What it costs to dump in Virginia: 2026 fees by area

What you pay to dump in Virginia depends on who runs disposal where you live. In Hampton Roads and the Roanoke Valley, regional authorities let residents dump household waste free up to 12 times a year. In Northern Virginia, Prince William County charges residents nothing, while Fairfax and Loudoun counties charge $78 to $98 a ton.

2026 cost to dump in Virginia, area by area

Area	Residents pay	Standard gate rate	The catch
Virginia Beach	City Landfill & Resource Recovery Center: recycling and hazardous waste free, no fee listed for household trash; SPSA Landstown free up to 12 visits a year	SPSA: $78 a ton, $20 minimum	The City landfill is residents-only and turns away cargo vans and trailers 10 feet or longer; SPSA's Oceana station doesn't take the public
Chesapeake	Free at SPSA's Chesapeake Transfer Station, up to 12 visits a year	$78 a ton, $20 minimum; construction debris $60 a ton at the Regional Landfill	No residential dumping Tuesday, Thursday or Friday; some hours are Chesapeake residents only
Suffolk	Free at SPSA's Regional Landfill, up to 12 visits a year; hazardous waste, scrap metal and 4 car tires a day free	$78 a ton, $20 minimum; construction debris $60 a ton	SPSA takes cards only — no cash or checks
Fairfax County	$21 for 1–5 bags, $28 for 6–10; loose trash $98 a ton, $39 minimum	Businesses are on a separate commercial schedule; most recyclables are free	No free allowance — even residents pay; brush, yard waste, appliances and tires cost extra
Loudoun County	$8 per vehicle for up to 10 bags (FastTrash); otherwise $78 a ton, $8 minimum	$78 a ton; construction debris $85 a ton; $8 minimum	Only waste from Loudoun County is accepted
Prince William County	Free: household trash, bulky items, construction debris up to a pickup-bed load, 4 tires a month	Town and city residents and contractors: $5 a vehicle up to 200 lbs, then $45 a ton; haulers $40 a ton	Waste must come from your own Prince William household; construction debris is capped at 2½ cubic yards a load
Stafford County & Fredericksburg	$6 a visit, $50 for 10 coupons or a $140 annual pass	R-Board: $42.85 a ton, construction debris $43.92, $20 minimum	The Belman Road center takes coupons or passes only — no cash or cards
Spotsylvania County	Free at 13 refuse centers and the Livingston Landfill with a free decal	Commercial users must use the Livingston Landfill	Most refuse centers are closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays
Henrico County	$5 a trip at two Public Use Areas (10 trips for $45); recycling and yard waste free	No county landfill for businesses since 2014	Waste from rental properties, vacant lots and businesses isn't accepted
Chesterfield County	$9 a pickup load, $18 with a trailer up to 10 feet	Construction debris $15 a pickup load; private landfills set their own rates	Fees rose July 1, 2026; cards OK, but no coins or bills over $50
Newport News	Recovery Operations Center: household trash and bulk waste up to 6 cubic yards a week with the Solid Waste User Fee; no drop-off charge listed	No commercial or contractor trash accepted	Dump trucks and dump trailers may bring yard waste only
Harrisonburg & Rockingham County	City residents $65 a ton; county residents free under 250 lbs, then $65 a ton	Commercial $75 a ton; construction and wood debris $85 a ton	Appliances are free, but used oil isn't being taken for now
Winchester & Frederick County	Frederick County residents: free at the Landfill Citizens' Center and 10 neighborhood sites	Construction debris $58 a ton; commercial $64 a ton (rates as of July 2024)	Neighborhood sites are for Frederick County taxpayers only; Winchester residents use the landfill
Norfolk	Free at SPSA's Norfolk Transfer Station, up to 12 visits a year	SPSA: $78 a ton, $20 minimum	Residents only on weekends: Saturday 8–4, Sunday noon–4
Hampton	Bethel Landfill takes Hampton residents' bulk trash (the City lists no fee; call first); yard waste site free	Building materials only with a City building permit	Saturday hours end at noon
Lynchburg	500 lbs a month free, plus unlimited bulk and brush, at the Concord Turnpike center; $0.40 per 20 lbs over	Region 2000 landfill: $44 a ton commercial	The City says cards only at Concord Turnpike; Region 2000 says cash or check
Roanoke Valley	Free up to 12 visits a year (July to June) for Roanoke, Salem, Roanoke County and Vinton	Commercial $69.50 a ton, $15 minimum	An uncovered load costs $25 extra

Rates verified from each operator's own published fee schedule, September 2026. SPSA's fee sheet is dated for July 1, 2026. Tires, appliances, mattresses and construction debris are often billed separately from household trash. Confirm with the facility before a big load.

Find a landfill near you

Enter your city or ZIP for the nearest disposal sites across Virginia, then open your city's page for its exact hours, fees and what it accepts.

Why some Virginians dump free and others pay

Virginia has no single system. In Hampton Roads, the Southeastern Public Service Authority (SPSA) runs the transfer stations and the Regional Landfill in Suffolk for Chesapeake, Franklin, Isle of Wight County, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Virginia Beach and Southampton County, and residents of those communities dump household waste free up to 12 times a calendar year — with no limit at the Franklin and Isle of Wight stations. The Roanoke Valley Resource Authority gives residents of Roanoke, Salem, Roanoke County and Vinton the same 12 free visits, counted July to June.

In Northern Virginia, it depends on the county. Prince William County charges its residents nothing for household trash, bulky items and a pickup-bed load of construction debris. Fairfax County charges even residents by the bag or by the ton, and Loudoun County charges everyone $78 a ton, with an $8 minimum.

