Updated 2026-10-21. Prices are sourced ranges, checked against national cost data — your hauler's written quote is the number that counts. Get it in writing, with the included tons and overage rate on it.
A too-cheap ad — $150–$200 for a dumpster that normally runs $400+ — a friendly chat, then a deposit request by Zelle, Cash App, or Venmo. You pay, no dumpster ever arrives, and the money is unrecoverable by design. Red flag: the payment method. Real haulers take cards.
A polished website says "Chicago's dumpster company" — but there's no street address, the phone goes to an out-of-state call center, and the "company" is a broker booking the cheapest actual hauler it can find after taking your money. Brokers aren't illegal; undisclosed brokers with markup-plus-fees pricing are where the horror bills come from. Ask: "Are you the hauler, or a broker?"
$439 on the phone, nothing in writing about weight — then a $4,200 overage bill two months later, with no certified weight ticket to back it. Defense: written quote, included tons, overage $/ton, and a promised weight ticket. Details in the hidden-fee guide.
A "company" with a new website and no reviews takes a card deposit for a delivery date, then ghosts. Defense: check the business exists — state registration, a physical yard address you can find on a map, reviews older than this month.
Dozens of glowing five-star reviews posted in the same week, all generic ("Great service!! Fast!!"). Compare against complaint boards and the BBB, where the same company tells a different story. Defense: read the one-star reviews — in this industry they're oddly specific, and the pattern (weight bills, no-shows) is the signal.