Updated November 2026 · Southern New Hampshire
How much does it cost to shred documents in 2026?
Every way shredding is priced, from the pound and the box to the pickup, the console and the free event. Each model comes with worked examples at our Tewksbury prices.
99¢ per pound at our Tewksbury drop-off. Certificate of Destruction on every job.
- 99¢ per pound
- $20 per banker’s box at 10+
- Since 2007
- BBB A+ rated
Quick answer
New Hampshire Document Shredding charges 99 cents per pound at its Tewksbury drop-off, or $15 per small box and $20 per large banker’s box when you bring 10 or more, plus $34.90 in per-job fees. One 30-pound box costs $64.60, five boxes cost $183.40 and ten boxes cost $234.90. A pickup adds $129.95, $159.95 or $199.95 by zone, and witnessed shredding is $1.99 per pound with a $100 minimum. What you pay for document shredding depends less on the paper than on the pricing model: per pound, per box, per trip, per console or per event.
How much does it cost to shred documents? Start with the pricing model
People call us every week asking for “the price to shred a box.” The answer depends on how the shredder charges. Two companies can shred the same box of bank statements and send bills that look nothing alike, because one bills by weight and the other bills for the visit.
Almost every shredding price fits one of five shapes. Know the shape and you know where the hidden costs sit.
| Pricing model | What you pay for | Who it suits | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per pound | The weight of the paper on the scale | Households and small offices with a few boxes | Per-job fees and minimums that land on small loads |
| Per box | A flat price for each box, by size | Cleanouts and purges of 10 boxes or more | How a “box” is defined and how full it may be |
| Per pickup | The trip to your door, on top of the shredding | Offices with no one free to drive, and big loads | Zone rules, stairs, waiting time |
| Per console or schedule | Each locked container emptied on a set calendar | Offices that make paper every day | Contract length, half-empty bins, auto-renewal |
| Per event | Nothing, if you go to a free community shred day | Households with one to three boxes and some patience | Volume limits, lines, no certificate, set dates |
Our prices use the first three models, plus witnessed shredding. We cover the other two honestly, because sometimes the right answer is a free shred day and not us.
How much does it cost to shred documents by the pound?
Per-pound pricing is the simplest model to check. You bring the paper, it goes on a scale, and the weight sets the shredding charge. At our counter at 1215 Main Street, Unit 115, Tewksbury, the rate is 99 cents per pound for any load under 10 boxes.
A standard banker’s box packed with paper weighs about 30 pounds. That puts the shredding charge for one full box at about $29.70. A bag weighs less, a box of glossy statements weighs more, and you pay for what you actually bring.
Every job then carries $34.90 in per-job fees. That is a $14.95 HIPAA filing fee, which covers the Certificate of Destruction paperwork, and a $19.95 environmental fee, which covers recycling the shred.
Here is the catch with weight pricing: the fixed fees dominate small loads. One box costs $64.60 in total, and more than half of that is the per-job fees. Two boxes cost $94.30, three cost $124.00 and five cost $183.40. The more you bring in one visit, the less each box costs.
So save up. Fill a lidded box through the year and bring everything in one trip. Our post on how much paper a household shreds helps you guess how fast that box fills, and the residential shredding cost guide runs more home examples.
Per-box pricing and the 10-box line
Box pricing trades the scale for a count. Ours starts at 10 boxes: $15 for each small box and $20 for each large banker’s box, plus the same $34.90 per job.
Ten banker’s boxes come to $200.00 for the shredding and $234.90 in total. Twenty come to $434.90. Twenty small boxes come to $334.90. Per box, the price drops from $64.60 for a single box to about $23.49 at ten and about $21.75 at twenty.
| What you bring | How it is priced | Shredding charge | Total with $34.90 fees | Cost per box |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 banker’s box (about 30 lb) | 99¢ per pound | $29.70 | $64.60 | $64.60 |
| 5 banker’s boxes (about 150 lb) | 99¢ per pound | $148.50 | $183.40 | about $36.68 |
| 10 banker’s boxes | $20 per box | $200.00 | $234.90 | about $23.49 |
| 20 small boxes | $15 per box | $300.00 | $334.90 | about $16.75 |
| 20 banker’s boxes | $20 per box | $400.00 | $434.90 | about $21.75 |
Look closely and you will spot something useful. At 30 pounds a box, seven full boxes by the pound come to $242.80, which is more than ten boxes at the flat rate. If you are sitting on seven, eight or nine boxes, finish the cleanout before you come in. Once the count reaches 10, the box rate applies.
When another company quotes per box, ask what a “box” means. Some count only a standard banker’s box with the lid on. Others allow any carton up to a set size. An overstuffed box with the lid bulging can be counted as more than one. Get the definition in writing before the job, not at the curb.
Prep matters too. Staples, clips and file folders can stay in, but binder hardware and hanging-folder frames come out. Our guide on how to prepare documents for shredding has the details.
