Renovation debris removal in Cleveland

The short answer

City bulk week excludes construction, renovation and demolition waste. Cleveland Heights and Shaker Heights exclude building debris too, and Lakewood only takes it bundled to 50 pounds with lumber cut to 4 feet. For anything bigger than a few bundles, you need a hauler, a dumpster or a trip to a C&D facility. JunkRabbit prices: construction debris $120, drywall $37 per sheet or small bundle, a full kitchen cabinet set $293, a cast iron tub $185, concrete $219 per 1/4 truck.

Why Cleveland generates so much of it

Cleveland's homes are old. The city's median year built is 1941, and in Ohio City and Tremont, where houses date to the 1850s through the 1890s, rehab is constant. The same goes for Detroit–Shoreway, Lakewood, Cleveland Heights and the doubles of Old Brooklyn and Slavic Village.

Renovating a house that age produces specific debris:

• Plaster and lath, heavy and dusty, from opening up walls.
• Cast iron radiators when switching heating systems.
• Cast iron tubs from original bathrooms.
• Old kitchens, cabinets and countertops.
• Flooring: carpet over hardwood, layers of linoleum, tile.
• Old windows and doors.

Prices for renovation debris

Common Cleveland remodel totals

• Original bathroom gut: cast iron tub + toilet + vanity: $185 + $64 + $69 = $318.
• Kitchen rip-out: cabinet set + two stone countertop sections: $293 + $111 + $111 = $515.
• Heating conversion: three cast iron radiators: $123 + $123 + $123 = $369.
• Window replacement leftovers: six old windows: $33 + $33 + $33 + $33 + $33 + $33 = $198.
• Carpet out of two bedrooms: $71 + $71 = $142.

For a big pile of mixed plaster, lath and lumber, truck tiers often work better: 1/2 truck $431, full truck $732.

Three Cleveland rehabs, priced

Ohio City: opening up two plaster walls

Plaster and lath are heavy and bulky, and two rooms' worth fills space fast. Usually truck-fill: a 1/2 truck at $431, carried out from wherever the pile sits.

Lakewood: rebuilding a front porch

Four bundles of old decking and framing plus the storm door it replaced: $41 + $41 + $41 + $41 + $63 = $227. Lakewood's curbside route would mean 50-pound bundles with every board cut to 4 feet.

Detroit–Shoreway double: new floors in the upper unit

Carpet out of three rooms plus six boxes of old tile: $71 + $71 + $71 + $33 + $33 + $33 + $33 + $33 + $33 = $411. The crew carries it down the rear stair, so nothing sits in the shared hallway.

Staging debris for a quick pickup

• One pile, one place. A garage bay, a cleared basement corner or the driveway beside the house. The shorter the carry, the faster the visit.
• Bag the fine stuff. Plaster dust, broken tile and insulation go in heavy contractor bags. Contractor bags are $41 each if you only have a few.
• Pull or bend nails on lumber where you can. Exposed nails make long boards hard to carry safely.
• Keep paint separate. Paint is accepted at $30 per gallon can and $52 per 5-gallon bucket. Solvents and other chemicals are case by case, so ask.
• Test before demo. Houses this old can have lead paint, and some older tile, pipe wrap and insulation can contain asbestos. Suspect materials aren't standard debris. Have them tested and handled by a specialist before the walls come down.
• Winter. Lake-effect snow from mid-November can bury a driveway pile. Tarp it, or keep it in the garage until the pickup.

Where it goes

Renovation debris does not go through household transfer stations the same way trash does. Around Cuyahoga County, C&D facilities include WM's Cuyahoga C&DD Landfill in Solon, Boyas in Valley View and Rosby in Brooklyn Heights. Their tipping fees are not published, so if you are hauling yourself, call first.

Metal, like radiators and cast iron tubs, can be scrapped. We recycle whatever we can.

Hauler vs dumpster for a remodel

A dumpster makes sense for a long project with steady debris over weeks, if you have a driveway to put it on. Many Cleveland lots have narrow shared driveways or none at all, so the dumpster may have to go on the street. Check your city's rules for containers in the right-of-way before you order one.

A pickup makes sense when debris comes in batches, when you have nowhere to put a container, or when heavy pieces like a cast iron tub need to be carried down from the second floor. More in junk removal vs dumpster rental.

For contractors and landlords

Contractors working in Ohio City, Tremont or Lakewood can book pickups as phases finish. Property managers can set up an account covering several properties. Buildings that need a COI get it emailed within 1 hour.

Phased pickups fit the way Cleveland rehabs actually go. A typical Detroit–Shoreway or Lakewood double might run demo, then rough-in, then finish. That gives you a big plaster-and-lath pile at the start, a few bundles of lumber and drywall offcuts in the middle, and packaging and old fixtures at the end. Book each phase when it's ready. For example, a 1/2 truck after demo, then four sheets of drywall offcuts and two lumber bundles later: $431 + $37 + $37 + $37 + $37 + $41 + $41 = $661 across the two visits. Nothing has to wait on a narrow driveway between phases, and in winter nothing gets buried under lake-effect snow.

Book on the instant quote with a photo of the pile. Same-day available when you book by 4 PM.

Frequently asked questions