10-yard container up to $699 to $899 for a 40-yard, on a five-day rental. City permissions, the material you load, and the processing facility's charges all move the final figure. Your account manager confirms the included tonnage and the overage rate when you book.
In Cambridge there is no dump to go to. The city has no landfill or transfer station, so self-hauling means driving loads to a private processing facility in Boston and paying by weight each trip. One container, hauled once, is almost always the cheaper and faster route.
Yes. A three-seat couch takes roughly a fifth of a 10-yard container, which still leaves space for a mattress, a dresser, and boxes. Furniture fills volume rather than weight, so a 10-yard often handles an apartment cleanout on its own.
Hazardous waste, liquids, paint, solvents, fuel, used oil, and asbestos are all out. Massachusetts also bans mattresses, textiles, metals, clean gypsum wallboard, and tube televisions and monitors from disposal, so those need separating. Tell your account manager about anything unusual before loading begins.
The 10-yard container starts lowest at $399 to $499, and in Cambridge it is often the only size that fits the spot anyway. Watch the weight, though. Plaster, slate, and tile from an older home can pass a small container's limit quickly, so keep dense material in its own load.
A three-day rental normally costs the same as a five-day one, because the price is set by the job rather than by the day. Weight drives your bill more than the calendar does. Ask your account manager what tonnage is included and what each extra ton costs before delivery.
Most home and construction debris is allowed, including drywall, roofing, flooring, framing, cabinets, carpet, furniture, and general cleanout junk. Clean concrete, brick, and asphalt are accepted as well, and single-material loads are often cheaper to handle. Check anything doubtful with your account manager first.
| Business Name: | Prime Dumpster |
| Address: | Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 |
| Phone: | 617-749-0277 |
| Website: | https://primedumpster.com/ |
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