Construction debris removal — where to dump renovation waste and what it costs
Construction and demolition debris is its own category almost everywhere, with its own gate, its own rate and — often — its own landfill. Household waste and C&D usually can't ride in the same load, and the spread between sites is enormous — from a flat charge of a few dollars for a small load at one gate to $100 a ton at another. Here is what drives the difference.
C&D goes to a different landfill — that's the rule everywhere
Unlike tires or appliances, construction debris isn't banned anywhere. It's classified differently, and that classification decides which gate you drive to and what you're charged. Every state we cover licenses C&D landfills as a separate, lighter-regulated class from the lined municipal landfills that take household trash — which is why the two rates almost never match, and why the nearest landfill may simply not accept your load.
| State | How C&D is classified | What it means at the gate |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | Type IV landfill (TCEQ) — brush, rubbish and C&D, no putrescible waste | Type IV sites are common and cheap, but many won't take a mixed load with household bags in it. |
| North Carolina | C&D landfill under 15A NCAC 13B, plus the $2/ton state disposal tax | Some counties build the $2 into the posted rate (Wake County's $37 includes it); others add it at the scale — Cabarrus posts $64 a ton and charges $66. |
| Florida | C&D facility, separate from the Class I landfill | Orlando charges less for C&D ($42.70/ton) than household waste ($56.40/ton). Ask which class your load is scaled as. |
| Georgia | C&D landfill permitted separately by Georgia EPD | Several metro counties run no public C&D site at all — Gwinnett sends residents to a private hauler. |
| Ohio | C&DD landfill, licensed separately every year under Ohio Revised Code Chapter 3714 | The load has to be recognizable as construction debris — shredded or pulverized rubble is refused. And anything cleared out of the building before demolition (furniture, appliances) is not C&DD in Ohio, so it cannot ride along. |
| Tennessee | Class III or Class IV landfill (TDEC Rule 0400-11-01) — Class IV takes construction and demolition waste and shredded tires; Class III also takes brush and land-clearing waste | Rates are set locally. The City of Knoxville's transfer station charges $85 a ton for construction debris; in Clarksville, Bi-County covers a car, SUV or pickup-bed load on its user fee and charges private individuals $10 a cubic yard beyond that. |
| Virginia | Construction/demolition/debris (CDD) landfill (9VAC20-81-110) — construction, demolition and debris waste, land-clearing debris, split tires and white goods only | Rates are set locally. SPSA charges $60 a ton for construction debris, taken only at its Regional Landfill in Suffolk; Loudoun County charges $85 a ton. Prince William County takes a pickup-bed load (2½ cubic yards) free from residents. |
| South Carolina | Class Two landfill (Reg. 61-107.19, Part IV) — construction and demolition debris and similar wastes the state approves; Class One landfills take only land-clearing debris | Rates are set locally. Spartanburg County charges $40 a ton; Horry County $47.50 a ton for mixed debris and $15 for concrete, brick and asphalt; Greenville County residents pay $5 a cubic yard, or $15 for shingles and sheetrock. Charleston County's Bees Ferry Landfill doesn't take construction debris from private or commercial haulers. |
| Arizona | Taken at municipal landfills; ADEQ also lists privately run non-municipal landfills that take it | Rates are set by each city. Glendale charges $55.58 a ton ($50.58 minimum); Flagstaff $20 a pickup load under a ton and $46.08 a ton over; Chandler bills its own residents by the ton. Tucson's Los Reales takes construction debris at its standard rates. |
| California | Taken at city and county landfills, usually at a higher rate than household trash | San Diego's Miramar Landfill charges $108 for a small load of City construction debris and $241 a ton weighed; Kern County's Bena Landfill charges $95.66 a ton; and Sacramento County's Kiefer Landfill takes mixed concrete and rock for $28.45 a ton. |
| Washington | Ecology permits separate inert waste landfills; most self-hauled debris goes through city and county transfer stations | Seattle's transfer stations turn away construction recyclables such as asphalt, brick, concrete, cardboard and new gypsum scrap, which must go to a recycler; garbage there is $174 a ton ($37 minimum). King County charges $243.38 a ton for garbage and Spokane County $135.63. |
| Oregon | DEQ permits separate demolition landfills; most self-hauled debris goes through Metro and county transfer stations | Marion County's Brown's Island Demolition Landfill in Salem takes concrete, brick, roofing, sheetrock and other rubble at $50 a cubic yard. Lane County's Glenwood station charges $123.10 a ton for construction debris, and Douglas County's stations $23 a cubic yard. |
