A West Ashley remodel, a downtown renovation done under the historic-district rules, or a flood refit on James Island leaves the same pile: old cabinets, tile, flooring, deck boards, shingles. We haul it in one trip so the crew keeps working and the street stays clear, or we set a dumpster for the length of the job.
Brick, concrete and dirt go by the ton, so tell us what is in the pile and the number comes back right the first time.
What a construction and renovation debris removal job involves
- Photograph the pile or list what is in it; the price includes the facility fee
- Collected from the driveway, garage or straight off the site
- Metal and clean wood pulled out for recycling where accepted
- Site left clear for the next trade
What's included
- Pickup from the driveway, garage or job site
- Sorting of metal, cardboard and clean wood for recycling where the facility takes it
- Delivery to a facility that accepts construction and demolition material
- Site raked clear of nails and offcuts before the crew leaves
What cannot go on the truck
- Asbestos, lead-paint debris and anything else that is regulated
- Demolition itself (we haul what has already come out)
- Loads still wet with paint, solvents or adhesives
Renovation cleanup across Charleston
Renovation debris in the Lowcountry has one rule the rest of the country does not: it does not go to the county landfill. The Bees Ferry Road landfill takes household waste but not construction and demolition material from private or commercial haulers, so every load of drywall, tile and old decking goes to a private facility, and that trip is built into the quote from the start.
The jobs themselves are the same across the metro: kitchens and bathrooms in the West Ashley and Mount Pleasant subdivisions, the endless renovation of downtown houses under the historic-district rules, flips along Rivers Avenue, and after every flood tide a flooring and drywall refit on the low streets, booked through the same storm debris removal line. A crew hauling in one trip keeps the site clear for the next trade; a dumpster suits a job that runs all week.
Heavy material is the other difference. Concrete, brick, tile, dirt and shingles are charged by weight because the facility charges by the ton, so a small pile of tile can cost more than a big pile of cabinets. Say what is in the pile when you send the photo and the number is right the first time.
Construction and Renovation Debris Removal pricing in Charleston
Light debris such as drywall, cabinets, trim, deck boards and packaging is priced by the truck load: a quarter truck at $225 to $325 for a bathroom, a half truck at $375 to $500 for a kitchen, and a full truck at $625 to $800 for a large remodel. Concrete, tile, brick, dirt and roofing shingles are weighed and priced by the ton instead.
A pile staged in the driveway or at the curb is the cheapest version of the job; debris carried out of a second-floor bathroom or from behind a house adds labor. For a project longer than a week, a 15-yard roll-off at $400 to $525 usually beats two truck visits.
Full price list and what moves the price →
Related: Bulk Trash Pickup in Charleston: What the City Takes and What It Won't, Junk removal in Mount Pleasant, Junk removal in Summerville. Official page: City of Charleston.
Construction and Renovation Debris Removal questions, answered
Why is construction debris priced by weight?
Because the facility that takes it charges by the ton, and a load of tile or concrete weighs several times what the same size pile of drywall does. Light debris goes by the truck load, from $225 for a quarter truck; heavy material is weighed. The county landfill does not accept construction waste from haulers, so it goes to a private site.
Can I put renovation debris out for the city's weekly trash pickup?
No. The city's trash day takes furniture, appliances, bagged leaves and limbs cut to four-foot lengths, and anything outside the green cart or the trash rules is left behind. Drywall, tile, shingles and lumber have to go by truck or by dumpster to a facility that accepts construction material.
Truck or dumpster for a kitchen remodel?
If the demolition happens in one or two days and the pile can sit in the garage, one half-truck pickup at $375 to $500 is simpler and you lift nothing. If the job runs a week or longer, a 15-yard dumpster at $400 to $525 in the driveway lets the contractor throw as they go and usually costs less than repeated pickups.