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At Prime Dumpster, we provide roll-off dumpster rentals across Santa Cruz, California, and the surrounding Santa Cruz County communities in sizes from 10 to 40 yards. Beach-area cottages being raised and remodeled, hillside rebuilds up the north coast, student housing turnovers near the university, and steady construction along the Highway 1 corridor all generate more debris than a curbside cart can take.
Your price depends on the container size, the material you load, how long you keep it, and the per ton rate at the receiving facility. Below you'll find our price ranges, how container placement works in Santa Cruz, what the facility will and won't take, and how fast we can respond.
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 |
Santa Cruz has some of the most specific disposal pricing on the coast, and it rewards sorting.
Size sets the floor. A larger container costs more at the start, and it still beats paying for a second haul when the first one fills early.
Material type is where real money moves here. The Resource Recovery Facility's fee schedule charges $90.87 per ton for loose refuse but only $68.00 per ton for concrete, broken brick, or asphalt, and the same $68.00 for clean sheetrock. Sorting a demolition job into clean loads can cut the disposal side noticeably.
Covering the load is not optional. The same fee schedule adds a $28.25 charge per untarped load, and it warns that contaminated recyclable or construction material gets billed as refuse.
Local rules shape the rest. Inside the city limits, debris containers are supplied by the City's own Resource Recovery Collections division rather than private companies, so the arrangement for a job in town is different from one in the unincorporated county. Your account manager will confirm exactly how that applies at your address before anything is booked.
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.
Request a Quote Now
Pick by volume, then sanity check the weight, because Santa Cruz County material tends to run heavy. Prime Dumpster carries 10 through 40 yards.
The 10-Yard Dumpster is the smallest we offer. It fits a bathroom gut, a deck teardown, or a small patio removal. It's also the one to use for concrete, brick, and asphalt, since dense material reaches the weight limit while there's still space above it.
The 15-Yard Dumpster suits a packed garage, a kitchen remodel, or a single layer of shingles off a modest roof. It gives you noticeably more room for a small step up in price.
The 20-Yard Dumpster is the usual pick for a whole house cleanout or a remodel touching several rooms. Most residential projects in town fit in one.
The 30-Yard Dumpster is for additions, new construction, and partial demolition. Reach for it when the debris is mixed and the pile keeps growing.
The 40-Yard Dumpster is our largest. It handles commercial construction, large demolition, and property cleanouts that run for weeks.
Weighing two options? Walk the job through with your account manager, and they'll tell you which size and which sorting plan makes sense.
On private property, a container doesn't need a street permit in Santa Cruz, and the driveway is the simplest spot. The Planning Department does regulate private placement, and anything left more than a month needs an active building permit behind it.
The public right-of-way is a separate matter. The City's container policy counts the street, alley, sidewalk, parking area, and landscape strip as right-of-way, and it notes that the line often sits 25 to 33 feet from the centerline of the road, sometimes into the lawn. The curb strip you think of as yours may not be.
For a City refuse container in the right-of-way, no permit and no permit fee apply. The policy does require the City to be named as additional insured on $1,000,000 of general liability, and placement is normally limited to about one month. A portable storage container in the right-of-way needs a Temporary Encroachment Permit instead, at a published fee of $451, approved by the City Engineer after a look at traffic and safety.
There's one more rule worth knowing before you plan a spot. Inside the city limits, the City supplies roll-off debris containers through its own division, so a container for a job in town is arranged differently than one in the county. Call Santa Cruz Public Works at 831-420-5160 or the container line at 831-420-5220, and let your account manager confirm what applies to your project before you set a delivery date.
Most construction and cleanout debris is fine. The limits come from California's disposal rules, from the city code, and from what the facility will take at the gate.
California makes it illegal to put hazardous waste in the trash. The state's banned items list covers paint, solvents, pesticides, pool chemicals, aerosols, propane cylinders, electronics, every type of battery, fluorescent and LED lamps, and tires.
Treated wood is the big one on a Santa Cruz job. California handles it as hazardous waste, so pressure-treated decking, fencing, railroad ties, and pilings all need separate handling rather than a spot in the container.
The city code also bars volatile materials like gasoline and alcohol, hazardous waste, infectious waste, sludge, and toxic waste from any load going to the city facility. Noxious items like ash, loose fiberglass, sawdust, and kitty litter need their own handling too.
