DumpsterBossPro Blog — Billing & Overages

Prohibited Items, Mattresses and Tires: Billing Surcharges as Line Items

Every roll-off company has a list of things that cannot go in the box, or that cost extra when they do. The list is usually on the website and the rental terms. The problem is not the list. The problem is that when a driver finds three tires and a mattress under a pile of drywall, there is no clear path from that discovery to a charge the customer actually pays.

Surcharges are small individually and large in total. Here is how to bill them consistently.

Know What You Charge For

Start with a written list of items that are either prohibited or carry a surcharge in your market. What is on that list depends on your disposal site and local rules, so build it from what your disposal site actually charges you or refuses. Commonly it includes mattresses, tires, appliances and certain hazardous materials, but confirm with your disposal site and local regulations rather than copying another company's list.

The list should be on the quote, in the delivery reminder and in your rental terms. The approach in Explaining Overage Charges So Customers Pay Instead of Argue applies here too: a surcharge explained ahead of time is one the customer expects.

Keep the customer-facing list short and specific. A list of forty items nobody reads is less useful than a list of the eight items that actually show up in your containers and cost you money.

Prohibited Versus Surcharged

There are two kinds of items. Some your disposal site will accept for an extra fee. Others it will not accept at all, which means the driver may have to remove them, leave them, or bring them somewhere else. Your terms should say what happens in each case and what it costs.

For items that are accepted for a fee, a per-item surcharge is simple. For items that cannot be dumped, many companies charge a handling fee and leave the item with the customer. Either way, decide in advance so the driver is not making policy at the curb.

Train drivers on the difference too. A driver who knows that tires are a surcharge but paint cans are a refusal can handle the situation on site, take the right photos and leave the customer with a clear explanation, rather than calling the office from the cab for every odd item.

Photos From the Driver App

When a driver finds a surcharge item, the first step is a photo. DumpsterBossPro's driver app lets drivers add photos and notes to the job, so the office can see what was in the box before it was dumped. That photo is the difference between a charge and an argument.

Ask drivers to note the count and type: "2 mattresses, 4 tires." The office should not have to guess from a blurry picture.

Adding the Charge to the Invoice

In DumpsterBossPro, prohibited-item and special-handling charges go on the invoice as their own line items next to the base rental, extra days and any weight overage. Use a clear description and a quantity: "Mattress surcharge (2)" or "Tire disposal (4)." Avoid lumping them into a general fee.

If the customer has a card on file, the surcharges are charged along with the rest of the rental when the job closes. If not, they are on the invoice the customer pays online.

Keep the surcharge amounts on your price list so the office is not inventing a number for each job. When the same item costs the same amount every time, customers who rent again know what to expect and your office can add the line in seconds.

Handling the Phone Call

When a customer questions a surcharge, send the photo. Then point to the line in the terms they approved with the quote. Most people did not mean to break the rules; a neighbor tossed in the tires, or the contractor did not read the terms. A calm explanation with evidence usually ends it.

If the customer genuinely did not know, and it is their first rental, you might reduce the charge. Record that as a discount on the invoice so you can see how often it happens.

Keep the Surcharge List Current

Disposal sites change their rules and their fees. Review your surcharge list at least once a year, and anytime your disposal site sends a fee notice. Update the quote language and the delivery reminder at the same time, so every customer is working from the current list. For how surcharges, overages and the base rental come together on one invoice, visit the DumpsterBossPro dumpster rental billing software page. The next guide covers billing relocations, swaps and dump-and-return trips.