Stay safe first. Never enter standing water until you're sure the power is off, and stay well away from downed or damaged power lines. Once it's safe, take photos and document the damage for your insurance company. Removing wet carpet, drywall, furniture, and other water-damaged materials as soon as possible—ideally within a day or two—can help reduce the risk of mold and further damage.
For larger cleanouts, a 15- or 20-yard dumpster gives you the flexibility to work at your own pace. If you'd rather leave the heavy lifting to someone else, our junk removal crew will do the loading and hauling for you. For businesses dealing with water damage, construction debris, or an unexpected cleanup, same- and next-day commercial pickups are available.
First: stay safe
- Don't walk into a flooded basement while the power is on. Have the utility or an electrician shut it off first. Water and live wiring don't mix.
- Stay well away from downed wires, and anything touching them, including tree limbs and fences. Report them to your utility.
- Never run a generator indoors or in a garage. Keep it outside, away from doors and windows.
- Wear boots, gloves and a mask when you handle soaked materials. Floodwater can carry sewage and chemicals.
Before you throw anything out: document it
Take photos and video of the water line, the damaged items and the room before anything goes in a dumpster. Make a quick list of what's being thrown out. Check with your insurance company or adjuster about what they need, then start removing wet materials. Waiting too long gives mold a head start.
Flooded basement: what usually has to go
- Wet carpet and padding
- Drywall and insulation below the water line
- Upholstered furniture, cardboard boxes and anything paper-based that got soaked
- Mattresses and box springs (a Massachusetts waste ban item: $100 each in a dumpster)
- Ruined appliances like washers, dryers, freezers and dehumidifiers (see waste ban fees)
Try to get wet materials out and start drying within 24 to 48 hours. That's the window when mold starts to grow.
Watch the weight. Soaked carpet and drywall are much heavier than dry. Each dumpster includes a weight allowance (1.5 tons for a 10 yard, 2 tons for a 15 yard, 3 tons for a 20 yard), and anything over is $225 per ton, prorated to the pound. For a full basement, a 15 or 20 yard is usually the safer pick. Tell us what you're clearing and we'll help you choose.
Keep hazardous items out. Flooded paint cans, gasoline, oil, pool chemicals and pesticides can't go in a dumpster. Set them aside for your town's hazardous waste collection. Propane tanks are accepted for a fee.
Downed tree limbs and yard debris
Brush and limbs can go in a dumpster as long as they're kept separate from other debris; let us know when you book. (Yard waste can't go in a junk bag or Bagster.) Anything tangled in power lines is the utility's job, and large trees need a tree service to cut them down to size. Many towns also open brush drop-off or run storm debris pickups after a big storm, so check your town's website too.
Businesses: power outages, spoiled stock and damaged fixtures
A long outage can leave a restaurant, store or office with spoiled food, ruined inventory, wet cardboard and damaged fixtures, all at once. We can drop a dumpster in your lot or send a crew to load everything out, and we do our best to schedule same- or next-day pickups when you need to reopen fast. We've cleared out large retail spaces before, including a full Bed Bath & Beyond store in Dedham.
For spoiled food, bag it and seal it, and tell us roughly how much you have when you call. We'll let you know the best way to handle it for your situation.
Dumpster or junk removal?
| Size | Dimensions | Price (2 weeks) | Weight included |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 yard | 10' L × 8' W × 4' H | $590 | 1.5 tons |
| 15 yard | 12' L × 8' W × 6' H | $690 | 2 tons |
| 20 yard | 14' L × 8' W × 6' H | $790 | 3 tons |
- Rent a dumpster if you'll be clearing over several days, or you have a lot of heavy, wet material.
- Book junk removal if you'd rather not lift anything, or it's one room's worth. Our crew loads everything and sweeps up. Prices start at $185 with labor included.
Book early after a storm
Dumpsters get busy fast after a big storm. Call or text as soon as you know you'll need one, and send a few photos for the fastest quote. We're a local, family-run company with our dumpster yard in Walpole, serving Greater Boston since 2002.