Updated November 2026 · Southern New Hampshire
Questions to ask a shredding company before you book
The questions that separate a careful shredding company from a risky one: where the paper goes, what the full price is, what you are signing and what the certificate proves. Each one comes with the answer you want to hear, the answer that should end the call, and our own answer.
Ask us anything on this list. 99¢ per pound at our Tewksbury drop-off. Certificate of Destruction on every job.
- 1 shredding location
- 99¢ per pound
- Since 2007
- BBB A+ rated
Quick answer
The questions to ask a shredding company before you book are: where exactly is my paper shredded, who handles it between my door and the shredder, what is the all-in price including per-job, transport and handling fees, is there a contract or auto-renewal, will you sign a Business Associate Agreement, how is media destroyed, and what does the Certificate of Destruction show. New Hampshire Document Shredding answers all of them in writing: one location in Tewksbury, 99 cents a pound plus $34.90 per job, no long-term contract and a certificate on every job.
Questions to ask a shredding company about where your paper goes
Start with geography. Everything else, from chain of custody to the certificate, depends on knowing exactly where your boxes go and who has them on the way. A company that gets vague here will get vague everywhere.
| Ask this | A good answer | A red flag | Our answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where exactly is my paper shredded? | A street address you can visit | “At our facility” with no address, or “it depends” | 1215 Main Street, Unit 115, Tewksbury, MA 01876. One place, every job. |
| How long between handoff and shredding? | A clear rule for each service | “Usually within a while” or no answer | Drop-off paper is shredded the same business day. Pickup material is shredded after it arrives at the office. |
| Who handles my boxes on the way? | A named handoff and a signed count | Boxes left on a dock for “whoever comes” | You hand them to staff at the counter, or our driver counts and signs for them at your door. |
| Can I visit or watch? | Yes, with a set price | No, or only for large contracts | Walk in any weekday, or book a witnessed session at $1.99 per pound, $100 minimum. |
Notice that we have no office, plant or drop box in New Hampshire. Our Tewksbury office sits on Route 38 near the I-495 interchange, about 15 minutes south of the Salem and Pelham line by I-93 or Route 38. If a company you are calling claims a New Hampshire location, ask for the street address and check that shredding actually happens there.
The handoff question matters as much as the address. Our post on chain of custody shredding walks through every step a box takes, and you can hold any company, us included, to the same standard. The broader decision of which company to hire is covered in our guide on how to choose a shredding company.
Questions to ask a shredding company about price
The quote you hear first is often not the price you pay. Shredding bills are built from several parts, and the cheap-sounding rate is only one of them. Ask for the all-in price for your actual job, in writing, before anything leaves your building.
- Is the rate per pound, per box, or per bin? Which applies to my job?
- Is there a minimum charge, and what is it?
- What fees are added to every job, and what do they cover?
- For a pickup, what is the transport fee to my town, and is it fixed?
- Is there a fee for stairs, a basement or a building with restricted access? Will you quote it before the pickup?
- Are there fuel surcharges, service fees or anything else not on the quote?
Here is how our own bill is built, so you can compare. Shredding is 99 cents per pound under 10 boxes, or a flat $15 per small box and $20 per large banker’s box at 10 or more. Every job adds $34.90: a $14.95 HIPAA filing fee for the Certificate of Destruction paperwork and a $19.95 environmental fee for recycling the shred. A pickup adds $129.95 in Zone 1, $159.95 in Zone 2 or $199.95 in Zone 3. A handling fee for stairs or restricted access is quoted up front.
Comparing quotes only works when both are all-in for the same job. Write down your box count, your town and your access, then ask each company to price exactly that. Our shredding rates page lists every number above, and our post on how pickup zones change the price shows the transport fee by distance.
Terms, contracts and what you are signing
Shredding is a simple service, and the paperwork should be simple too. Read anything you are asked to sign before the first pickup, and ask these questions out loud.
Ask about the contract
Is a contract required for a single job? How long does it run? Does it renew on its own, and how much notice do you need to give to stop it? Is there a cancellation fee? Do I have to rent a bin or console to get the price I was quoted?
We do not require a long-term contract. Each job is booked and priced on its own, and repeat service is simply booking another job at the same rates.
