What hard drive shredding costs, and what sets the price
Hard drive shredding is usually priced per drive. The rate depends on how many drives you have, whether they are hard disks or SSDs, whether they still need to be removed from computers, where the shredding happens and how much documentation you need. Minimum charges and trip fees often matter more than the per-drive rate for small jobs.
Quantity
The per-drive rate falls as the count rises, because travel, setup and paperwork are spread across more drives. For a small batch, check whether the vendor applies a minimum charge or a trip fee, since either can outweigh the per-drive price.
Media type
Solid-state drives store data on small chips, so they need to be reduced to smaller pieces than a spinning hard disk for the destruction to be effective. That takes different equipment and more time, and some vendors price SSDs, phones and tapes separately.
Loose drives or drives still in computers
Pulling drives out of laptops, desktops and servers is labor. If you remove them first the job is cheaper, but you lose the link between the drive and the computer it came from unless you record both serials yourself. Ask whether extraction is included and whether the host serial will appear on the certificate.
On-site or off-site
On-site shredding brings a truck to your building so you can watch. Off-site shredding moves the drives to the vendor's facility in sealed containers. On-site service usually costs more. Off-site service depends on the chain of custody, so look for sealed, numbered containers and a manifest signed at pickup.
Documentation
Scanning each serial number before destruction takes time, and it is the part that makes the service worth paying for. A quote that looks cheap may only promise a certificate for the batch. Confirm that every drive will be listed individually.
What can offset the cost
If the drives come with equipment that still has resale value, such as recent laptops, servers or network gear, the resale credit can cover part or all of the shredding. Destroying every drive removes that option for the drives themselves, so some organizations shred only what policy requires and have the rest wiped and resold.
How to compare quotes
- Is the price per drive, per pound or per container?
- Is there a minimum charge, trip fee or fuel surcharge?
- Are SSDs, phones and tapes priced differently?
- Is drive removal included?
- Is serial-number capture included, and is there a fee for the certificate?
- Where does the shredding happen, and how are drives secured on the way?
How ETR prices it
ETR prices loose drive shredding per drive with no minimum quantity, and every serial number is recorded before the drive is destroyed. The rate depends on quantity and media type and is itemized in a written quote before collection.
Related
This guide is general information, not legal advice. More resources.