What it costs to dump in Washington: 2026 fees by city
In Washington you'll almost always pay by weight at a transfer station, and most rates are high by national standards: from $46 a ton at Yakima County's landfills to $243.38 at King County's stations. What keeps a small trip affordable is the minimum charge, which covers the first few hundred pounds: $4.93 at Grant County's Ephrata Landfill, $10 a load for Richland residents, $12 in Yakima County, $17 at the Spokane County stations and $37 in Seattle.
2026 cost to dump in Washington, area by area
| Area | Small load (minimum) | Per ton after that | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle | $37 covers up to 420 lbs | $174 a ton; yard waste and clean wood $132 ($25 minimum) | Rates from April 1, 2026; recyclables free; unsecured-load surcharge $3 to $10 |
| King County (outside Seattle) | $40.25 covers up to 320 lbs | $243.38 a ton; yard waste and clean wood $129.38 ($20.70 minimum) | $25 for an unsecured load; a fee increase is announced for January 1, 2027 |
| Tacoma | City residents $20 for the first 400 lbs; everyone else $40 | Residents $7.25 per 100 lbs ($145 a ton); everyone else $8.50 ($170 a ton) | Yard waste free for City residents; bring proof of Tacoma residency |
| Spokane (City Waste to Energy Facility) | $24.93 covers up to 320 lbs | $152.60 a ton; clean green $76.95 ($8.19 minimum) | Plus $2.68 a vehicle; open every day |
| Spokane County (North County and Valley stations) | $17 covers up to 260 lbs | $135.63 a ton; yard waste $73.31 ($8 minimum) | Plus $3 a vehicle; $30 per refrigerant appliance; shorter hours November to March |
| Everett and Snohomish County | $30 covers up to 360 lbs | $160 a ton plus tax (since January 1, 2026) | No yard waste at County sites since 2022; recycling free |
| Thurston County (Olympia and Lacey) | $21 under 300 lbs | $136 a ton; yard waste $75 ($16 minimum) | Uncover your load before the scales; 2027 rates rise to $154 a ton |
| Puyallup (Pierce County, Hidden Valley) | $40.50 covers up to 400 lbs | $202.35 a ton; yard waste free under a ton | No checks; hazardous waste Tuesdays and Thursdays only |
| Richland and the Tri-Cities (Horn Rapids) | Richland residents $10 a load up to 1,200 lbs; everyone else $40 | Residents $51.10 a ton; everyone else $76.15 | Resident rate needs ID matching a City of Richland utility bill; closed Sundays |
| Yakima County (Terrace Heights and Cheyne) | $12 minimum | $46 a ton; clean yard and wood $23 ($7 minimum) | Cash or card only, no checks; refrigerant appliances $52.25 |
| Grant County (Ephrata Landfill, for Moses Lake) | $4.93 minimum | $49.33 a ton | Roughly 20 miles from Moses Lake; closed Sundays; $2 card fee |
| Kitsap County (Olympic View, Bremerton) | $42 covers up to 650 lbs | $128.94 a ton plus tax | Rural sites charge $15 a can instead; Silverdale closed until April 2027 |
| Vancouver and Clark County | A $10 fee every trip, plus weight | $118.65 a ton plus tax | TVs and monitors free; Washougal takes garbage only Wednesday, Friday and Saturday |
| Lewis County (Centralia and Morton) | $20 covers up to 340 lbs | $120 a ton plus tax; yard waste $100 ($15 minimum) | Long lines in Centralia after a Labor Day fire; closed Sundays |
| Skagit County (Mount Vernon) | $28 covers up to 380 lbs | $141 a ton (2026) | Rises to $145 in 2027 and $149 in 2028; hazardous waste free for households |
| Bellingham (RDS in Ferndale) | $15 minimum | $190 a ton plus tax; yard waste $110 | Privately run; open every day; mattresses $35 each |
| Port Angeles (Blue Mountain station) | $10 minimum | $338.28 a ton | Small household loads only, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday; no trailers |
Rates verified from each operator's own published pages, October 2026. Yard waste, clean wood, appliances and tires are billed separately from garbage. Confirm with the facility before a big load.