How much does it cost to shred documents with a pickup?
A pickup prices two things at once: the shredding and the trip. With us, the shredding part does not change. You pay the same 99 cents per pound, or the box rate at 10 or more boxes, plus the $34.90 per job. The trip is a separate zone fee.
Zone 1 is $129.95 and covers the Tewksbury area and the New Hampshire border towns such as Salem, Pelham, Windham and Plaistow. Zone 2 is $159.95 and covers greater Nashua and Manchester. Zone 3 is $199.95 and covers the Seacoast and points farther north. Your exact zone is confirmed when you book.
| Load | Drop-off | Zone 1 pickup | Zone 2 pickup | Zone 3 pickup |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 banker’s box | $64.60 | $194.55 | $224.55 | $264.55 |
| 5 banker’s boxes | $183.40 | $313.35 | $343.35 | $383.35 |
| 10 banker’s boxes | $234.90 | $364.85 | $394.85 | $434.85 |
| 20 banker’s boxes | $434.90 | $564.85 | $594.85 | $634.85 |
For one box, the trip costs two to three times the shredding. For twenty boxes, it is a smaller share. Pickup prices assume ground-level or elevator access. A handling fee applies for stairs or restricted access, and we quote it up front so it is not a surprise.
Driving has a cost too. The IRS standard mileage rate for business use is 76 cents per mile from July 1, 2026. A business owner who drives a 50-mile round trip is spending about $38.00 in mileage. Compare that with the zone fee. Our post on pickup zones and distance shows which towns fall where, and our off-site shredding page explains how a pickup is booked.
Witnessed shredding and how a minimum changes the math
Witnessed shredding costs $1.99 per pound, with a $100 minimum on the shredding charge, plus the usual $34.90 per job. You watch your boxes go through the shredder in Tewksbury, and the certificate is signed in front of you.
The minimum is what catches people. One 30-pound box would be $59.70 at $1.99 a pound, but the $100 minimum applies, so the job comes to $134.90. The minimum stops mattering once your paper weighs a bit over 50 pounds. Two boxes come to $154.30, five to $333.40 and ten to $631.90.
Witnessing earns its price for a small amount of very sensitive paper, such as psychotherapy notes or an estate\’s private letters. For ten boxes of old utility bills it does not. A good compromise is to witness the few folders that need it and drop off the rest by the pound on the same visit.
Any minimum works the same way. If a company quotes a low per-pound rate with a high minimum, a small load pays the minimum. Ask for the minimum before you compare rates. Our witnessed shredding page covers how a session runs.
Per-console and scheduled service pricing
The fourth model suits offices that make shred paper every day. Some shredding companies place locked consoles around an office and empty them on a set schedule. The bill is usually per container per visit, often under a service agreement.
For a busy office, the convenience is real. The cost risk sits in the fine print, not the headline number. We do not print other companies’ prices, so here are the questions that decide whether a console plan is a good deal.
- Do you pay for a container that is half empty on service day?
- How long is the agreement, and does it renew on its own?
- What does it cost to cancel early, or to remove a console?
- Are there fuel, environmental or certificate fees on each visit?
Our pricing does not work that way. Every job is priced by weight or box count, and no long-term contract is required. Many small New Hampshire offices keep a locked box in-house, then drop it off or book a pickup when it is full. If you are weighing the two approaches, our post on one-time vs scheduled shredding walks through the trade, and practices can see quarterly examples in our post on medical shredding cost.
Per-event pricing: free community shred days
The fifth model costs you nothing. A host such as AARP New Hampshire, a credit union, a bank or a town pays a vendor to park a truck with a shredder inside for a few hours.
You pay in other ways. Events run a few mornings a year, mostly in spring and fall. AARP New Hampshire’s 2026 shred-a-thons had a limit of 3 bags or boxes per vehicle and did not accept magazines or newspapers. Lines form early, and events can close before the posted end time when the truck fills up. A certificate is not something to count on.
When the free event wins
You have one to three boxes of household paper, an event is a few weeks away, and you need no written proof. We tell callers to go, even though it costs us the job.
When paying makes sense
You have more than the limit, a deadline such as a move, business or patient records, or you need a certificate. Then the per-pound price buys certainty.
Our page on NH shred events lists who hosted free shred days in 2026 and where to look for next year’s dates.
Choosing the cheapest model for your pile
Three questions settle most cases: how many boxes, must you watch, and can you drive to Tewksbury on a weekday? This is the reasoning we walk callers through.
Then build your own estimate in five minutes.
- Count and size your boxesBanker’s boxes, smaller cartons and bags. Near 10 boxes, the count matters.
- Weigh one boxUse a bathroom scale with and without the box, then multiply by your count.
- Pull what is not paperDrives, phones and USB sticks go in their own bag, because media is quoted per item, not by weight.
- Price two modelsWork out drop-off and pickup from the tables above, with mileage or the zone fee added.