| Colorado | Few dedicated debris sites; most construction debris goes to county landfills, often at its own rate | Summit County's SCRAP charges $85 a ton for sorted construction debris and $150 for unsorted loads since January 1, 2026. Mesa County charges $32 a ton for demolition debris, and Larimer County $40 a cubic yard for rubble and $36 for shingles. |
| Maryland | Taken at county landfills, usually at its own rate | Howard County charges $106 a ton for construction debris, Carroll County $85 and Cecil County $79. Prince George's County homeowners get one free pickup or trailer load of their own renovation debris a year at the Brown Station Road landfill. |
| Wisconsin | Taken at county landfills, usually at or near the trash rate | Outagamie County charges $58 a ton for construction debris at its landfill ($88 through its transfer station), Winnebago County $59 a ton with a $20 minimum, Oneida County $62, and Dane County $63 a ton for debris it recycles. |
| Minnesota | Kept separate from trash, at demolition landfills or piles | Demolition material is usually cheaper than garbage and often priced by the cubic yard: Morrison County charges $8 a cubic yard, Crow Wing County $9, and Carlton County $10 on Wednesdays ($20 other days). Rice County charges $38 a ton with a $35 minimum, and Steele County $30 a pickup. |
| Alabama | Taken at county and city landfills, often at a lower rate than garbage | The Coffee County Landfill charges $16.50 a ton for construction debris (vs. $22 for garbage), Shelby County $30 a ton for county residents, the Morgan County Regional Landfill $33.50 with a $25 minimum, and Calhoun County $40 a ton. Calhoun County takes shingles and remodeling waste free on its four free landfill days. |
| Utah | Taken at county and district landfills, often at or below the garbage rate | North Pointe's construction and demolition landfill in Fairfield charges $11 a ton, Box Elder County $24 a ton for roofing and $19 for clean concrete, Washington County $32 a ton, and Logan $40 a ton. |
| Iowa | Taken at sanitary landfills, at or near the garbage rate | The Scott Area Landfill charges $40.25 a ton ($30 minimum for residents), Metro Park East near Des Moines $44 a ton, Boone County $46 a ton with a $12 minimum, and Sioux City's convenience center $67 a ton ($28.75 minimum) for residential construction debris. |
| Kansas | Separate C&D landfills or areas, usually cheaper than trash | Emporia charges $34.75 a ton ($10 up to 580 lbs), Wichita's Brooks Landfill $47.85 a ton ($34 minimum), Ellis County $50 a ton and Leavenworth County up to $68 a ton; Reno County residents pay nothing. Butler County's C&D area is closed until further notice. |
| Idaho | Taken at county landfills and transfer stations, often at its own rate | Canyon County's Pickles Butte charges $38 a ton, Bannock County $29 a ton for residents, and Madison County's C&D pit prices by vehicle: $20 a pickup. Kootenai County residents get the first 1,000 lbs free. |
| Connecticut | Taken at some town transfer stations, usually by weight | New Canaan takes 300 lbs a day free with its permit, then $120 a ton; Guilford charges $9 per 100 lbs, Trumbull $12 per 125 lbs and Waterford $110 a ton. Milford, Norwalk, Bridgeport and Stratford don't take it. |
| New York | Taken at county landfills and many town stations, usually by weight | Broome County charges $55 a ton, Colonie $84.23, Rockland Green $124, Brookhaven $135 (or $30 for a carload), Orange County $135.15 at New Hampton and Guilderland $175. |
| New Hampshire | Taken at many town transfer stations, usually by the pound | Hooksett charges 7 cents a pound, Amherst, Goffstown and Manchester 10 cents, Derry 11 cents and Bedford $170 a ton; Merrimack takes up to 1,000 lbs free. Salem and Pelham don't take it. |
| Maine | Taken at many town transfer stations, by the pound or the yard | Belfast charges 10 cents a pound, Wells 12 cents and Bridgton 20 cents; Standish $40 a yard and Waterboro $50. Falmouth doesn't take it. |
| Montana | Class IV landfills take construction and demolition debris; many county landfills price it by the yard | Lake County charges $10 a cubic yard sorted ($50 unsorted), Lincoln County $12 ($45 unsorted), Logan Landfill $48 a ton for light debris and Miles City $75 a ton. |
| New Mexico | Taken at landfills by weight; most convenience centers refuse it | Las Cruces' Corralitos Landfill charges $53.02 a ton; Albuquerque's convenience centers and Cerro Colorado Landfill don't take it, and Los Lunas' transfer station won't either. |
| Oklahoma | Taken at landfills, C&D landfills and some transfer stations | Norman's transfer station takes home remodeling debris at $13 up to 600 lbs for residents; GFL's landfill in Spencer takes construction debris only; Stillwater's convenience center takes none. |
