Good news: most homeowners don't need a permit at all. Whether you need one comes down to where the dumpster sits.
If the dumpster is placed on your own private property — your driveway or yard — you typically do not need a permit in Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, Plano, Irving and the surrounding suburbs. This covers the large majority of residential rentals.
If the dumpster must sit on a public street, alley or right-of-way (common when a driveway is too small or steep), you'll generally need a right-of-way permit (plus a traffic-control permit if a lane, sidewalk or alley is blocked) from the City of Dallas Department of Public Works (Right-of-Way Management). The official details are on City of Dallas Right-of-Way Management ↗. Dallas doesn't publish a flat dumpster-permit fee — it's calculated per project when you apply through the city's Right-of-Way Permit Management System, so ask your hauler (many pull the permit for you) or the department. In Fort Worth, a Temporary Street Use permit runs about $112.50.
The DFW metroplex spans many separate jurisdictions: Dallas and Fort Worth each run their own right-of-way permitting, and every suburb — Arlington, Plano, Irving, Garland, Frisco, McKinney and the rest — plus unincorporated county areas permit street placement through their own public works department. Check which jurisdiction your address is in before you apply.
Many Dallas–Fort Worth dumpster companies will pull the permit for you or tell you exactly what's needed — just ask when you request a quote. Browse companies on our Dallas page or get matched below.
Local context: Dallas–Fort Worth-area roll-off loads generally end up at the City of Dallas–run McCommas Bluff Landfill, with transfer stations at Bachman, Fair Oaks and Westmoreland.