Detritus / Coverage / Colorado / Denver
Denver
Denver licenses the container company, not the customer
Local haulers do the work; we hold the contract, own the problems, and send one bill. In Denver the street permit belongs to the dumpster company, and a construction recycling rule has put weight tickets in the contractor's hands since September 1, 2026.
Last reviewed October 27, 2026.
Short answer
- Only the dumpster or container company can get the Revocable Street Occupancy Permit, and it needs a Denver right-of-way dumpster license number first.
- Every hauler of waste, junk, or construction debris in Denver needs a city waste hauler license, renewed between January 1 and March 1.
- New permit applications filed on or after September 1, 2026 for larger construction and demolition jobs need a waste diversion plan, a refundable deposit, and weight tickets within 60 days of finishing.
- 19 providers in our provider network have completed jobs in Denver.
Who holds which piece of Denver paperwork
Denver splits the paperwork: the container company holds the street permit, the hauler holds the city license, and the contractor owns the diversion plan. We keep all three threads on one account and answer for them. When a pickup gets missed, we contact the hauler the same business day.
With one site and one dumpster, the dumpster company pulls the permit anyway, so call them. The hauler, broker, and provider network page shows where we fit, and the Colorado page has the state rules.
Our Denver deliveries
Counted here are deliveries to job sites in Denver for October 26, 2024 through October 26, 2026, minus anything canceled.
Figures are counts of completed deliveries, providers, and accounts in this window from our records, as of October 2026. Roll-off deliveries are containers delivered. Portable toilet deliveries are units placed, not orders. A company that completed both services is counted in both service rows, so those rows are not a split of the provider total. The counts are not a promise that every address is covered. Front-load service, compactors, and balers are not in these counts. The sanitation figure adds portable toilets and hand-wash units placed. Where a restroom-trailer count is shown, it is units placed.
Hauler licensing in Denver
Every solid waste hauler that collects in Denver needs a city license. The definition takes in recyclables, organics, junk, construction and demolition debris, and bulky materials, and a hauler that only drives through while collecting elsewhere is exempt. Haulers renew each calendar year from January 1 to March 1 and report tonnage every quarter, and the city fines anyone hauling without a license. Ask for the license number before the first pull.
The Denver dumpster permit
A Revocable Street Occupancy Permit is required before any container goes in the right-of-way, and the dumpster company applies for it, not the property owner. The plate sits on the rear upper left corner of the container, with the owner's name and contact information visible, and Denver can revoke the permit without cause.
- PlacementParking lane, at least 20 feet from any corner, ramp, alley, or entrance
- LengthUp to 40 linear feet of parking lane per permit
- MarkingReflective tape on each corner, or four flashing panel barricades
- Time limit180 days in any 12-month period at one address
- Meters, arterialsSeparate occupancy permit, five business days to process
What Denver charges for container placement
These come from the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure's 2024 consolidated fee schedule, effective January 1, 2024.
| Fee | Charge | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Dumpster and container plate permit, first issuance, 2024 | $200 per permit | Denver DOTI |
| Annual plate permit renewal, 2024 | $125 per plate, each year | Denver DOTI |
| Non-standard fee for dumpster non-compliance, 2024 | $500 each | Denver DOTI |
The construction recycling rule
Since September 1, 2026, a new permit application for a new building or an addition or demolition over 500 square feet, or a modification over 2,500 square feet, needs a waste diversion plan before the permit issues and a refundable performance deposit. The target is at least 50 percent diversion by weight across at least three materials. The contractor uploads weight tickets and other diversion records within 60 days of finishing. Projects already in review or permitted before September 1 are exempt. Get a weight ticket with every container, because a construction waste management plan is only as good as its tickets.
Hail and the Denver calendar
NWS Denver/Boulder keeps an archive of the area's major events. Census permit data shows apartments holding level with last year.
- May
Record hail
The NWS archive lists the costliest hailstorm in Colorado history on May 8, 2017, and a Denver hailstorm on May 30, 2024.
- June
More hail on record
The same archive lists a hail event on June 18, 2018. Cover loads of drywall and insulation before storms.
- September 1
Diversion rule date
Applications first filed on or after this date need the plan and deposit. Earlier permits run on the old rules.
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO, January to August 2026 against the same months of 2025. Apartment permits are keeping pace with last year, which keeps long multifamily jobs in the pipeline.
Denver services, and how haulers join
Denver buyers can order dumpster rental, portable toilets, hand-wash stations, and restroom trailers.
Licensed to haul in Denver, or renting toilets here? The vendor form opens the provider network to you, free. Send invoices to accounting@detritus.us; Bill.com pays on the processing date. Steps are in the vendor payment guide.
Answers
Common questions
Who applies for a dumpster permit in Denver?
The dumpster or container company does, not the property owner. It needs a Denver right-of-way dumpster license number first, then a Revocable Street Occupancy Permit for each container, and Denver can revoke the permit without cause.
How long can a dumpster stay on a Denver street?
A container may sit in the right-of-way for a maximum of 180 days in any 12-month period at one address. It has to fit in a parking lane and stay at least 20 feet from any corner, ramp, alley, or entrance.
Does Denver require construction debris to be recycled?
For new permit applications first filed on or after September 1, 2026, yes. Projects over the size thresholds need a waste diversion plan, at least 50 percent diversion by weight across at least three materials, and documentation within 60 days of finishing.
Can an approved Denver account get payment terms?
Approved accounts can be offered Net 30, 60, or 90, subject to credit review. Nothing on this page is an offer of credit. Terms of use apply to a Denver account.
Talk to us
(888) 588-2607
Send the Denver sites
Tell us the Denver addresses and which jobs fall under the new recycling rule, or call.
Sources
Public sources read October 27, 2026.
- Our own delivery records.
- Dumpster and Container Entrance Requirements, Denver DOTI Permit Operations.
- 2024 Consolidated Fee Schedule, Denver DOTI.
- Waste Hauler Licensing, City and County of Denver.
- Construction and Demolition Universal Recycling Requirements, Denver Community Planning and Development.
- Event Summaries, NWS Denver/Boulder.
- Building Permits Survey, U.S. Census Bureau.
Also in Colorado: Colorado Springs, Fort Collins.