Updated November 2026 · Southern New Hampshire
Shredding rates for New Hampshire: every price, posted
Here is every number we charge, from 99 cents a pound at the counter to the pickup fee for your town. You will also see what 1, 5, 10 and 20 boxes really cost once the fees are in, so the bill holds no surprises.
99¢ per pound at our Tewksbury drop-off. Certificate of Destruction on every job.
- 99¢ per pound
- $34.90 per-job fees
- Since 2007
- BBB A+
Quick answer
New Hampshire Document Shredding charges 99 cents per pound to shred paper you drop off at 1215 Main Street, Unit 115, Tewksbury, MA, or $15 per small box and $20 per banker’s box when you bring 10 or more boxes. Every job adds $34.90 in per-job fees ($14.95 HIPAA filing and $19.95 environmental), and a pickup adds a transport fee of $129.95, $159.95 or $199.95 depending on your zone.
One banker’s box of about 30 pounds dropped off costs $64.60 all in. Witnessed shredding is $1.99 per pound with a $100 minimum. Compare the three ways to use our document shredding service below.
The full price list, in one table
Most shredding companies make you fill out a quote form before you see a number. We would rather you plan the job at your kitchen table. Every rate we charge New Hampshire customers is in the table below, and nothing else shows up on the invoice except a handling fee for stairs, which we quote before we book. Drives and phones are the one exception to posted pricing: our hard drive destruction service quotes them per item.
The shredding itself happens in one place: our office at 1215 Main Street in Tewksbury, Massachusetts, on Route 38 near the I-495 interchange. That is about 15 minutes south of the state line at Salem or Pelham. You can bring paper to us, we can pick it up, or you can stand there and watch it shredded.
| Item | Price | How it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Drop-off shredding, by weight | 99¢ per pound | Walk in, no appointment, weekdays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Used for any load under 10 boxes, bags and loose paper |
| Small box (10 or more boxes) | $15 per box | Flat box rate once you bring 10 or more boxes |
| Large banker’s box (10 or more boxes) | $20 per box | Flat box rate once you bring 10 or more boxes |
| HIPAA filing fee | $14.95 per job | Every job. Covers the Certificate of Destruction paperwork |
| Environmental fee | $19.95 per job | Every job. Covers recycling the shredded paper |
| Pickup transport, Zone 1 | $129.95 per trip | Tewksbury area and NH border towns such as Salem, Pelham, Windham and Plaistow |
| Pickup transport, Zone 2 | $159.95 per trip | Greater Nashua and Manchester |
| Pickup transport, Zone 3 | $199.95 per trip | The Seacoast and points farther out |
| Handling fee | Quoted up front | Only when boxes sit up stairs or behind restricted access |
| Witnessed shredding | $1.99 per pound, $100 minimum | By appointment at the Tewksbury office, plus the per-job fees |
| Hard drives and media | Quoted per item | Drives, tapes, CDs, USB sticks and phones are physically destroyed |
| Certificate of Destruction | Included | Comes with every job at no charge beyond the HIPAA filing fee |
There is no long-term contract and no monthly minimum. You can use us once this April and not again until next April. If you want the wider picture of what shredding costs across every pricing model in the market, our guide to shredding cost walks through it. This page sticks to our own numbers.
The 10-box rule, explained with real numbers
Under 10 boxes, we weigh your paper and charge 99 cents a pound. At 10 boxes or more, you can switch to flat box pricing: $15 for each small box and $20 for each large banker’s box. The scale stays at the counter either way, but at 10 boxes the count matters more than the pounds.
