When you rent a dumpster from PDL Waste Solutions, your upfront price includes a specific weight allowance. For example, our 20-yard dumpster comes with 3 tons (6,000 pounds) of included weight.
When we pick up your full dumpster, we drive it to the local landfill where it is weighed on a massive scale. If your trash weighs less than 3 tons, you are totally clear. But if it weighs more, you have to pay a prorated fee for the extra weight. Weight overages are just one of several other surprise charges to watch for.
Most people are very careful about not throwing heavy rocks or concrete into their bins. But there is one heavy item that sneaks into dumpsters all the time without the homeowner even realizing it: rainwater.
The Sponge Effect Water is incredibly heavy. A single gallon of water weighs over eight pounds. If you leave your roll-off dumpster open during a heavy, multi-day rainstorm in Madison, the same storms that soak your bin often leave debris behind—here’s our guide to cleaning up your yard after a storm. You could easily be adding hundreds—or even thousands—of pounds of useless weight to your final bill.
This is especially true if you are throwing away porous materials. Think about items like old living room couches, thick carpeting, foam mattress pads, or lots of cardboard boxes. When these items sit out in the rain, they act like giant sponges. They soak up all that water and trap it inside the dumpster.
How to Protect Your Wallet You cannot control the weather, but you can control your dumpster. If you see dark clouds rolling in, or the weather forecast predicts heavy rain over the weekend, take a quick trip to the local hardware store.
Buy a large, inexpensive plastic tarp and a few rubber bungee cords. Throw the tarp over the top of the dumpster and strap it down tight against the metal sides. It does not have to be a perfectly airtight seal; it just needs to be secure enough to deflect the heavy rain away from your absorbent trash.
By taking five minutes to cover your bin, you keep your debris dry, you keep your total weight down, and you avoid paying the local landfill extra money just to throw away rainwater.
Need Advice for Your Next Project?
We want your rental experience to be smooth and stress-free. Whether you are doing a residential cleanout or a major construction project, our team is here to help you get the job done efficiently. Remember, picking the wrong bin size can cost you. Compare dumpster capacities before you book so packing skill isn’t wasted on the wrong bin.
Check out what our Madison-area customers are saying on our Google profile, and reach out today for a free, transparent quote. We’ll help you choose the right bin size so you only pay for what you need.