How Much Does Document Shredding Cost?

Professional document shredding is an affordable solution to make sure your personal and sensitive business records are securely destroyed. The costs for these services depend on the type of project you need, such as drop-off vs. mobile shredding, and on other factors, like quantity of paper. 

Paper Document Shredding

Drop-Off Shredding

For low-volume and personal projects that are typically 30-100lbs or less (about 1-5 standard sized boxes), drop-off shredding services are tailored to meet your needs and may be your most cost-effective option. The average price for drop-off shredding is $1.00 per lb at a drop-off shredding location. Drop-off shredding only takes a few minutes, it does not require an appointment, and you can easily locate any of our nearby local drop-off sites on our Locations page. 

On-site/Mobile Shredding

For higher volumes of paper and for recurring shred needs, mobile shredding will make the most sense for your business. Mobile shredding for higher volumes of documents comes at a discounted rate compared to drop-off shredding. Mobile shredding project prices typically range between $5-10 per box depending on the size and count of your boxes, and on other factors that affect the scope of work. Guard Docs also provides pricing per 32-gallon console, per 64-gallon container, and per 96-gallon container, depending on the situation. 

Hard Drive Destruction Cost

Hard drive destruction projects are a critical service for organizations to ensure their electronic data is safely destroyed for good, to minimize the risk of data breaches and non-compliance. Hard drive destruction projects typically range between $2 and $10 per hard drive, depending on the volume and level of service you need. Questions to consider for your project include: Are the hard drives loose, or do they need to be removed from the equipment? Do you need the serial numbers of the hard drives recorded? Do you need the hard drives destroyed on-site or off-site? What method of destruction do you need, and what are your security compliance requirements? 

Digital Media Destruction Cost

Other forms of digital media, such as CDs, DVDs, back-up tapes, and floppy disks, also store sensitive data, and need to be securely destroyed when discarded. Pricing for digital media destruction is typically provided on a per unit or per pound basis. Average pricing typically starts at $0.50 per pound or greater, depending on your volume, reporting requirements, and other factors.

Document Storage Cost

Secure document storage is a great solution to make sure your critical records are maintained and safeguarded. These services are advantageous for any business as it frees up your office space, it improves your security procedures, and it allows you to meet your industry’s standards of records compliance. Document storage is typically priced per cubic foot. On average, pricing can range between $0.20 per cubic foot to $0.60 per cubic foot, depending on your volume, contract length, and other service requirements. As professional document storage is a full-service industry, additional service fees may apply to pick-ups and deliveries, document and box retrievals, specialized inventory reporting, etc. 

What Factors Affect Shredding Costs?

To fully understand the costs for professional shredding, it is important to consider all of the factors that go into pricing a project. These factors include geographic location, quantity of paper, one time vs. recurring, how the materials are staged, acceptable vs. unacceptable materials (e.g., dry vs. wet paper), accessibility (stairs, parking, etc.), scheduling restrictions, etc.