A standard banker’s box packed with paper weighs about 30 pounds. By weight, that box costs $29.70 to shred. At the box rate it costs $20. So the box rate saves you close to ten dollars a box, and it rewards you for packing boxes full instead of half full.
| Full banker’s boxes | Priced by weight (about 30 lb each) | Priced at the box rate | Shred charge you pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $29.70 | Not available | $29.70 |
| 3 | $89.10 | Not available | $89.10 |
| 5 | $148.50 | Not available | $148.50 |
| 7 | $207.90 | Not available | $207.90 |
| 8 | $237.60 | Not available | $237.60 |
| 9 | $267.30 | Not available | $267.30 |
| 10 | $297.00 | $200.00 | $200.00 |
| 15 | $445.50 | $300.00 | $300.00 |
| 20 | $594.00 | $400.00 | $400.00 |
Look at rows 7, 8 and 9. Seven full boxes by the pound cost $207.90, which is more than ten boxes at the box rate. If you are sitting on seven, eight or nine full banker’s boxes, go find one or two more drawers to clear out. You get more shredded and you pay less.
The math above assumes full boxes of about 30 pounds. Light boxes, say half-full ones of old greeting cards and envelopes, weigh far less, and by the pound they can come out cheaper. Pack tight and the box rate works in your favor. Pack loose and the scale does.
Small boxes are the copy-paper size, the kind a case of printer paper comes in. They count toward the 10, and they shred at $15 each once you reach it. Plastic tubs and laundry baskets are fine to carry paper in, but we empty them and hand them back, so price that load by weight.
Per-job fees: what the $34.90 actually pays for
Two flat fees go on every job: drop-off, pickup and witnessed. They do not change with volume. One box or forty, you pay $34.90 once. We list them openly because people deserve to know what they buy before the receipt prints.
HIPAA filing fee: $14.95
This covers the paperwork side of the job. That means the Certificate of Destruction with your name, the date and the weight, plus the record we keep so the destruction can be verified later. For a dental office or a tax preparer, that paper trail is what an auditor asks for.
Environmental fee: $19.95
This covers what happens after the cut. Shredded paper is baled and sent for recycling, and 100 percent of it is recycled. It never goes to a landfill and it never sits in an open dumpster behind the building.
Certificate of Destruction
Included with every job. There is no separate charge for it beyond the filing fee. Households keep it with tax files, and offices keep it with their certificate of destruction records for audits.
Because the fees are flat, they matter most on small jobs. On one box, they are more than the shredding. On twenty boxes, they barely move the per-box price. That is why the cheapest way to shred is to save up and come once, not to drive down with a grocery bag every month.
Pickup zones and transport fees by town
When you book off-site shredding, a driver collects your boxes, seals them and brings them back to Tewksbury, where they are shredded at the office. The shredding rate is the same as drop-off. What changes is one transport fee per trip, set by how far your address sits from Route 38.
Three zones cover southern New Hampshire. The towns below are typical examples, not a promise for every street. Town lines and road distance do not always agree, so the exact zone is confirmed when you book. If your town is on the edge, ask on the phone before you schedule.
Want to see how distance changes a real bill from Nashua to Portsmouth? Our page on pickup zones runs side-by-side examples.
| Zone | Transport fee per trip | Example New Hampshire towns | Our take |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | $129.95 | Salem, Pelham, Windham, Plaistow and the Tewksbury area | The drive is short. Under five boxes, most people just come down |
| Zone 2 | $159.95 | Nashua, Hudson, Merrimack, Londonderry, Derry, Milford, Manchester | Pickup starts to pay off once you pass about ten boxes or have no one to carry them |
| Zone 3 | $199.95 | Portsmouth, Hampton, Exeter, Dover, Rindge and farther out | For big cleanouts, pickup saves a long round trip. For a few boxes, combine the drive with another errand |
The handling fee rule
The zone price assumes your boxes are at ground level or reachable by elevator. If the files sit in a second-floor walk-up, an attic or a basement with a tight stairway, or behind a security desk that slows the driver down, a handling fee applies. It is quoted up front, before the pickup is booked, so it never shows up as a surprise.
Moving boxes to the first floor or the garage before the driver arrives avoids the fee entirely. If you have stairs and can’t carry boxes yourself, tell us when you book and you will have the full number in writing first. Our shredding pickup checklist covers the rest of the prep.