Ask about security terms
The FTC’s guide for business advises putting your security expectations in writing in contracts with service providers. For a shredding company, that means where paper is shredded, how it is handled until then and what proof you get.
If the company will not write those down, you have your answer.
Medical and dental practices need one more document. When a vendor handles protected health information for a covered entity, HIPAA generally expects a Business Associate Agreement under 45 CFR 164.502(e) and 164.504(e). Section 164.504(e)(2) says the contract must establish the permitted uses and disclosures of the information, and paragraph (e)(2)(ii)(J) requires the vendor, at termination, to “return or destroy all protected health information” where feasible. For a shredding vendor, destruction is the whole job.
New Hampshire Document Shredding signs a Business Associate Agreement on request for covered entities and business associates. Ask for it when you book, and have it signed before the first box leaves your practice. Our post on HIPAA shredding requirements covers the rest of the rules for practices.
What the certificate of destruction should show
A Certificate of Destruction is the proof you keep after the paper is gone. A vague one is nearly worthless in an audit, so ask what it contains before you book, not after. Ask any company, including us, for a blank sample.
Who and when
Your name or your business name, the date the material was destroyed and a job or reference number you can match to your own records.
How much and how
The amount destroyed, by weight or box count, and the method, such as cross-cut shredding. A certificate with no quantity cannot be checked against what you sent.
Where and by whom
The address where shredding happened and a signature from the company. For a witnessed job, the certificate should be signed in front of you.
Every job we do includes a Certificate of Destruction at no charge beyond the $14.95 HIPAA filing fee. For a witnessed session, it is signed in front of you at the Tewksbury office. Staple it to your own log of what each box held and the signed pickup count, and keep the set with your records.
How long to keep it depends on who you are. Under 45 CFR 164.530(j)(2), HIPAA covered entities keep required documentation for six years from its creation or the date it was last in effect, and many offices keep certificates on the same clock as the disposal policy they prove. Our page on the certificate of destruction goes field by field.
Questions about media, prep and witnessing
Paper is not the only thing in an old office. Ask how the company handles hard drives, USB sticks, discs and phones, and whether that work is priced separately. A company that offers to toss drives into the paper shredder bin without a separate line on the quote has not thought about it.
Our answer: media is physically destroyed and quoted per item. Bag it separately and list it when you book. Our page on hard drive destruction has the details.
Ask about prep too. Some companies want staples pulled or folders emptied. We do not. Leave staples, paper clips, binder clips, rubber bands and file folders in, and remove three-ring binder hardware, hanging-folder frames and anything that is not paper. Our guide on how to prepare documents for shredding covers the rest.
Finally, ask whether you can watch. For most paper, a sealed handoff and a certificate are enough. For a small amount of very sensitive material, or an owner closing a practice who wants to sign off in person, witnessing is worth the extra cost. Our witnessed shredding sessions run $1.99 per pound with a $100 minimum, plus $34.90, by appointment in Tewksbury.
Red flags that should end the call
You do not need to be an expert to spot a bad fit. Most problems show up as a dodge on one of five simple questions. If you hear any of the answers on the right, thank them and call the next company.
Promises you cannot check
“Guaranteed compliance” or “fully certified” with nothing behind it. No vendor can guarantee your compliance. Ask what exactly is certified, by whom, and ask to see it.
Pressure to sign today
A discount that expires at the end of the call, or a multi-year term to get the quoted rate. A one-time purge should never need a long contract.
Free that is not free
A pickup advertised at no charge, with the cost hidden in a high per-box rate or a fee on the invoice. Compare all-in totals for the same job, never headline rates.
No straight answer on media
Drives and phones handled “the same as paper,” or no separate line on the quote. Media needs its own method and its own record.
What federal rules call due diligence
If your business uses consumer reports, such as a landlord, an employer, a lender or an insurer, the FTC Disposal Rule at 16 CFR Part 682 covers how you throw that information away. Section 682.3 gives, as one example of proper disposal, contracting “after due diligence” with a company “engaged in the business of record destruction.” Our post on the FACTA disposal rule explains who is covered.
