Storm cleanup: renting a dumpster for yard and tree debris

North Alabama gets its share of rough weather. Spring tornadoes, straight-line winds, ice storms in the winter, and the random summer gust that drops a big limb across the yard. When the storm passes and the power comes back, you're left staring at a pile of branches, split wood, and torn-up landscaping. A dumpster in the driveway is usually the fastest way to get your yard back, and here's how to do it right.

Why a dump trailer beats the curb pile

After a big storm, everybody in the neighborhood drags their limbs to the curb and waits on the city or county to come grind it up. That works eventually, but the wait can stretch for weeks when a whole area got hit at once. A pile sitting by the road attracts more junk, blocks your view backing out, and sometimes gets flagged if it's too big or has the wrong stuff mixed in.

Renting a dump trailer puts the solution in your own driveway. You load on your schedule, haul one time, and you're done. Our trailers sit low and fit in a normal residential driveway, so you can roll limbs and brush straight in without heaving everything over a tall wall. If you want the difference between our trailers and a traditional roll-off spelled out, we covered that in dump trailer vs. roll-off dumpster.

If your damage is small, just a couple of limbs and some leaves, a dumpster may be overkill and junk removal or a few trips to the yard-waste site might be cheaper. We laid out that math in dumpster vs. junk removal. But once you've got a downed tree or a yard full of brush, a dumpster wins on cost and hassle every time.

Watch the weight: green wood is heavy

This is the big one with storm debris. Fresh-cut tree limbs and green brush are loaded with water, so they weigh far more than people expect. A trailer that looks half full of branches can already be at a ton. Logs and trunk sections are the worst offenders. A short section of oak trunk can weigh as much as a whole load of lighter yard trash.

Our 15-yard trailer comes with 1 ton included and 7 days to work. The 20-yard roll-off includes 1.5 tons. Go over the included weight and it's billed by the ton. For most yard cleanups the included weight is plenty, but if you're loading big green logs you can blow past it fast. To see what that actually looks like in the trailer, read what a ton of debris looks like in a 15-yard.

• Cut big limbs down so they lie flat and pack tight. Air gaps waste space.
• Keep the heaviest trunk sections to a minimum, or cut them short. Consider letting a tree service haul the big wood separately.
• Load brush and leaves in the gaps around larger pieces so you fill the trailer, not just stack it.
• If you're close to the weight line, stop and call us before the pickup instead of guessing.

What goes in and what to keep out

Tree limbs, branches, brush, leaves, shrubs, root balls with the dirt knocked off, broken fence pickets, and busted lawn furniture are all fine. If the storm took down a section of fence, that mixes in with the debris without a problem. We walked through fence demo loads in deck and fence demolition if you've got a bigger teardown on your hands.

A few things need to stay out. Keep dirt, rock, and concrete to a minimum because they hit the weight limit in a hurry, and the heavy-debris rules are different. We spelled those out in concrete, brick, and dirt. No hazardous stuff either: paint, chemicals, fuel from a flooded generator, or anything leaking. For the full rundown of what's allowed, see what can and can't go in a dumpster.

• Good to load: limbs, brush, leaves, shrubs, broken wood fencing, damaged patio furniture.
• Keep out or limit: dirt, sod, rock, concrete, and large root balls full of soil.
• Never load: paint, fuel, chemicals, propane tanks, or anything hazardous.

Getting it delivered and placed

After a storm, access matters. We need a clear, firm spot to set the trailer, and a path that isn't blocked by the very debris you're cleaning up. Clear a lane in the driveway before we arrive so delivery goes smooth. Our trailers are easy on driveways, but it's still worth reading how to prep your driveway so you avoid any surprises.

The standard 7 days on the 15-yard is enough for most homeowners to work through a storm cleanup on evenings and weekends. If the damage is bigger or you're waiting on a tree crew to drop the big stuff, you can arrange more time. We explained how that works in how long can you keep a rental dumpster.

We cover all of North Alabama: Huntsville, Madison, Madison County, Decatur, Athens, and the Shoals. When a storm line rolls through, call early. Demand spikes after a bad night, so booking fast gets you a trailer before the rush. You can check availability and book online or look over the pricing page first.

Frequently asked questions