Exeter is one of the older towns in southern NH, and it shows in the housing stock. Older colonials along Front Street, farmhouses east of town, the Phillips Exeter campus and the neighborhoods around it, and a working downtown with brick storefronts. Exeter sits right next to Fremont, so it's one of the towns we work in regularly. Here's what to know if you're renting a dumpster in Exeter.
The Front Street and downtown area
Front Street, Park Street, and the side streets near downtown are full of older homes on tight lots. A lot of them have:
- Narrow driveways or no driveway at all
- Stone walls along the property line that constrain access
- Mature trees overhanging the lot
- On-street parking that may need coordination
For projects in this part of town, a 15-yard is usually the right pick because of the footprint. The 10-yard tier is also common when access is particularly tight.
The Phillips Exeter neighborhoods
The streets around the Phillips Exeter Academy campus are a mix of older single-family homes (a lot of faculty housing historically) and some larger properties. Access is generally good on these streets, with wider driveways than the downtown side. A 20-yard fits most of the lots.
A few things to watch:
- During the school year, traffic patterns around campus can be tight at certain times of day
- Some of the academy-adjacent properties have specific aesthetic constraints in their HOAs or covenants
- The neighborhood is walkable, so dumpsters get noticed by neighbors more than in suburban areas
East Exeter and the rural side
East of town, heading toward Brentwood and Stratham, you're in more rural territory. Larger lots, longer driveways, sometimes gravel rather than paved. This is the easiest part of Exeter to work in, dumpster-wise. Pick the size that fits the project; access usually isn't the constraint.
A few quirks for rural Exeter:
- Some long driveways are too soft for a fully-loaded 30-yard, especially in spring mud season. The 20 is usually right.
- Stone-wall property lines are everywhere. The wall is more important than the dumpster, so we won't push placement past where it makes sense.
- Mature trees over driveways are a constant. Walk the overhead route before delivery day.
The Squamscott River side
Homes along the Squamscott River (the falls area, the Powder Mill section) sometimes have steep grades or unusual access. Most are workable, but the dumpster placement spot needs to be where the truck can level out and the container can sit safely.
Common project types in Exeter
Common Exeter projects include:
- Historic home renovations (Front Street area, downtown)
- Estate cleanouts in older Federal and Colonial homes
- Newer subdivision projects on the east and south sides of town
- Shed and outbuilding demos in the rural sections
Older NH homes often have plaster-and-lath walls, which are heavier than modern drywall. Reno debris from these homes is heavier per cubic yard than equivalent volume in newer construction.
Sizing for Exeter projects
Rough starting points by project type in Exeter:
- Single bath in an older home: 10 or 15-yard (the plaster is heavy)
- Full kitchen reno: 15 or 20-yard
- Whole-house cleanout in a Federal-era home: 20-yard, often paired with a truckload visit
- Roof tear-off, typical Exeter home: 20-yard for single layer, 30-yard for double layer
- Shed or outbuilding cleanout: 20 to 30-yard
Most projects refine these on the booking call.
Distance from Fremont
Exeter is right next door to Fremont (about 15 minutes from the yard). Most of our work happens in this area, so Exeter scheduling is usually easy.
The booking call
For Exeter, the questions:
- Neighborhood (downtown, academy area, east side, rural)
- Access situation (driveway dimensions, overhead, stone walls)
- Project type
- Age of the home (affects weight math for renovations)
Text the address to 603-634-9947 with a photo of the placement spot and we'll work it out.
Call 603-634-9947 for sizing questions. For more on what we do in town, see our Exeter service page.