Getting a firm handle on the costs for your agency to provide solid waste services should be a key focus for any professional solid waste manager.  Oftentimes, the spotlight of public attention is focused on agencies by political decision makers because of perceived high labor, equipment, and capital costs to provide collection, transfer, and disposal services.  Demands from the public to keep local government "lean and mean" has oftentimes meant that solid waste agencies have not raised rates even when their costs for critical items have increased dramatically in recent years.  Using a panel type presentation format, four different rate studies will be compared and contrasted so the audience can better understand the issues involved in cost of service or rate analysis.