Guides & answers
Everything about container rental
Clear, concrete answers to the real questions: pricing, permits, sizes, materials, duration.
Choosing a container
Which container size should you choose for your project?
For a bathroom, a 10-yard is enough; for a kitchen or kitchen + bathroom, take the 20-yard (most popular); for a demolition or full renovation, aim for the 40-yard. When unsure, size up: a half-full container costs the same as an overflowing one but avoids a second trip.
Read the guideContainer for concrete, soil or shingles: what's the difference?
Heavy materials (concrete, asphalt, soil, shingles) are billed with reduced included tonnage and an adjusted overage rate, because they weigh far more than mixed debris. In practice, a concrete container is filled only halfway. In the quote, pick the material type (mixed, soil, concrete/asphalt, heavy mix, shingles) and the price adjusts automatically.
Read the guideEcocentre or container: which should you choose?
The ecocentre is the better choice if you live in the Montreal agglomeration, your debris is light, your vehicle fits the site's length limit and you have time to spare: the City states "Jusqu'à 12 m3 par année : gratuit" — up to 12 m³ per year free — for construction debris. Under that threshold, with a truck and a free weekend, you don't need us. A container becomes the right call when you have no vehicle, the volume runs past a few cubic metres, or you're a contractor — because contractors get no free allowance at all.
Read the guideContainer or dump trailer: which should you choose?
The trailer wins if you already own a vehicle with the right hitch, your load stays under 4,500 lb, and you have time to make the trips yourself: Home Depot rents a 6×10 dump trailer at $239 per day. The container wins in every other case — especially one the ads never mention: Home Depot will not rent you a vehicle capable of towing it, will not hook it up for you, and requires a 2-5/16 in ball. Without your own truck, the trailer isn't an option at any price.
Read the guideContainer or rental truck: which costs less?
The rental truck wins for a small clear-out: under 12 m³ of light debris, an écocentre nearby, and you're willing to load and unload yourself. As an agglomeration resident your first 12 m³ per year at the écocentre are free — the truck then becomes your only cost. The container wins as soon as the volume passes that allowance, the debris is heavy, or you'd need more than two trips. Watch one decisive detail: a 26-foot truck is 7.9 m and exceeds the length limit at most écocentres.
Read the guideContainer or junk-removal crew: which should you choose?
Junk removal wins when you can't load it yourself, the volume is small, and everything is already out and ready: a crew arrives, loads, and leaves the same day. In Montreal, published minimums start around $170 all in. The container wins as soon as the job runs over several days — you load at your own pace instead of staging everything before the truck arrives — and as soon as volume climbs, because junk removal bills by fraction of a truck. A full truck at the main Montreal operator that publishes a grid comes to $1230 once disposal fees are added.
Read the guideContainer or debris bag (Bagster): which should you choose?
The bag wins for a very small, light project: a partial bathroom, a garage clear-out, something under 3 cubic yards you fill at your leisure. In Montreal the real cost is $295 — $45 for the bag plus $250 for collection — not the $159.95 that dominates search results, which is stale or US-only. The container wins for any renovation, because of one decisive limit: the bag accepts only ONE cubic yard of heavy material (soil, brick, concrete), and it must stay in the bottom 10 inches. For renovation debris you hit that limit long before you fill the volume.
Read the guide30-yard container in Montreal: does it really exist?
Roulobac does not offer a 30-yard, and frankly that size is not the standard here. Of sixteen Montreal companies publishing their size list, eleven don't offer 30 yards — and every company publishing a real rate card jumps straight from 20 to 40. The Quebec ladder is 10, 14-15, 20, 40. If your project sits between the two, the 20-yard covers the vast majority of residential renovations and the 40-yard covers demolitions. If you genuinely need a 30-yard, several industrial-focused operators offer one — Multi-Recyclage and GFL/Matrec among them — and that's where to go.
Read the guidePricing & billing
How much does a container rental cost in Montreal?
In Montreal, a debris container rental costs between $545 and $845 (before tax) — an all-in price covering delivery, 10–12 days of rental and pickup. The 10-yard starts at $545, the 20-yard (most popular) is $725, and the 40-yard is $845. No hidden fees: the only add-ons are a weight overage ($149/tonne) or extra days ($14/day), always with a photo, weigh ticket and advance notice.
Read the guideWhat happens if I exceed the included weight?