Shredding cost calculator
Enter your boxes or pounds, pick drop-off or your pickup zone, and the calculator adds the per-job fees for you. It uses exactly the rates on this page.
Shredding Cost Calculator
Pick a service and enter your volume. Get an instant estimate.
Tip: one banker box of paper is about 30 pounds.
Estimated Total
$0.00
Estimate only. Final price confirmed when you book. Off-site material must be ground-level or elevator access.
Worked examples: what real jobs cost
Rates are easy to read and easy to misread. So here are six jobs we see every week from New Hampshire, priced line by line with every fee included. Banker’s boxes are counted at about 30 pounds each.
| Job | Shred charge | Drop-off total | Zone 1 pickup | Zone 2 pickup | Zone 3 pickup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 banker’s box (30 lb) | $29.70 | $64.60 | $194.55 | $224.55 | $264.55 |
| 5 banker’s boxes (150 lb) | $148.50 | $183.40 | $313.35 | $343.35 | $383.35 |
| 10 banker’s boxes (box rate) | $200.00 | $234.90 | $364.85 | $394.85 | $434.85 |
| 20 banker’s boxes (box rate) | $400.00 | $434.90 | $564.85 | $594.85 | $634.85 |
| 300 lb of loose paper in bags | $297.00 | $331.90 | $461.85 | $491.85 | $531.85 |
| 3-room office cleanout (24 banker’s boxes) | $480.00 | $514.90 | $644.85 | $674.85 | $714.85 |
One box
Thirty pounds at 99 cents is $29.70. Add $34.90 in fees and the drop-off total is $64.60. A pickup for one box costs more in transport than in shredding, so we rarely recommend it. If one box is all you have, the drop-off counter or a free community day is the right call.
Five boxes
One hundred fifty pounds is $148.50 to shred, $183.40 with fees. That works out to about $36.68 a box at the counter. From Salem or Pelham, that is a 15-minute drive. From Nashua it is a longer ride down Route 3 and I-495, still worth it for most households.
Ten boxes
Here the box rate kicks in. Ten banker’s boxes cost $200 to shred, $234.90 with fees, or about $23.49 a box. Compare that with nine full boxes by weight at $302.20 all in. The tenth box saves you money.
Twenty boxes
Twenty boxes at $20 each is $400, and $434.90 with fees. A Zone 2 pickup from Londonderry or Hudson brings it to $594.85. For that many boxes, plenty of people decide the transport fee is cheaper than two trips in a small car.
Three hundred pounds of bags
Basements and garages often hold paper in trash bags, not boxes. Bags are priced by weight: 300 pounds is $297 to shred and $331.90 at the counter. Use clear or paper bags if you can, so the counter can see it is all paper.
A three-room office cleanout
Say a small Londonderry office clears three rooms of files, about eight banker’s boxes per room. That is 24 boxes at $20, or $480, plus $34.90 in fees and $159.95 for Zone 2 transport, for $674.85. If the files are upstairs with no elevator, a handling fee is added and quoted before you book. Read our office cleanout shredding guide for planning tips.
Our rule of thumb from years at the counter: for three boxes, drive. For thirty, book the pickup. In between, it depends on your zone, your back and your calendar. The drop-off vs off-site comparison goes deeper on the break-even point.
Witnessed shredding rates
Some material should be watched until it is gone. Legal holds, executive files, estate papers a family argued over, and records an auditor will ask about all fall in that group. With witnessed shredding, you book a time, come to the Tewksbury office, and watch your paper go through the shredder. The certificate is signed in front of you.