Find a landfill near you
Enter your city or ZIP for the nearest disposal sites across Washington, then open your city's page for its exact hours, fees and what it accepts.
Why dumping costs more in Washington
Most Washington self-haul goes through transfer stations run by cities and counties, and every load crosses a scale. Per-ton rates are steep: the 2024 garbage tip fees counties reported to the Washington Department of Ecology run from $48 a ton in Asotin County to $450 at the Orcas Island exchange in San Juan County, and the King County rate has since risen to $243.38.
That makes the minimum charge the number that matters for a carload or a few bags. It covers 260 lbs at the Spokane County stations, 320 lbs in King County and at Spokane's Waste to Energy Facility, 400 lbs in Tacoma and 420 lbs in Seattle. Go over it and you pay by weight.
Where residents pay less
Tacoma is the clear case: City residents pay $20 for the first 400 lbs instead of $40, $7.25 per 100 lbs instead of $8.50, and nothing for yard waste. They also get two Call-2-Haul bulky pickups or scheduled self-haul trips a year, already in their rates. Bring a Washington license or ID with a Tacoma address, or a photo ID and a current City utility bill.
Richland does the same at its Horn Rapids Landfill: residents pay $10 a load up to 1,200 lbs instead of $40, and drop off clean yard waste free, with ID matching a City utility bill.
The Seattle and King County rate sheets don't set a separate resident price; everyone pays the posted rate. King County customers on ProviderOne, EBT or ORCA LIFT may qualify for its Cleanup LIFT discount.
The cheapest and most expensive places to dump in Washington
Cheapest: Yakima County's Terrace Heights and Cheyne landfills, at $46 a ton with a $12 minimum, and Grant County's Ephrata Landfill, at $49.33 a ton with the lowest minimum we've found in Washington, $4.93. Richland residents pay $10 a load up to 1,200 lbs at Horn Rapids. For yard waste, Tacoma (residents) and Puyallup's Hidden Valley (under a ton) charge nothing.
Most expensive: King County's stations, at $243.38 a ton with a $40.25 minimum, the highest rate we've verified at a full-size Washington station. Next is Hidden Valley in Puyallup at $202.35 a ton, with a $40.50 minimum. Port Angeles' small Blue Mountain station posts $338.28 a ton, but it takes only household loads, where its $10 minimum is what you pay.
The catches that cost people money
- Secure the load. King County charges $25 for an unsecured load, Seattle adds $3 to $10, and Spokane can charge $5.
- Sort before you go. Yard waste and clean wood cost $129 to $132 a ton in King County and Seattle, against $174 to $243.38 for garbage, and a mixed load is charged as garbage.
- Know who takes yard waste. Snohomish County stopped taking it at all of its sites in 2022; Puyallup's Hidden Valley takes it free under a ton.
- Check the season. Spokane County's stations close at 4 p.m. from November through March.
- Hazardous waste has its own days. Seattle's two drop-offs never share a day, Tacoma's is closed Tuesday to Thursday, and Spokane County takes it on weekends only.
What Washington landfills can't take
Car batteries. No one may knowingly dispose of a vehicle battery except by taking it to a battery seller or another authorized handler, and landfills can't knowingly accept one (RCW 70A.205.505). Stores that sell them must take your old battery when you buy a new one, and charge a core charge of $5 or more if you don't trade one in, refundable if you bring an old battery and your receipt back within 30 days (RCW 70A.205.515).
Tires are a dumping question, not a landfill one. Washington law doesn't ban tires from landfills, but dumping them anywhere other than a designated disposal site is a $200 to $2,000 civil penalty per offense (RCW 70A.205.400). Most tire dealers collect a $5 fee on each new tire; leave your old ones at the store, or ask your transfer station. Seattle takes up to four for $16 a load, and Tacoma charges residents $3.25 a tire plus weight.
Electronics have a free program. Washington doesn't ban electronics from landfills statewide, but E-Cycle Washington recycles TVs, computers, monitors, laptops, tablets, e-readers and portable DVD players with no fee at drop-off (chapter 70A.500 RCW).
Appliances aren't banned, but the refrigerant has to come out, and that costs money: $30 per refrigerant appliance in King County and at the Spokane County stations, $34 an appliance in Seattle, and $20 plus weight for Tacoma residents.