| New Jersey | Taken at county landfills by weight, usually above the trash rate | Burlington County charges $127.55 a ton, Monmouth $130.25 and Atlantic $117.21; Warren County charges its regular $96, and Ocean County sends debris to private recycling yards. |
| Nebraska | Separate construction and demolition landfills, often priced by the load | Lincoln's North 48th Street C&D landfill charges $12 a vehicle and Beatrice $12 a cubic yard plus the state fee; the Sarpy County Transfer Station takes it at its regular rates. |
| Nevada | Taken at landfills, usually at the trash rate | Carson City charges residents $30 a ton, Elko $40 and Nye County $7.50 a cubic yard (free for residents' own home projects). |
| Indiana | Taken at county landfills and transfer stations by weight | Washington and Daviess counties charge $25.60 a ton, Lawrence County $55.50 and Elkhart County $60 (or $30 for up to 1,000 pounds). |
| Arkansas | Separate Class 4 landfills, plus city and county landfills by weight | Garland County charges $32 a ton ($15 minimum) and Little Rock $57 a ton ($41 minimum); Conway's landfill charges city businesses a $30 base rate up to 1,999 pounds. |
| Michigan | Taken at county landfills and transfer stations, by the yard or the ton | Kent County charges $53.64 a ton, Midland $16 a cubic yard, Emmet County $34 a cubic yard and St. Clair County $20 a cubic yard for trailer loads of building materials. |
| Kentucky | Taken at county landfills and transfer stations, by the ton | Daviess County charges $23 a ton at its landfill and $40 at the Grimes Avenue station; Glasgow requires asbestos abatement on residential tear-offs. |
| Pennsylvania | Taken at county authority sites by the ton, often with per-visit limits | LCSWMA charges $86 a ton ($106 in Harrisburg) and the Lycoming County Landfill $69.80; York County limits drywall and similar material to two contractor bags a visit, and Philadelphia's centers take none. |
| Louisiana | Taken at parish landfills and at Type III (construction and demolition) landfills, many of them private | Jefferson Parish's drop-off sites take residents' construction debris free, Baton Rouge's Starwood site takes small homeowner loads, and Shreveport charges non-residents $43.26 a ton. |
| West Virginia | Taken at county and private landfills at the posted per-ton rate | Landfill rates run $32.50 to $72.75 a ton statewide, including assessments: $47.03 in Raleigh County, $53.30 in Tucker County. |
| Missouri | Taken at city landfills by the ton, with clean fill often used on site | Springfield charges $43.85 a ton and St. Joseph $50; Lee's Summit's Resource Recovery Park recycles concrete, asphalt and brick. |
| Massachusetts | Partly banned: asphalt, brick, concrete, clean wallboard, metal and wood can't go to disposal | Barnstable charges $285 a ton ($385 mixed); Falmouth $220 a pickup load; Needham $220 a ton for bulky clean-outs. |
| Mississippi | Rubbish: Class I and II rubbish sites take C&D, limbs and furniture, but not household garbage | Free for residents in Jackson County and DeSoto County (4 visits a month); Hancock County gives 10 cubic yards a month free, then $6 a yard. |
| Illinois | Accepted at household-trash landfills and C&D recyclers | Knox County: $63 a ton ($67 out of county), $20 minimum; Peoria County: gate rates at the transfer station, not part of the free load. |
| Vermont | Taken at transfer stations and drop-off centers, by volume or by weight | Chittenden County: $96 a cubic yard; Stowe: $40 a cubic yard; Addison County district: $171 a ton. |
| Rhode Island | Taken by weight at the Central Landfill and at some town stations | Central Landfill: $115 a ton ($65 minimum); Richmond $165 a ton; Portsmouth sells 32-gallon passes. |
| Delaware | Taken at DSWA landfills; transfer stations refuse contractor and dump-trailer loads | $80 a ton with a $7.50 minimum at Cherry Island, Sandtown and Jones Crossroads. |
| South Dakota | Taken at trash landfills and at town restricted-use (rubble) sites | $40–$73 a ton at city landfills; many small towns' rubble sites are for residents only. |
| North Dakota | “Inert waste,” taken in separate areas or at town inert landfills | $30–$52 a ton at city landfills (Williston, Grand Forks, Bismarck, Fargo), less than trash. |
| Wyoming | Taken at most landfills with household trash | $63 a ton in Laramie; Sheridan charges $54.97 a ton for clean, grindable debris and $124.44 for mixed loads. |
| Alaska | Taken at borough landfills and staffed transfer facilities | $136 a ton at the Mat-Su Central Landfill; $90 a ton for inert waste on the Kenai Peninsula. |
| Hawaii | Taken only at landfills and the Hilo reload facility, not at transfer stations | $128 a ton at the West Hawaiʻi landfill; Oʻahu sends C&D to the private PVT landfill. |
The trap: a landfill that takes construction debris may not take household trash, and vice versa. A C&D-only site will turn you away if you arrive with bagged kitchen waste on top of your drywall. Sort before you load, not at the scale house.
