What does a commercial dumpster cost per month?
There is no national price. Four published 2026 rate sheets put a 4 cubic yard container emptied once a week anywhere from $141.17 to $683.40 a month. These are real rates for those places, copied from public documents, so you can see how the structure and spread work, not a benchmark for your site.
| Place | Who collects | Effective | Monthly | Per cu yd collected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union City, CA [1] | Republic Services, under the city's franchise | July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027 | $683.40 | $39.46 |
| Kirkland, WA [2] | WM, under the city's contract | January 1 to December 31, 2026 | $405.31 | $23.40 |
| Scottsdale, AZ [3] | City of Scottsdale (city-run collection) | Page updated July 1, 2026 | $141.17 | $8.15 |
| Tehachapi, CA [4] | City of Tehachapi, with WM | July 1, 2026 | not listed |
Per cubic yard = monthly rate ÷ (size × pickups a week × 4.33 weeks), assuming a full container at every pickup. Union City's rate sheet uses 4.33 weeks a month in its own examples.
Every size, once a week
| Size (cu yd) | Union City | Kirkland | Scottsdale | Tehachapi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $201.21 | $159.59 | – | – |
| 1.5 | – | $202.44 | – | $158.37 |
| 2 | $377.09 | $244.92 | $122.22 | – |
| 3 | $527.26 | $324.49 | $131.48 | $170.01 |
| 4 | $683.40 | $405.31 | $141.17 | – |
| 5 | – | – | $150.06 | – |
| 6 | $1,021.24 | $564.69 | $159.32 | – |
| 7 | $1,170.96 | – | – | – |
| 8 | $1,355.58 | $723.07 | $172.97 | – |
Why are the rates so different?
Partly the place: disposal costs, labor, distance to the landfill and local taxes and fees. Partly who sets the rate: a city running its own service (Scottsdale), a franchise rate negotiated by a city (Union City, Kirkland) and a hauler's open-market price are set in different ways. And partly the structure: in Union City an 8-yard bin costs about 3.6 times a 2-yard bin, while in Scottsdale it costs about 1.4 times, so the cheapest way to carry the same volume differs.
What each sheet includes
- Union City, CA [1]
- Monthly rates for regularly scheduled solid waste bin service. Extra pickups, locks, push/pull and overage are charged separately.
- Extra pickup of a 4 cu yd solid waste bin: $138.34 per occurrence.
- Overage charge after a warning notice: $55.42 per occurrence.
- Lock or unlock: $24.27 per weekly service; push/pull: $24.27 per 10 feet.
- Kirkland, WA [2]
- Monthly dumpster rates. Excludes the 10.5% utility tax and the monthly hazardous waste fee. Recycling is included with garbage service.
- Roll-out container or carry-out service: $15.10 (carry-out per container, per 25 feet).
- Pressure washing: $46.43 per yard.
- Scottsdale, AZ [3]
- Front-load refuse rate per container for one pickup a week, billed on the city utility bill; more pickups multiply the rate. The city maintains and repairs containers at no extra cost.
- 20, 30 or 40 yd roll-off: $677.09 per dump, including the first 3 tons; $51.19 per ton above 3 tons.
- Compact surcharge: $59.49.
- Tehachapi, CA [4]
- Monthly commercial trash bin rates. The rate sheet lists 1.5 and 3 cu yd bins.
- Roll-off pull: $348.48; compactor pull: $424.95 (county pull rates, billed by WM).
- Municipal solid waste: $71.60 per ton; delivery: $160.67; rental: $9.93 per day.
How to use these numbers
- Ask your city or county whether it franchises commercial collection and publishes maximum rates. If it does, that sheet is your ceiling.
- Work out your own cost per cubic yard from your invoice, fees included (the fee stack calculator helps), and compare like with like.
- Price two service levels when you bid: see container sizes and service levels.
Open-market rates in places without a published schedule are set by quote. WasteContracts shows a rate only when it comes from a public document.
Sources
- City of Union City Commercial Rates, July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027, Republic Services / City of Union City, CA. Read 2026-10-28.
- 2026 Commercial Garbage Rates, City of Kirkland, WA (serviced by WM). Read 2026-10-28.
- Commercial Services, City of Scottsdale, AZ, Solid Waste. Read 2026-10-28.
- City of Tehachapi 2026-2027 Rate Schedule (effective July 1, 2026), City of Tehachapi, CA / WM. Read 2026-10-28.