Renting a Dumpster for a Kitchen Remodel

A kitchen remodel produces a mix of bulky and heavy debris in a short burst, mostly during demolition. Picking the right size, keeping banned items out, and timing delivery around the demo days will keep the cost down.

What the debris is

Most kitchen tear-outs fill a dumpster with the same handful of materials:

Cabinets and trim. Wood is one of the bulky, heavy materials common in construction and demolition debris.
Countertops and tile. One Atlanta hauler lists countertops among the common uses for its 20 yard.
Drywall and plaster. Gypsum is the main component of drywall.
Flooring. Vinyl, laminate, tile and underlayment.
Appliances, sinks and fixtures. Some of these have special rules, covered below.

Haulers market their mid-size containers for exactly this mix. One lists its 15 yard as ideal for drywall, ceiling, flooring and cabinetry.

Which size to rent

Size depends on how much of the room you are gutting and whether walls or floors in nearby rooms are coming out too.

Project	Size to consider
Cabinets and counters only, small kitchen	10 yard, listed for small remodel projects and small kitchen or bathroom remodels
Full gut of a small to average kitchen	15 yard, listed for kitchen demolition and small bathroom/kitchen remodels
Large kitchen, or kitchen plus flooring in adjoining rooms	20 yard, listed for kitchen remodels and carpet and flooring removal
Kitchen as part of a multi-room renovation	30 yard, listed for mid-sized remodels and multi-room renovation

Watch the weight. A 15 yard includes 1.5 tons at one Kansas City hauler and 2 tons at one New Jersey hauler, and a 20 yard typically includes 2 to 3 tons. Heavy materials add up fast and can push you over the limit before the box looks full, so ask about the allowance before choosing the smaller size. Our sizes guide has full dimensions.

Price lists from two haulers show a 15 yard at $415 for 5 days or $465 for 7 days in Kansas City and $390 for 7 days south of Atlanta. Local quotes vary: $525 to $550 in Boston (1, 2), $430 to $445 in Atlanta (1, 2) and $375 to $385 in Detroit (1, 2). See the Boston, Atlanta and Detroit pages and our cost guide.

What cannot go in

Refrigerators, freezers and window air conditioners. These appliances have historically contained chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) used as refrigerant, and older units may also contain mercury switches and contaminated oils. Under federal rules, the final disposer is responsible for recovering any refrigerant. Hauler policies vary: one Minneapolis hauler charges $50 per appliance, and a Detroit hauler says items containing freon may incur a per-item fee at the disposal facility.

Better options, per the EPA:

Your electric utility may run a rebate or bounty program for old units.
Some retailers offer pickup when you buy a new appliance.
Your city may offer bulky pickup or drop-off, though it may also require the refrigerant to be recovered first.

Local rules can be stricter. Massachusetts bans white goods (large appliances) from disposal, and San Diego’s Miramar Landfill does not accept certain appliances, including those that may contain refrigerants. Ask your hauler before loading any appliance.

Paint, solvents and chemicals. Products like paints, cleaners, oils, batteries, and pesticides can contain hazardous ingredients and need special care; take them to a household hazardous waste collection. Chemicals, batteries and electronics are on one national hauler’s not accepted list.

Asbestos. The EPA warns homeowners not to sand or try to level asbestos flooring or its backing. You can’t tell simply by looking, so leave suspect flooring alone. Have removal done by people trained and qualified in handling asbestos. Asbestos is also on that hauler’s not accepted list.

Lead paint. If your home was built before 1978, anyone you pay to disturb painted surfaces must be certified and use lead-safe work practices.

More detail is in what you cannot put in a dumpster.

Donate and recycle first

Easy-to-remove items like doors, hardware, appliances and fixtures can be salvaged for donation instead of thrown away. Habitat for Humanity ReStores accept new and gently used appliances, furniture, building materials, and many offer free pickup of large items. Call ahead, since each ReStore is different.

Some cities also keep certain remodel materials out of the trash. In Boston, clean gypsum wallboard and metals fall under state waste bans and must go through a private hauler. In Seattle, metal, cardboard, new gypsum scrap and unpainted, untreated wood are banned from the garbage. Tell your hauler what you are loading so it ends up at the right facility. See the Seattle page.

Timing the rental with the project

Plan the rental around the demolition days:

Deliver it the day before demo. That way debris goes straight from the kitchen into the box.
Know your rental window. Standard rentals are typically about 7 to 10 days; one national hauler’s residential rental is 9 days.
Don’t pay to store it. Extra days cost money, for example $25 per day at one Georgia hauler. If cabinets and counters will take weeks to arrive, have the box picked up after demo.
Ask about a swap. If you fill it early, some haulers offer a dump and return, priced at $365 for a 15 yard at one Kansas City company.
Get the permit early if it goes in the street. Chicago, for example, charges $50 for 1 to 3 days or $100 per month outside the Central Business District for dumpsters of 30 cubic yards or less. See the Chicago page and our permit guide.

For more on scheduling, see how long you can keep a dumpster.