The City's container guide lists asbestos, mattresses, TVs, computers and monitors, batteries, fluorescent tubes, appliances, and oil filters as special handling items. It also notes that state law requires construction and demolition material to be recycled, which is a good reason to sort. If something has you unsure, ask your account manager 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.
Loads generated inside the city go to the City of Santa Cruz Resource Recovery Facility at 605 Dimeo Lane, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, which sits about three miles north of the city limits off Highway 1. Call 831-420-6270. The facility is open Monday through Saturday, 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and closed Sundays, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day.
It's more than a landfill. The same site runs a recycling center, a yard waste drop-off, a construction and demolition drop-off, and a household hazardous waste drop-off that the County operates on Saturdays.
Access is restricted, and this part surprises people. The facility handles material generated inside the city limits, and a business hauling a load has to show where the material came from, usually with a signed letter or contract from the property owner or a copy of the work permit. City residents and businesses can also use the County's Buena Vista Landfill and the Ben Lomond Transfer Station, with a 28 percent surcharge on county rates.
Mixed loads aren't sorted after the fact at the city facility, so the sorting decision happens at your job site. Your account manager will confirm which facility is receiving your debris and what the material mix means for your bill.
605 Dimeo Lane, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Run by the City of Santa Cruz. Open Monday-Saturday, 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM, closed Sundays and major holidays.
Most Santa Cruz orders can be scheduled within one to two business days, with delivery arriving in a 24 to 48 hour window. Lead time helps more here than in most towns, because the placement question and the local container rules both need a quick answer first. Booking early can also lower what you pay.
Five things keep delivery day on track:
Gate hours matter at the end of a job. The facility closes at 3:30 p.m. and shuts entirely on Sundays, so a load finished late Saturday generally waits for Monday.
Client ReviewsPrime Dumpster coordinates dumpster rentals around Santa Cruz and the nearby Santa Cruz County communities, including the Westside, Seabright, Live Oak, Soquel, Capitola, Scotts Valley, and the north coast out past Wilder Ranch. Projects downtown, up in the hills, or along the Soquel and Capitola corridors all get the same delivery, pickup, and disposal coordination.
Tell us about your project and your zip code. We'll size the container, sort out what the local rules mean for your address, and give you a straight answer 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. In Santa Cruz the material mix matters as much as the size, since refuse, concrete, and clean wood all carry different disposal fees. Your account manager confirms the included tonnage and the overage rate when you book.
For most projects, yes. Self-hauling here means driving three miles up Highway 1, showing proof the material came from inside the city, tarping every load or paying extra, and unloading yourself before 3:30 p.m. Three or four trips eat a weekend. One container handles the job once.
Yes. A standard three-seat couch uses roughly a fifth of a 10-yard container, leaving space for a mattress, a dresser, and bagged odds and ends. Furniture fills volume rather than weight, so you'll run out of room before approaching any limit. Mattresses are billed per piece, so mention them.
Keep out hazardous waste, liquids, paint, solvents, fuel, aerosols, propane cylinders, and asbestos. California bans electronics, batteries, lamps, and tires from the trash. Treated wood counts as hazardous waste here, so pressure-treated decking and fencing need their own route rather than the container.
The 10-yard container starts lowest, at $399 to $499. What fills it matters more than the size, though. Sorting concrete, clean wood, or sheetrock into separate loads lowers the per ton disposal charge, and mixed loads don't get sorted afterward. Your account manager can price both approaches.
Three days usually costs the same as five, since we price the job rather than the calendar. Finishing early doesn't lower the rate. Weight and material type are what actually move the bill. Ask your account manager what tonnage is included and what each extra ton costs before delivery.
Nearly all household and jobsite debris is allowed, including lumber, drywall, roofing, flooring, cabinets, doors, carpet, furniture, and cardboard. Clean concrete, brick, asphalt, and clean soil are accepted too, and they cost less when kept separate. Not sure about an item? Check with your account manager first.
| Business Name: | Prime Dumpster |
| Address: | Santa Cruz, California 95060 |
| Phone: | 408-618-2808 |
| Website: | https://primedumpster.com/ |
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