What C&D actually costs
C&D is priced by weight almost everywhere, and the rate sits in a wide band — anywhere from about $40 a ton (Orlando charges $42.70) to $100 a ton at the Broward County Landfill. That spread matters more than it looks, because construction debris is dense: a modest trailer of broken concrete outweighs a pickup bed of household junk several times over.
Three questions decide your bill, and all three are worth asking on the phone:
- Is there a minimum charge? On a small load it is often the number you actually pay.
- Are concrete, dirt and shingles priced separately? They usually are — see below.
- Does the resident rate apply to me? See the contractor rule below. That is the one that catches people.
Find a construction landfill near you
Enter your city or ZIP to see the nearest landfills and transfer stations. Construction debris is often routed to a specific site — call ahead to confirm they take C&D and what they charge per ton.
Why construction debris costs when household junk is free
It comes down to weight. Most city landfills that let residents dump free do it for normal household loads — light, bagged trash and the occasional bulky item. Construction and demolition debris is the opposite: broken concrete, tile, brick, drywall and lumber are dense and heavy, and the landfill's real cost is driven by tonnage. So even a city that waves you through with a couch will put your reno load on the scale.
Some cities go further and send C&D waste to a separate landfill entirely. A site permitted only for brush, rubble and construction debris legally cannot accept household garbage — the reverse of your regular dump. Showing up at the wrong one means getting turned away, so it's worth confirming which site takes what before you load up.
Concrete, dirt and shingles are usually billed separately
Don't assume one per-ton rate covers everything in the trailer. Cities routinely price the heavy specialty materials on their own line. The pattern is consistent: clean concrete is often the cheapest thing in the trailer, because it gets crushed and sold on as aggregate, while roofing shingles are frequently the most expensive — shingles at double or triple the general C&D rate and clean concrete at a third of it is a common shape. Separating a mixed load before you go can cost less than tipping it as one.
Clean concrete and clean dirt are often the cheapest things you can haul, because recyclers actually want them — some concrete crushers and fill yards take them free or even pay by the load. If your demo is mostly a broken patio or a driveway, search for a concrete recycler before you pay landfill rates. Keep it 'clean' though: concrete mixed with rebar, wire or trash usually loses the discount.
- Clean concrete/dirt: cheapest — often a discounted landfill rate or a free concrete recycler.
- General C&D (drywall, lumber, tile): mid-range, charged by the ton.
- Shingles: usually the most expensive line item, often double or triple the general C&D rate.
- Mixed loads: sorting clean concrete out of the pile before you go can genuinely cut the bill.
The contractor rule — don't accidentally lose your resident rate
This is the one that costs people money. The free and discounted resident rates almost always come with fine print: it has to be your own debris, from your own home, hauled by you. The moment a contractor, handyman or hauling service is involved, the city treats it as a commercial load at the full gate rate. Several say so explicitly in their published rules.
So the decision is cleaner than it looks. If you're hiring someone to do the demo or renovation, make disposal their problem and their line item in the bid — they have commercial accounts and it's priced into their day. Only self-haul when you did the work yourself. And if it's more than fits in your vehicle, compare a junk-removal quote (good for a one-time pile) before you make five trips to the scale.