If you exceed the included tonnage, a $149 surcharge per extra tonne applies — but never silently. At pickup, the container is weighed on a certified scale; you receive a photo of the load and the weigh ticket, a notice, and only then is the saved card charged. You see the exact real weight before any payment.
Read the guideWhat does a container on the street really cost, permit included?
On the street in Montreal, the true total is the container price PLUS your borough's permit — and the permit often costs more than the rental. For a 10-yard over 10 days, expect roughly $1057 in Anjou and roughly $1652 in Outremont. The container is identical; the gap is entirely the permit, which varies by 2.4× across boroughs. In a private driveway no permit is required and the advertised price is the price paid.
Read the guideHow much does a container cost by Montreal borough?
The container costs the same everywhere in Greater Montreal — it is the street permit that changes everything. Over 10 days the permit runs from $430 in Anjou to $1025 in Outremont, a 2.4× gap for identical service. 2 boroughs do not publish rates online. In a private driveway there is no permit: the advertised price is the same across the island.
Read the guideWhat are the hidden fees on a container rental?
At Roulobac there are none, and here is the full schedule so you can check. Four amounts can be added to the advertised price, all tied to your own usage: weight overage ($149/tonne), extra day ($14/day), a dry run if the truck cannot collect ($90) and prohibited materials (from $75). None is billed without proof: a photo and a weigh ticket, with notice before the card is touched. The street permit is paid to the borough, never to us.
Read the guideHow much does a 10-yard container cost in Montreal?
A 10-yard container costs $545 before tax, or $627 tax included. That covers delivery, 10 rental days, pickup and 1 tonnes of material — nothing else to pay if you stay inside those limits. Past them: $149 per extra tonne and $14 per extra day, billed only with a photo and a weigh ticket. In a private driveway, no permit. On the street, add your borough's permit.
Read the guideHow much does a 14-yard container cost in Montreal?
A 14-yard container costs $645 before tax, or $742 tax included. That covers delivery, 10 rental days, pickup and 2 tonnes of material — nothing else to pay if you stay inside those limits. Past them: $149 per extra tonne and $14 per extra day, billed only with a photo and a weigh ticket. In a private driveway, no permit. On the street, add your borough's permit.
Read the guideHow much does a 20-yard container cost in Montreal?
A 20-yard container costs $725 before tax, or $834 tax included. That covers delivery, 12 rental days, pickup and 2.5 tonnes of material — nothing else to pay if you stay inside those limits. Past them: $149 per extra tonne and $14 per extra day, billed only with a photo and a weigh ticket. In a private driveway, no permit. On the street, add your borough's permit.
Read the guideHow much does a 40-yard container cost in Montreal?
A 40-yard container costs $845 before tax, or $972 tax included. That covers delivery, 12 rental days, pickup and 4 tonnes of material — nothing else to pay if you stay inside those limits. Past them: $149 per extra tonne and $14 per extra day, billed only with a photo and a weigh ticket. In a private driveway, no permit. On the street, add your borough's permit.
Read the guideHow much does your construction debris weigh?
Mixed renovation debris weighs about 220 kg per cubic yard — a figure measured across 171 real loads, not an estimate. A 20-yard container filled to the brim therefore weighs roughly 4.4 t, which is 1.9 t over the 2.5t included and would cost about $282 in overage. Most renovations don't fill a container to the brim, which is why most stay under. Three materials are the exception and go over fast: soil, concrete and brick — a single cubic yard of soil already weighs more than a tonne.
Read the guidePermits & logistics
How much is a container street permit in Montreal?
On your private property (driveway, yard, lot), no permit is needed. If the container must go on the street or public domain, an occupancy permit is required by your Montreal borough — rules and fees vary by borough. On your own driveway, you can always book without a permit.
Read the guideRenting a container in winter: what to know
Yes, we deliver year-round, even in January. In winter (December–March), we grant extra days given the conditions, protect the driveway against frost and scraping, and adapt the truck to snow. Keep the container access cleared of snow on pickup day to avoid delays.
Read the guideHow is my driveway protected under the container?
We systematically place plywood sheets under the container before setting it down: they spread the weight and protect pavers, asphalt or concrete from marks and cracks. It's included, at no charge. No damage to your driveway — that's our commitment, especially on nice paver driveways.
Read the guide