Moving, downsizing or settling an estate in Middleton means dealing with everything that is not coming with you. A container on the driveway for a week is usually the least painful way through it.
Middleton borders North Reading, so it is one of the shortest runs we make. It is a small town with a lot of wooded lots and soft or unpaved driveway edges, which is worth flagging if we are coming out after heavy rain.
This is a local operation, not a franchise with a local-sounding name. Reputation travels fast in Middleton, which is a much stronger incentive to get it right than any customer-service policy.
Estate clearances and moves in Middleton
Estate work in Middleton is the job where the prohibited-items list matters most, because you are not choosing every item that goes in the box. Mattresses, closets full of old clothes, televisions, fridges and old paint from the back of the garage are the ones that trip people up. Set those aside before the container arrives and the whole thing goes smoothly.
Middleton in June and October
Middleton is small, wooded, and next door to two of the North Shore's biggest draws. Richardson's, the working dairy farm and ice cream stand on Route 114, is the town's best-known address. And Topsfield, just over the line, hosts the Topsfield Fair each October: America's oldest county fair, running since 1818.
- Chief Will's Day A Saturday in June, Emily Maher Park on Natsue Way. Road races, an antique tractor parade, a cookout, music, animals and games, then fireworks at dusk. More than 20 years running.
- Earth Day Festival Spring. Organized by the Middleton Stream Team, which also leads family hikes and looks after the town's stretch of the Ipswich River.
- Topsfield Fair Ten days in early October, next door in Topsfield. Fair traffic spills onto the roads around it for the whole run.
Soft and unpaved driveways are the Middleton placement question, and fall fair traffic is the timing one. Neither is a problem if we know about it in advance.
Dumpster sizes and prices in Middleton
All four roll-off dumpster sizes are available here. Delivery and pickup are included in every price.
| 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 ›
Between two sizes? The item picker sizes a cleanout from what you are throwing away, and the weight, roofing, drywall and deck calculators do the same for tear-outs, in about a minute and for free.
Placement and permits in Middleton
Most of our dumpsters go on driveways, because the box sits where you are working and nobody has to move a car all week. On a driveway in Middleton, the only paperwork is the fire department's dumpster permit, which the state fire code requires for any dumpster over 6 cubic yards that stays overnight; we found no town permit of its own. A street spot in Middleton needs permission from the Board of Health, in writing. Getting any permit is the customer's responsibility. The dumpster permit guide lists this rule and its source next to every other town we serve.
The truck needs clear sky above the spot as well as clear ground, because the hoist raises the box before setting it down. That is the detail people miss when they measure only the driveway.
What goes in the box
Almost everything from a normal cleanout or renovation: furniture, general junk, wood, drywall, roofing, metal and carpet. What cannot go in is mostly what Massachusetts bans from disposal, including mattresses, clothing and other textiles, tires, electronics, yard waste and anything masonry. Run your list through the item picker and it will tell you which is which while it sizes the job.
One thing no fee can fix is asbestos: no Massachusetts facility will accept it. Have old siding, roof shingles, floor tile, pipe insulation or plaster tested before it comes off, whatever the age of the building. What we cannot take ›
Middleton questions
How much does a dumpster cost in Middleton?
Between $475 and $800, depending on the size and on whether you keep it three, seven or fourteen days. Delivery, pickup and disposal are in that price, and the $19 booking fee is shown before you pay, so nothing is added at the end.
Do I need a permit for a dumpster in Middleton?
On your own driveway, the only paperwork is the fire department's dumpster permit: the state fire code requires one for any dumpster over 6 cubic yards that stays overnight, and every size we rent is 10 yards or more. Middleton adds no permit of its own that we could find. A dumpster on a street or sidewalk needs permission from the Board of Health, in writing. Getting any permit is the customer's responsibility.
What size do most Middleton jobs need?
The 15-yard is our most popular size and handles most renovations and multi-room cleanouts. Roofs are the exception: shingles come off at about 300 pounds a square, so most full roofs go past the included weight, and the roofing calculator shows the overage before you book. If you are between two sizes take the larger one: going one ton over costs $250, while stepping up a size costs a fraction of that.