Clearing a basement or an attic in Lowell? These are the jobs that start as an afternoon and turn into a weekend, because nobody has seen the back of that room in fifteen years.
Dense triple decker neighborhoods with one car driveways and a lot of one way streets, so smaller boxes place best. Street placement takes a city permit. The Highlands and Belvidere have more room. Up Route 3 or 495.
Every Lowell delivery runs out of our North Reading yard, and the person who takes the booking is the person driving the truck. There is no dispatch queue and no broker in the middle, which is why the delivery window we give you is one we can actually hold.
Basements, attics and garages in Lowell
The pattern in Lowell is always the same. The volume looks manageable from the doorway and doubles once you actually start carrying things out. Basements also hide the awkward items: old paint on a shelf, a dehumidifier, a television nobody wanted to pay to dispose of. Sort those to one side first and the rest of the load is straightforward.
The canals, the mills and the Folk Festival
Lowell was built as a mill city and the canals still run through the middle of it, with the national park telling that story in the old boarding houses and mill yards. The Folk Festival takes over downtown for a weekend in late July and is one of the largest free festivals of its kind in the country. The Southeast Asian Water Festival on the Merrimack draws a crowd of its own. The housing is mostly triple deckers and two families, packed close.
- Lowell Folk Festival Late July, downtown. A weekend of free music across several downtown stages. Streets close.
- Southeast Asian Water Festival Summer, on the Merrimack.
- Lowell National Historical Park Year round, downtown.
Most of Lowell is close built with driveways that take one car, so a 10 or 12 yard is usually the only thing that fits. Street placement needs the city's permission first, and downtown is not workable on Folk Festival weekend.
Dumpster sizes and prices in Lowell
Every size we run is available in Lowell, and each price includes delivery, pickup and disposal of the included weight.
| Dumpster | Weight included | From |
|---|---|---|
| 10-Yard Dumpster | 1 ton | $475 |
| 12-Yard Dumpster | 1.25 tons | $525 |
| 15-Yard Dumpster | 1.5 tons | $625 |
| 20-Yard Dumpster | 2 tons | $725 |
Compare all four sizes side by side ›
What a dumpster costs, every fee included ›
Ordering one size too small is the costly mistake on a Lowell job, because a second haul costs more than the step up. The item picker and the weight, roofing, drywall and deck calculators help you avoid it.
Getting the truck in
Most Lowell deliveries are a driveway drop and take a few minutes. What slows one down is access: a gate nobody has the key for, a vehicle parked in the spot, or an address that turns out to be the office rather than the site. Those three account for nearly every wasted trip we make.
Lowell requires a Development Services Division permit for every temporary dumpster, driveways included, on top of the fire department permit the state fire code requires. The Development Services Division permit is not needed if the job's building permit already covers a construction dumpster, but the fire permit still is. A street spot also needs permission from the City Engineer's office (a dumpster permit of up to 14 days). Getting the Development Services Division and fire permits is the customer's responsibility, so apply before delivery day. Our town-by-town permit guide has this rule with a link to the town's own source. If you are unsure whether your spot works, describe it in the notes when you book and we will tell you before the truck is loaded.
What we can and cannot take
The prohibited list is not arbitrary. Mattresses, textiles, electronics, tires, yard waste and masonry are banned from disposal in Massachusetts under the state waste bans, so the disposal facility is not allowed to accept them from us or anyone else. General household debris, furniture, wood, drywall, roofing and metal are all fine. The item picker flags the restricted ones as you tap them.
Suspect material such as old siding, floor tile, pipe insulation or plaster should be tested for asbestos before it comes off, and a newer building is not automatically clear. Asbestos cannot go in the dumpster at any price. What we cannot take ›
Lowell questions
How much does a dumpster cost in Lowell?
From $475 for a 10-yard kept three days, up to $800 for a 20-yard kept fourteen. Every price includes delivery to Lowell, pickup and disposal of the included weight, and the $19 booking fee is shown on screen before you pay.
Do I need a permit for a dumpster in Lowell?
On your own driveway you need the fire department's dumpster permit and a Development Services Division permit. The state fire code requires the first for any dumpster over 6 cubic yards that stays overnight. In Lowell, the Development Services Division requires a permit for every temporary dumpster, private property included, unless the job's building permit already covers a construction dumpster. A dumpster on a street or sidewalk needs permission from the City Engineer's office (a dumpster permit of up to 14 days). Getting the Development Services Division and fire permits is the customer's responsibility, so apply before delivery day.
How long can I keep the dumpster in Lowell?
Three, seven or fourteen days, chosen when you book. The 7-day is only $25 more than the 3-day on every size we run, which is almost always worth it. If you need longer once it is on site, extra days are $25 each.