Tight city lots and narrow driveway spaces should not stop your project. With a bit of forethought, you can find the best place to position a dumpster that is safe, legal, and easy to access. Follow this practical set of steps, so you can continue with your project, avoid tickets from code enforcement officials, and protect your property while you deal with construction debris removal like a champ. Follow this link for additional information.

Measuring Driveway Clearance

Before you order a roll off dumpster, make sure to have accurate measurements for your driveway space. Simply eyeballing the space means risking having delivery refused or maybe you end up getting a dumpster that blocks access to your garage.

• Width: for most residential trucks, about fifteen (15) feet will be clear for the truck to back into the driveway. Measure from the width of the narrowest point from fence to fence or hedge to hedge. Make sure the container can also make it through here too.
• Length: to give the delivery truck enough room to straighten and lower the container, add at least about twenty (20) to twenty-five (25) feet in front of the dumpster.
• Height: look up! Low branches, carport and utility pipe can stop the roll off from tipping to its place. Leave at least about twenty (20) feet of clearance and adjust your placement as needed.
• Approach path: a tight turn at the curb can be the real obstacle. Walk out the path and take note of parked cars, or steep gutter the truck driver will have to navigate.

Avoiding Sidewalk Obstructions

Sidewalks are designated a public right-of-way, blocking the sidewalk can bring fines or force you to move the dumpster the same day. Even when space is an issue plan to maintain at least four (4) feet for a clear path for pedestrians, wheelchair and strollers as applicable. If the dumpster has to be positioned near the sidewalk, set it back far enough from the sidewalk so that the lids and doors do not swing into pedestrians.

It’s also wise to check your local public works or permitting office before your dumpster is delivered, as in some cities a right-of-way permit is required when any portion of the dumpster touches the sidewalk or street. If the drop-off area is dark at night, you can consider putting reflective cones at the corners and using temporary lighting.

If you are managing the junk hauling on a densely populated block, it would help if neighbors knew in advance there will be deliveries to their block, and request that they refrain from parking at the curb for a short window of time during your drop-off time(s).

Working With Angled Lots

Angled (or wedge) shaped lots can present unique drop-off challenges. More often than not, you will be having to split the angle and point the dumpster toward the widest sight line instead of perfectly parallel with your driveway. If you have very limited space, consider requesting a smaller container size; a 10-yard dumpster is often easier to position than a 20-yard dumpster.

If you are planning renovation cleanup Post Falls, knowing where local providers operate, and how they stage in tight neighborhoods can be helpful. See the location nearby for timing your coordinator:

• Use spotters: Designate one person to guide the driver with clear hand signals when they are about to oversteer the corner of the angle.
• Stage vehicles early: Move your vehicle(s) to the street before the delivery, to create extra behind the wheel swinging room. Mind drainage: Position the bin so that any rain runs away from the door. This makes the whole loading end drier and safer.
• Take curb ramps into account: A small piece of scrap plywood can help smooth out the sharp edge of a curb that could stop the truck.

Placement for Easy Loading

Think about how you will be loading the dumpster over a period of days, not just hour one. If you’re dealing with debris from a third-floor walk-up, sometimes proximity is more important than perfection—less distance reduces fatigue or risk of trips and falls. Place the dumpster door where your main loading path begins, and have a clean, straight track.

Load heavy items first and low, with the weight on the axle side if you have that information. So, it would be safe to put the weight distributed. Break down cabinets or boxes and cut doors or sheets so that all of the cavity is used up. It allows you to maximize any time frame you have for a dumpster rental and reduce potential air gaps.

Always keep an open lane for your wheelbarrow; make and keep a small staging area at the side for sorting out metal, clean wood, and landfill only material. This will cut your site cleanup time, and rules for disposal.

Preventing Damage to Property

On a smaller dumpster container, you can incur dents and rust marks, even if the container is placed on the driveway or the paddock. Take preventative measures to protect your fresh driveway or landscaping before the truck arrives and avoid the embarrassing cost of repairs and/or replacement. Generally low-cost materials are useful.

• Make a pad: Use 2×6 or 2×8 lumber rails to lay under both of the skids to help disperse weight and prevent gouging or cracked pavers.
• Protect sensitive surfaces: Use thick plywood or a rubber mat underneath where the dumpster will drop, and/or where you will roll hand trucks.
• Prevent roll-away risks: If your driveway is sloped, chock the wheels and ask the driver to set the bin squarely. Most providers will be able to chain the container for security purposes.
• Prevent stains unwanted spots: Place an oil-absorbent mat under the container and keep a tarp with a close safe distance for rainy days so that any water does not leach residue on the concrete. Check https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIklY4m0QWk&t=2s to learn more.
• Protect edges and turf: Use flags to mark sprinkler heads and the edges of flower beds for the truck and for the container.

Pre-planning goes a long way and is worth the investment always. So, measurement can help avoid last minute scrambling. Verify any permit requirements or restrictions, and plan for the day-to-day aspects of loading so that your dumpster is a helper and not a headache. When you have to organize a roll-off dumpster for a single room refresh or for a full demo contractor project, these placement suggestions will help you be a safer, faster, and cleaner workplace.