Around Richmond and Fredericksburg, residents pay a small flat fee per trip instead: $5 at Henrico County's Public Use Areas, $9 a pickup load at Chesterfield County's convenience centers, and $6 a visit at the R-Board's sites for Stafford County and Fredericksburg. Spotsylvania County residents dump free with a decal.

In the Shenandoah Valley, Frederick County residents dump household waste free at county sites, while the Rockingham County/Harrisonburg Landfill weighs city residents' loads at $65 a ton and lets county residents bring loads under 250 pounds free. Newport News residents use the City's Recovery Operations Center, up to 6 cubic yards a week.

When you pay: what the scales charge

SPSA (Hampton Roads) charges $78 a ton with a $20 minimum for anyone outside the residential rules, and $60 a ton for construction and demolition debris, which only the Regional Landfill takes.
Fairfax County charges residents $98 a ton for loose trash with a $39 minimum, from July 1, 2026, or $21 for 1 to 5 bags and $28 for 6 to 10.
Loudoun County charges $78 a ton, $85 for construction debris, with an $8 minimum; its FastTrash lane takes up to 10 bags of household trash for $8 a vehicle.
Prince William County charges town and city residents and contractors $5 a vehicle up to 200 lbs, then $45 a ton, and haulers $40 a ton.
The R-Board (Stafford County and Fredericksburg) charges $42.85 a ton, $43.92 for construction debris, with a $20 minimum, for waste from those two localities only.
Rockingham County (Harrisonburg) charges $65 a ton for residential loads, $75 for commercial and $85 for construction and wood debris; Frederick County (Winchester) charges $58 a ton for construction debris and $64 for commercial waste.
Roanoke Valley charges commercial loads $69.50 a ton with a $15 minimum.

The cheapest and most expensive places to dump in Virginia

Cheapest: your own regional system, if you qualify. Prince William County residents pay nothing, and SPSA and Roanoke Valley residents get 12 free visits a year. For a load that has to be weighed, the R-Board's $42.85 a ton in Stafford County is the lowest rate we've verified in Virginia, with Prince William's $45 close behind.

Most expensive: Fairfax County, at $98 a ton with a $39 minimum — and that's the residents' rate.

The catches that cost people money

No cash at SPSA. Every SPSA site takes Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express only.
The wrong vehicle. SPSA's free residential disposal needs a private vehicle: a pickup of 1-ton capacity or smaller, trailers up to 12 feet, no business markings. The Virginia Beach landfill is stricter: no cargo vans, ladder racks or trailers 10 feet or longer.
Rental-property waste pays. SPSA doesn't give free disposal to waste from rental properties.
Closed to residents. SPSA's Oceana station in Virginia Beach doesn't take residential waste at all, and Chesapeake's station takes none on Tuesday, Thursday or Friday.
Bring a coupon, not cash. Stafford's Belman Road center takes only R-Board coupons and annual passes, and online orders take 7 to 10 business days to arrive by mail.
Uncover it and pay. Roanoke Valley adds $25 for an uncovered vehicle.

What Virginia landfills can't take

Lead-acid batteries. It's illegal to put one in household trash or dispose of it except through a retailer, wholesaler, lead smelter or authorized recycler (Code of Virginia § 10.1-1425.1), and retailers must take your old battery when you buy a new one (§ 10.1-1425.2).

Whole tires. Tires disposed in a sanitary or construction-debris landfill must be split, cut or shredded first (9VAC20-81-640).

Everything else is local. Virginia has no statewide landfill ban on appliances or electronics. Localities may ban tube TVs and monitors and mercury thermostats from their disposal sites if they run a recycling program for them (§ 10.1-1425.26), and computer makers must let consumers recycle their brand's computers without a separate fee (§ 10.1-1425.29). Construction-debris landfills may take only construction, demolition and debris waste, land-clearing debris, split tires and white goods (9VAC20-81-110).

Common questions

How much does it cost to dump in Virginia?

It depends on where you live. In Hampton Roads, SPSA lets residents of its member communities dump household waste free up to 12 times a calendar year, and the Roanoke Valley Resource Authority does the same for its residents over its July-to-June year. Prince William County charges its residents nothing. Fairfax County charges even residents $98 a ton for loose trash, or $21 for 1 to 5 bags, and Loudoun County charges $78 a ton with an $8 minimum. Around Richmond and Fredericksburg, it's a flat fee per trip: $5 in Henrico County, $9 a pickup load in Chesterfield County and $6 a visit at the R-Board's sites in Stafford County.

Is the dump free in Virginia Beach?

For residents, mostly. The City's Landfill & Resource Recovery Center on Jake Sears Road is free for recycling and household hazardous waste, and the City lists no fee for residents' household trash. SPSA's Landstown Transfer Station takes Virginia Beach residents' household waste free up to 12 visits a year. Everyone else pays SPSA $78 a ton with a $20 minimum.

Can I throw tires in a Virginia landfill?

Not whole. Virginia's solid waste rules say tires disposed in a sanitary or construction-debris landfill must be split, cut or shredded first (9VAC20-81-640). Most local programs take them separately: SPSA takes four car tires a day free from residents, and Prince William County four a month.

Where do car batteries go in Virginia?

Back to a store or a recycler. It's illegal in Virginia to put a lead-acid battery in household trash or dispose of it any other way (Code of Virginia 10.1-1425.1), and anyone who sells them at retail must take your old one back when you buy a new one (10.1-1425.2).

What is the most expensive place to dump in Virginia?

Of the sites we've verified, Fairfax County's I-66 Transfer Station and I-95 Landfill, at $98 a ton with a $39 minimum for loose trash from July 1, 2026. Those rates are for Fairfax County residents; there's no free allowance.