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Richmond
Richmond roll-offs: the four-can line and the ten-day permit
Local haulers do the work; we hold the contract, own the problems, and send one bill. In Richmond the city picks up business trash only up to four cans, and a dumpster in the street comes with a permit that takes about ten working days.
Last reviewed October 27, 2026.
Short answer
- City collection for businesses stops at four cans, and a business that needs more has to use a private company under city code.
- A dumpster or POD in the street needs a Work in Streets Permit, and the city says issuing one usually takes about ten working days.
- A container that covers metered spaces needs a separate permit from the city's Parking Division.
- 10 providers in our provider network have completed jobs in Richmond.
Two numbers that catch property managers
A manager with several Richmond buildings meets both numbers fast: the city's pickup stops at four cans, and a street permit needs about ten working days. Our account keeps those sites together, and we answer for each one. When a pickup gets missed, we contact the hauler the same business day.
Richmond businesses that outgrow the city's can limit need a private company, and that usually happens the moment a renovation starts. Plan the street permit early. The city says a Work in Streets Permit for a dumpster or POD takes a while to issue, so apply before you set a delivery date, not after. If the container will cover metered spaces, the Parking Division permit is a separate step. Missing it is the most common way a well-planned drop turns into a ticket on the first morning.
For one site, a direct call to a hauler is simpler. The hauler, broker, and provider network page shows where we fit, and the Virginia page has the state rules.
Deliveries in Richmond
Richmond job-site deliveries in our record for October 26, 2024 through October 26, 2026, with canceled jobs removed.
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.
Where Richmond hands trash to private haulers
The Department of Public Works collects from businesses such as churches, apartment complexes, and rooming houses, but only up to four cans. Its own page says a business with more than four cans' worth has to use a private company under city code. Check a site's volume against that line before assuming city pickup covers it.
Work in Streets Permits for containers
Richmond requires a Work in Streets Permit for all work in the public right-of-way, and Public Works names dumpsters and portable storage units among the work covered. A storage container application needs the contractor's state license number, a description of the work with approximate dates, and a sketch that shows the container, the nearest street and sidewalk, and the distance to the nearest intersection or fixed object. A contractor also supplies a certificate of insurance, and the fee is due before the permit is issued.
- PermitWork in Streets Permit, Public Works
- ApplyCity Hall Room 110, or Rightofway@richmondgov.com
- TurnaroundAbout ten working days from submittal
- SendSketch with distance to a fixed object, dates, contractor license, insurance certificate
- Metered spacesSeparate Parking Division permit, 50 percent of the daily meter charge per space
Dumpsters on your own lot
Not every Richmond dumpster touches the street. The zoning office says a dumpster or portable storage unit can sit in a yard for up to fifteen consecutive days for a move with no permit or approval, and longer during a renovation. After fifteen days it has to meet normal yard setbacks and stay out of the front of the building. The street, sidewalk, or alley is different: that goes back to Public Works and a Work in Streets Permit. Commercial and multifamily properties with commercial pickup must also enclose the trash area behind opaque screening of brick, stone, wood, or something similar, and chain-link with slats doesn't count. The enclosure plan goes to the Zoning Office before anyone builds. One- and two-family homes are exempt.
Richmond storms and the building calendar
NWS Wakefield's severe weather study covers the Richmond area and dates to May 2003, so use it as a pattern. Apartment permits are running well ahead of last year.
- May
Tornado and hail peak
The NWS study puts the tornado peak in May, with severe hail peaking then too. Keep loads covered and swap schedules loose all month.
- Late afternoon
Wind window
Damaging thunderstorm wind peaks between 4 and 6 p.m. Book swaps for morning when a front is forecast.
- Fall
Tropical tornadoes
A lesser tornado peak in fall is tied to landfalling tropical systems.
Richmond, VA, January to August 2026 against the same months of 2025. Apartments run longer than houses, so expect more swaps per job where multifamily permits are climbing.
Richmond services, and joining as a hauler
Richmond buyers can order dumpster rental, portable toilets, hand-wash stations, and restroom trailers.
Hauling or renting toilets in Richmond? Ask to join the provider network on the vendor form, which is free. Invoices go to accounting@detritus.us, and Bill.com pays them from the processing date. The vendor payment guide covers each step.
Answers
Common questions
Does the City of Richmond pick up business trash?
For small amounts. The city collects from businesses such as churches and apartment complexes up to four cans, and a business needing more than four has to use a private company under city code.
Does a dumpster on a Richmond street need a permit?
Yes. Public Works lists dumpsters and portable storage units under the Work in Streets Permit. Apply at City Hall or by email, and expect about ten working days between submitting and receiving the permit.
What if a container covers metered parking in Richmond?
A separate permit from the Parking Division is required, charged at 50 percent of the daily meter charge per space for each day.
Can an approved Richmond 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 Richmond account.
Talk to us
(888) 588-2607
Send the Richmond sites
Send us the Richmond addresses and the volume at each, or call.
Sources
Public sources read October 27, 2026.
- Our own delivery records.
- Right-of-Way Management, City of Richmond Department of Public Works.
- Trash Collection, City of Richmond Department of Public Works.
- A Severe Weather Climatology for the WFO Wakefield, VA County Warning Area, NWS Wakefield.
- Planning and Development Review FAQ, City of Richmond Zoning Office.
- Building Permits Survey, U.S. Census Bureau.