The FTC’s own business guidance lists what that due diligence can look like: reviewing an independent audit of the disposal company’s operations, getting information from several references, requiring certification by a recognized trade association, and reviewing the company’s information security policies or procedures. You do not need all four. You need enough to show you checked.
- Write your questions downUse the questions on this page. Ask every company the same ones so the answers can be compared.
- Get the answers in writingA quote by email with the address, the all-in price and the terms is worth more than a friendly phone call.
- Check what can be checkedLook up the business address, its rating with the Better Business Bureau and any certification it claims. We are BBB A+ rated and have been in business since 2007. We do not hold a trade association certification, and we will tell you so if you ask.
- Ask for a sample certificateSee what it shows before you book, and decide whether it would satisfy your auditor or your own file.
- File the resultKeep your notes, the quote and the signed agreement with your disposal policy. That folder is your due diligence.
A note on New Hampshire law. The state’s breach notice statute, RSA 359-C:20, applies to anyone doing business in the state who owns or licenses computerized data that includes personal information. It is about computer data, not paper. Good paper disposal is about keeping a problem from starting at all. Our post on New Hampshire data breach law covers what happens when data does get out.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most important question to ask a shredding company?
Where exactly is my paper shredded? Every other answer depends on it. Ask for a street address and check that shredding happens there. Ours is 1215 Main Street, Unit 115, Tewksbury, Massachusetts, and every job we take, drop-off, pickup or witnessed, is shredded at that one office. We have no location in New Hampshire.
How do I compare prices between shredding companies?
Ask each company for the all-in price for the same job: your box count, your town and your access. Include per-job fees, transport fees, minimums and any stair or handling fee. Our total for 10 banker’s boxes picked up in Zone 2 is $394.85, which is $200 of shredding, $159.95 transport and $34.90 in per-job fees.
Should I sign a contract with a shredding company?
For a one-time job, you should not need one. For ongoing service, read the term, renewal and cancellation rules before you sign, and put your security expectations in writing, as the FTC advises. New Hampshire Document Shredding does not require a long-term contract. Each job is booked and priced on its own at the same rates.
What should a certificate of destruction include?
At minimum: your name, the date of destruction, the amount by weight or box count, the method, where it happened and a signature from the company, ideally with a reference number. Ask any company for a blank sample before you book. Every job we do includes a Certificate of Destruction, covered by the $14.95 HIPAA filing fee.
Do I need a Business Associate Agreement with a shredding company?
If you are a HIPAA covered entity or business associate and the vendor handles protected health information, generally yes, under 45 CFR 164.502(e) and 164.504(e). The agreement sets permitted uses and requires the vendor to return or destroy the information. We sign a Business Associate Agreement on request. Have it signed before the first box leaves.
Is a certified shredding company required by law?
Federal rules do not require a particular certification. The FTC lists trade association certification as one example of due diligence, alongside independent audits, references and reviewing security policies. Ask what any claimed certification covers and see proof. We do not hold a trade association certification and say so openly. We are BBB A+ rated and in business since 2007.
What red flags should make me pick another company?
No street address for the shredding, a price that is only set after pickup, nobody signing for the box count, a certificate with no date or amount, and a contract that renews on its own with a cancellation fee. Promises of “guaranteed compliance” are another warning sign. No vendor can guarantee your compliance for you.
Can I watch my documents being shredded?
With us, yes. Book a witnessed session at our Tewksbury office and watch your material go through the shredder, with the certificate signed in front of you. It costs $1.99 per pound with a $100 minimum, plus $34.90 per job. You can also walk in any weekday for drop-off, and drop-off paper is shredded the same business day.
Sources
- FTC: Disposing of Consumer Report Information? Rule Tells How (checked November 2026)
- GovInfo: 16 CFR Part 682, Disposal of Consumer Report Information and Records, section 682.3 (checked November 2026)
- FTC: Protecting Personal Information, A Guide for Business (checked November 2026)
- GovInfo: 45 CFR 164.504, including (e) business associate contracts (checked November 2026)
- New Hampshire General Court: RSA 359-C:20, notification of security breach required (checked November 2026)
Ask us the questions, then book
Call with your box count, your town and your access, and we will give you the all-in price, the address where your paper is shredded and the terms, before anything leaves your building.
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.
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 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.