What It Really Takes to Start a Portable Toilet or Roll-Off Business
Thinking about starting your own portable toilet or dumpster business? Here’s the no-BS guide on what it takes, from real startup costs to what no one tells you about long days, regulations, and chasing payments.
We’ve all heard it:
"You could start your own company, man!"
And while it sounds good—freedom, profit, calling your own shots—there’s a whole lot of grind between “Day 1” and turning a profit in this industry. Whether it’s portable toilets or roll-offs, this post is for the folks asking:
“What does it really take to go out on my own?”
🧾 The Startup Cost Breakdown (The Real One)
Starting a portable toilet or roll-off business ain’t cheap. Here’s a realistic look:
🚽 Portable Toilets
50 units = ~$30,000
Vacuum truck (used) = $40,000–$80,000
Hoses, blue, TP, chemicals = $3,000+
Insurance, business license, DOT setup = $5,000–$10,000
Marketing & website = $1,500+
Estimated startup = $80,000–$125,000
🚛 Roll-Off Dumpsters
10 containers = ~$40,000
Roll-off truck (used) = $60,000–$120,000
Dump fees & permits = $5,000+
Yard space (if needed) = $1,000–$2,000/mo
DOT compliance & insurance = $7,000+
Estimated startup = $110,000–$170,000
😮💨 What Most People Don’t Plan For:
Slow Payments: Builders will ghost you if your billing game isn’t tight.
Regulations: DOT, OSHA, state permits, waste hauler licenses — learn them or get fined.
Weather & Site Access: Mud, no room to park, locked gates — your service windows shrink fast.
Customer Expectations: Everyone wants "cheap and clean” — but not everyone pays on time.
🧠 Before You Jump: Ask Yourself
Can you work 14-hour days for months?
Do you have a backup plan for when equipment breaks?
Are you good at billing, routing, and customer service?
Can you survive a few slow seasons or bad payers?
If not — start smaller. Maybe run a few units under someone else. Lease. Learn. Then level up.
Startup Readiness Checklist
✅ Do you have a business plan?
✅ Do you know your breakeven cost per unit or dumpster?
✅ Have you called around for insurance quotes?
✅ Do you understand your state’s waste hauling rules?
💬 We Want to Hear From You:
👷 Are you thinking about starting your own company?
Or have you already?
Drop your biggest lesson, win, or horror story below in the comments or tag us on Facebook with #BuiltOnWaste
📸 BONUS:
Show us your first truck or unit ever.
We’ll feature your startup story on our page!
📩 Send it to: stories@builtonwaste.com
🛠 Stay gritty. Stay real. Stay Built on Waste.