Witnessed shredding costs $1.99 per pound with a $100 job minimum, plus the same $34.90 per-job fees. There is no box rate for witnessed work, because the job is priced by the time and attention it takes, not just the volume.
| Witnessed job | Weight | Shred charge | Total with fees | Same load at drop-off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A few folders | 20 lb | $100.00 (minimum) | $134.90 | $54.70 |
| One banker’s box | 30 lb | $100.00 (minimum) | $134.90 | $64.60 |
| Three banker’s boxes | 90 lb | $179.10 | $214.00 | $124.00 |
| Five banker’s boxes | 150 lb | $298.50 | $333.40 | $183.40 |
| Ten banker’s boxes | 300 lb | $597.00 | $631.90 | $234.90 |
The $100 minimum covers anything up to about 50 pounds. Above that, every pound costs $1.99. If you only need a few files watched, bring them for the witnessed session and leave the bulk at the regular drop-off on the same visit. Two jobs mean two sets of fees, so ask at booking which split works out cheaper for your load.
Not sure you need to watch? Our page on when witnessed shredding is worth it lays out the cases where it matters and the ones where a certificate alone does the job.
How to estimate your weight before you come
You do not need an exact number to plan. You need a range close enough to budget and to choose between the drop-off and a pickup. Here is how most of our New Hampshire customers get there in ten minutes.
- Count your boxes. A banker’s box packed full of paper weighs about 30 pounds. Count full boxes and multiply by 30. A half-full box is closer to 15.
- Weigh one on a bathroom scale. Step on holding a box, then step on without it. The difference is the box. Do this with two or three boxes and use the average for the rest.
- Treat bags as boxes. Pack one bag the way you will pack the others, weigh it the same way, and multiply. Paper in bags is priced by weight at any volume.
- Pull out what is not paper. Three-ring binder hardware, hanging-folder frames, hard drives and CDs come out. Staples, paper clips, binder clips, rubber bands and file folders can stay in.
- Check the 10-box line. If you land between seven and nine full banker’s boxes, fill one or two more. At 10 boxes the box rate drops your shred charge below what nine boxes cost by weight.
Once you have a number, run it through the calculator above or call (978) 636-0301 and we will price it while you wait. The counter scale settles the final weight, so you only pay for what is actually there.
Prep matters for weight too. Our guide on how to prepare documents for shredding shows what to sort out first, so you do not pay to shred papers you meant to keep.
Shredding service vs owning a shredder
A home or office shredder looks cheaper because you buy it once. The real cost comes later, in bags, oil, jams, replacement machines and hours spent feeding paper a few sheets at a time. We will not quote store prices here, since they change every season. Instead, here is how the two compare on the things that decide most jobs.
| Question | Owning a shredder | Paying by the pound |
|---|---|---|
| Up-front cost | You buy the machine, and a bigger one costs more | None |
| Cost per job | Bags, oil, electricity and wear | 99¢ per pound plus $34.90 per job |
| Your time | Feeding sheets, clearing jams, waiting out cooling breaks | Carrying boxes to the car and the counter |
| Staples and clips | Many machines need them removed | Leave them in |
| Paper trail | None | Certificate of Destruction with every job |
| Where the shred goes | A bag of strips in your bin | Baled and 100 percent recycled |
| Best for | Daily mail and a few sheets at a time | Anything from one box upward |
Our honest advice: keep a small shredder by the mail pile for the daily junk, and bring the big backlog to us. Tax years, closed accounts, an estate, a business closing. Those loads would burn out a home machine and eat a weekend.
If you want to do the full math on machines, we have pages on the true cost of a home paper shredder and on the cost of office shredders, with a break-even by pounds per year.
Six ways to keep your shredding bill down
None of these involve cutting corners on security. They are just the habits of customers who pay the least per pound year after year.
- Save up and come once. The $34.90 in fees is the same for one box or twenty, so one big trip beats four small ones.
- Reach 10 boxes when you are close. Seven or more full banker’s boxes by weight already cost more than ten at the box rate.
- Pack boxes full and flat. The box rate rewards full boxes, and full boxes stack better in the car.
- Bring the boxes down to ground level before a pickup. That keeps the handling fee off the bill.