- Ask about the extrasPer-job fees, minimums, stairs, certificates and media. A quote without these is not a price.
- Book or walk inDrop-off needs no appointment on weekdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pickups and witnessed sessions are booked ahead.
Thinking of buying a shredder instead? Count the time to feed a box a few sheets at a time before you do. Our post on shredder vs shredding service runs that comparison.
The line items that change a shredding quote
The headline rate is only part of a bill. These items make two quotes with the same rate end up far apart. Ask about each one, from any company, us included.
Per-job fees
Ours are $34.90 per job, listed up front on our shredding rates page.
Minimums
A minimum turns a cheap rate into an expensive small job. Ours applies only to witnessed sessions.
Access and handling
Stairs or restricted access add a pickup handling fee, quoted before the job.
Certificate of Destruction
Ours is included with every job. Our page on the certificate of destruction shows what it records.
Media and devices
Drives, phones, tapes and discs are physically destroyed and quoted per item. Our hard drive destruction page explains how.
Contract terms
Renewal and cancellation terms can cost more than the shredding. We require no long-term contract.
Price is not the only test. The FTC’s Disposal Rule guidance tells businesses to do due diligence before hiring a document destruction contractor, such as checking references or reviewing the company’s security policies. Our list of questions to ask a shredding company turns that into a phone checklist.
Before you pay to shred anything, make sure you are allowed to. The IRS says to keep tax records for 3 years in most cases, 6 years if you left out income of more than 25 percent of what you reported, 7 years for a bad debt or worthless securities claim, and employment tax records for at least 4 years. Shredding too early costs more than any invoice.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to shred one box of documents?
At our Tewksbury drop-off, one full banker’s box weighs about 30 pounds and costs $29.70 to shred at 99 cents per pound. The $34.90 per-job fees bring the total to $64.60, with a Certificate of Destruction included. If an event is coming up and you do not need a certificate, a free community shred day may be the cheaper choice for a single box.
Is it cheaper to shred by the pound or by the box?
With our prices, under 10 boxes is always priced by the pound, at 99 cents. From 10 boxes up, you pay $15 per small box or $20 per banker’s box. A full banker’s box costs about $29.70 by weight and $20 at the box rate, so the box rate wins once you reach 10. Seven full boxes by weight already cost more than ten at the flat rate.
What are the $34.90 per-job fees for?
They are two fixed fees charged once per job, not per box. The $14.95 HIPAA filing fee covers the Certificate of Destruction paperwork, and the $19.95 environmental fee covers recycling all of the shredded paper. The same $34.90 applies to drop-off, pickup and witnessed jobs. Bringing everything in one trip means you pay it once.
How much does a shredding pickup cost in New Hampshire?
Our pickup price is the normal shredding charge plus a zone fee: $129.95 for Zone 1 border towns such as Salem, Pelham, Windham and Plaistow, $159.95 for greater Nashua and Manchester, and $199.95 for the Seacoast and points farther north. The zone is confirmed when you book. Ten banker’s boxes picked up in Zone 2 come to $394.85 with the per-job fees.
Do you charge per console or require a contract?
No. Every job is priced by weight or by box count, with the $34.90 per-job fees, and no long-term contract is required. Offices that produce paper daily often keep a locked box on site and bring it in or book a pickup when it is full. If you compare with a scheduled console plan, ask about half-empty bins, renewal and cancellation terms.
Are free shred events really free?
Yes, for you. The host, such as AARP New Hampshire, a credit union or a bank, pays the vendor. The trade-offs are timing, limits and paperwork. AARP New Hampshire’s 2026 events allowed 3 bags or boxes per vehicle, events can end early when the truck fills, and a certificate is not guaranteed. For larger loads or business records, a paid service is the better fit.
Sources
- IRS: Standard mileage rates, 2026 business rate (checked November 2026)
- IRS: How long should I keep records? (checked November 2026)
- FTC: Disposing of Consumer Report Information? Rule Tells How (checked November 2026)
- AARP New Hampshire: Prevent Identity Theft at 3 Free NH Shredding Events (2026) (checked November 2026)
- HHS: What HIPAA requires when covered entities dispose of PHI (checked November 2026)
Price your pile, then pick the model
Count your boxes, check the 10-box line and decide whether you will drive or book a pickup. Then walk in on any weekday, or book a pickup or a witnessed session online. Every job ends with a Certificate of Destruction.
Visit or call
1215 Main Street, Unit 115, Tewksbury, MA 01876. Route 38 near the I-495 interchange, about 15 minutes south of the NH line. Free parking out front, and staff help you unload.
Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Witnessed sessions and pickups outside these hours by appointment.
Three ways to shred: walk-in drop-off shredding at 99¢ per pound, pickup by zone, or a witnessed session at $1.99 per pound.
New Hampshire Document Shredding · 1215 Main Street, Unit 115, Tewksbury, MA 01876 · (978) 636-0301 · Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.