What it costs to dump in Wisconsin: 2026 fees by area
What you pay to dump in Wisconsin depends on who runs the site. City drop-off centers charge by the vehicle: Milwaukee takes a carload free, Janesville charges $12 for any car or pickup, and Waukesha $10 for a sedan. County landfills weigh your load: $58 a ton in Outagamie County, $59 in Winnebago County, $60.10 in Dane County and $78 to $82 up north.
2026 cost to dump in Wisconsin, area by area
| Area | Small load (minimum) | Per ton after that | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee (City Drop Off Centers) | Free under 1 cubic yard; $20 a pickup | Not weighed: $30 to $90 for bigger loads | City of Milwaukee residents and property owners only |
| Janesville | Free up to 96 gallons for residents; $12 a car or pickup | $46 a ton ($20 minimum) for trailers | Yard waste and concrete go to the compost and clean fill site |
| Waukesha (City Drop-Off Center) | $10 a sedan, $20 a pickup | Not weighed: up to $75 a moving truck | Household-project trash only, not weekly garbage |
| Dane County (Madison) | $15.03 up to 500 lbs | $60.10 a ton | Dane County residents only; Visa or Mastercard |
| Outagamie County (Appleton) | $25 minimum | $58 a ton | Open to non-residents too |
| Winnebago County (Oshkosh) | $20 for 675 lbs or less | $59 a ton | Every load must be covered |
| Lincoln County (Merrill) | $20 for up to 520 lbs | $78 a ton | Open the 1st and 3rd Saturdays only |
| Oneida County (Rhinelander) | $20 for up to 500 lbs | $82 a ton | Mattresses are $10 extra each |
| La Crosse County | $10 minimum | $120 a ton | Mattresses $13 plus weight |
| Juneau County (Mauston) | Not posted | Not posted | Cash or check only; closed Tuesdays and Fridays |
Rates verified from each county's or city's own published pages and fee sheets, October 2026. Tires, mattresses, appliances and electronics are billed separately from 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 Wisconsin, then open your city's page for its exact hours, fees and what it accepts.
Why prices vary so much in Wisconsin
Wisconsin has two kinds of public dumps. City drop-off centers, in places like Milwaukee, Madison, Waukesha, West Allis and Wauwatosa, serve their own residents and charge by the size of the load or the vehicle, if they charge at all. County landfills and transfer stations, such as those in Outagamie, Winnebago, Dane, Lincoln and Oneida counties, weigh your load at a scale and charge by the ton with a minimum.
The state licenses landfills but not the local drop-off sites, so every city and county sets its own rules, hours and prices.
Residents only, mostly
City drop-off centers are almost always for residents: Milwaukee, Waukesha, Wauwatosa and Oak Creek all check ID, and the Dane County Landfill takes waste only from Dane County residents. Outagamie County is an exception: its drop-off site is open to anyone, and only charges $2 a ton more for trash from outside Outagamie, Brown and Winnebago counties.
The catches that cost people money
- Cover the load. Winnebago County won't take an uncovered load (tarps are $10 at the scale), and Janesville and Dane County require loads to be tarped or enclosed.
- Bring the right payment. The Dane County Landfill takes Visa or Mastercard; Juneau County takes cash or check only; Oak Creek's yard is cash or check.
- Check the day. Juneau County's landfill is closed Tuesdays and Fridays, Lincoln County is open only the 1st and 3rd Saturdays, and Milwaukee's centers switch to winter hours on November 30.
- Don't bring weekly garbage to Waukesha. The City's Drop-Off Center takes trash from household projects only.
- Sort it. Lincoln County charges mixed loads the garbage rate, and tires, appliances and electronics cost extra everywhere.
What Wisconsin landfills can't take
Wisconsin's landfill bans are among the broadest we track. Under Wis. Stat. 287.07, no one may put these in a Wisconsin landfill: car batteries, major appliances (a microwave is OK once its capacitor is removed), waste oil and oil filters, yard waste (since 1993), whole tires (since 1995), and recyclable cans, bottles, plastic containers, cardboard, newspapers, magazines and office paper.
Electronics have been banned since September 1, 2010: TVs, computers, monitors, printers, DVD players and similar devices can't go in the trash. The E-Cycle Wisconsin program has manufacturers pay for recycling, but local sites usually charge a fee.
Batteries: a 2026 battery stewardship law (2025 Wisconsin Act 170) makes battery makers fund free collection of covered batteries, and bans throwing them away starting January 1, 2028.
Wisconsin has no PaintCare program, so oil-based paint goes to a county hazardous waste site, and no mattress recycling law: mattresses are $5 in Outagamie County and $10 extra in Oneida County.