- Sort before you shred. Keep what the IRS says to keep, shred the rest, and do not pay to shred papers you will need in April.
- Drive if you are in Zone 1. From Salem, Pelham, Windham or Plaistow, the counter is a short run down I-93 or Route 38.
Households can find more ideas on our residential shredding page, including how much paper a typical home builds up each year.
Frequently asked questions
How much does shredding cost per pound?
Drop-off shredding at our Tewksbury office costs 99 cents per pound for any load under 10 boxes. A full banker’s box weighs about 30 pounds, so it costs $29.70 to shred. Every job also carries $34.90 in per-job fees, which brings one box to $64.60. At 10 boxes or more you can switch to $15 per small box or $20 per banker’s box.
Why are there fees on a small job?
The $14.95 HIPAA filing fee pays for the Certificate of Destruction and the record we keep on file. The $19.95 environmental fee pays for baling and recycling the shredded paper. Both are flat, so they weigh heavily on one box and barely register on twenty. That is why saving up for one trip is the cheapest way to shred.
Do I need 10 boxes to get the box rate?
Yes. Flat box pricing of $15 per small box and $20 per banker’s box starts at 10 boxes. Under 10, we weigh the paper and charge 99 cents a pound. Seven or more full banker’s boxes cost more by weight than ten boxes at the box rate, so if you are close, fill another box or two.
Which pickup zone is my town in?
Border towns such as Salem, Pelham, Windham and Plaistow are usually Zone 1 at $129.95. Greater Nashua and Manchester, including Hudson, Merrimack, Londonderry, Derry and Milford, are usually Zone 2 at $159.95. The Seacoast and farther out, such as Portsmouth, Hampton, Exeter, Dover and Rindge, are usually Zone 3 at $199.95. We confirm the exact zone when you book.
Is there an extra charge if my files are upstairs?
Pickup prices assume ground-level or elevator access. If boxes sit up a flight of stairs, in an attic or behind restricted access, a handling fee applies. We quote it before the pickup is booked, so you know the full price first. Bringing boxes down to the ground floor or garage before the driver arrives avoids the fee.
Is witnessed shredding priced by the box?
No. Witnessed shredding is $1.99 per pound with a $100 job minimum, plus the $34.90 per-job fees. The minimum covers loads up to about 50 pounds. You watch your material shredded at the Tewksbury office and the certificate is signed in front of you. Appointments are required.
Do I have to take out staples and paper clips?
No. Staples, paper clips, binder clips, rubber bands and file folders can stay in. Please remove three-ring binder hardware, hanging-folder frames and anything that is not paper. Hard drives, CDs and USB sticks go in a separate bag, because media is destroyed separately and quoted per item.
Do I need a contract or an account?
No. There is no long-term contract and no monthly minimum. Drop-off is walk-in, Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with no appointment. Pickups and witnessed sessions need a booking, which you can make online or by calling (978) 636-0301. You pay per job, whether that is once a year or once a month.
How are hard drives and phones priced?
Media is quoted per item, not by the pound. Hard drives, tapes, CDs, USB sticks and phones are physically destroyed. Bag them separately from your paper and tell the counter what is inside. Our hard drive destruction page explains what happens to each type of device and what the certificate lists.
Sources
- FTC: Disposing of Consumer Report Information? Rule Tells How (checked November 2026)
- IRS: How long should I keep records? (checked November 2026)
- FTC Consumer Advice: What To Know About Identity Theft (checked November 2026)
Know your price, then book
Bring your boxes to the Tewksbury counter any weekday, or book a pickup and we will confirm your zone and total before the driver comes. Questions about a strange load? Call and describe it.
New Hampshire Document Shredding
1215 Main Street, Unit 115, Tewksbury, MA 01876
Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Drop-off: 99¢ per pound, no appointment
- Pickup: same rates plus a zone fee
- Witnessed: $1.99 per pound, $100 minimum
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.