Dumpster Shortage Causing Home Renovation Delays
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- That home renovation or yard work could take longer than normal this year. It's not the actual project, but the clean-up that could cause delays.
Dumpsters are in high demand and some customers are even being put on waiting lists. Severe weather this summer is a big factor for the shortage.
In north Minneapolis, storm recovery is moving forward.
"I own a couple of properties in the area and we're just in the middle of fixing them up after the big storm," said Brett Schraber, a property owner in north Minneapolis.
Dumpsters now take the place of downed trees and debris along many streets and boulevards.
"The whole garage was leaning. Instead of fixing it up, we just tore the whole thing down and threw it in the dumpster," said Schraber.
But in this case, progress also has a price.
"Everyone is out of dumpsters right now," said Brian Pieti, vice president of Atomic Recycling.
With so many dumpsters in use, it's forcing some companies to turn customers away.
"We have not taken on any new customers since May," said Pieti.
Atomic Recycling gets half-a-dozen calls a day from new customers wanting to rent.
"I try and give them suggestions on who to call, but even then, they're finding the same thing," he said.
The only option is a waiting list. Depending on the company, the delay could be just a day or up to several weeks.
"There's good problems and bad problems, it's a problem nonetheless," said Schraber.
It's not just the storm damage in north that's causing the dumpster shortage. Several hail storms this summer, new development and renovations are also to blame.
"I just see a lot of people have them in their driveways and stuff. It seems to be a lot of people doing their roofs and repairing the siding on their house," said Caitlyn Shields, who rented a dumpster for fall cleaning.
It's a cycle that's expected to last through December, even into the New Year.
"It's going to take some time to get this area back up," said Schraber, who was referring to the tornado recovery effort.
"This year will be our biggest year," said Pieti.
If you're in the market for a dumpster, do your research and shop around. Some companies may be on a wait in the morning, only to have inventory come in that afternoon. Also, pricing can make a big difference in a company's availability.
