Construction debris dumpsters

What counts as construction debris

Construction and demolition (C&D) debris is what's left after you build, remodel or tear something out. On a mountain job it usually looks like this. Tell us what's in the pile when you book, and call first about anything heavy.

• Framing lumber, plywood and OSB offcuts
• Drywall and paneling
• Old cabinets, doors, windows and trim
• Flooring, carpet and pad
• Siding, decking and fencing (pressure-treated wood needs separate handling, see below)
• Roofing shingles and underlayment (heavy, so ask first)
• Concrete, brick, tile and rock (the heaviest of all, so call before loading)
• Pallets, packaging and cardboard from material deliveries

Planning the dumpster for a construction job

Most construction debris is bulky before it is heavy: framing scrap, drywall offcuts, packaging and tear-out. Break it down and load it flat so the load packs tight and travels safely.

Concrete, tile, rock and dirt are the opposite: heavy before they are bulky. Disposal is billed by weight after the load is dumped, so a load of concrete or tile costs more to dump than the same pile of lumber offcuts. Ask before you load anything heavy.

Not sure how to plan it? Text Robert a photo of the pile or the job site, and he will talk it through with you.

What the County's mountain transfer stations turn away

San Bernardino County runs two transfer stations on the mountain that take construction and demolition debris: Heaps Peak, on Highway 18 west of Running Springs, and the Big Bear Transfer Station on Holcomb Valley Road. The County lists both as open Monday through Saturday. Check its disposal-sites page for current hours and fees before you haul a load yourself, and cover it: the County charges double for uncovered or unsecured loads.

Both stations refuse certain materials. Keep these out of the dumpster until you have talked to us:

• Pressure-treated wood (only the County's Mid-Valley landfill in Rialto and its Victorville landfill accept it)
• Items longer than 4 feet, the County's length limit at transfer stations
• Refrigerators or freezers that still hold refrigerant
• More than nine tires in a load (tires must be off the rim)
• Paint, solvents, liquids, sealed containers and other hazardous waste
• Batteries, fluorescent tubes and mercury thermostats
• Hot ashes or anything still smoldering
• Asbestos, and debris from pre-1984 or burned buildings that hasn't been certified

Older cabins and the asbestos rule

Much of the mountain's housing predates 1984. The U.S. Census Bureau's median year built is 1966 in Crestline, 1971 in Running Springs, 1976 in Big Bear Lake, 1977 in Lake Arrowhead and 1978 in Big Bear City. In each place, at least half the homes were built before 1984.

That matters for demolition. San Bernardino County requires an asbestos certification before it accepts demolition debris from any structure built before 1984, and from any burned structure, whatever its age. A Certified Asbestos Consultant tests the material first, then County Solid Waste authorizes disposal.

Get the testing done before tear-out starts. Debris that hasn't been cleared should not go in the dumpster.

Building-permit jobs: sorting for the 65% rule

California's 2025 green building code (CALGreen), in force since January 1, 2026, requires building-permit projects to recycle or salvage at least 65% of their nonhazardous construction and demolition waste. In unincorporated San Bernardino County you file a Construction Waste Management Plan online in EZOP before the building permit is issued, upload weight tickets, hauler diversion reports and reuse letters during the job, and file Part 2 before final inspection.

Where the debris goes decides the credit. The County gives mixed construction loads taken to Heaps Peak or the Big Bear station 27% diversion credit. Loads taken to a source-separated recycling facility earn 100%. A mixed load alone won't get a building-permit job to 65%.

Sorting is what gets you there. Keep clean wood, metal, concrete and cardboard apart from the mixed trash, keep every weight ticket and receipt, and tell us about your plan when you book so we can talk through what paperwork we can give you. Inside Big Bear Lake city limits, ask the City's Building & Safety office how it handles construction waste plans.

Pressure-treated lumber

Old deck boards, fence posts, landscape timbers and treated framing are treated wood waste under California law. It can't be burned, chipped for mulch or scavenged, it can't be stored on the ground, and once it has been separated it can't be mixed back in with other waste. Only approved lined landfills can take it. In San Bernardino County that means Mid-Valley in Rialto or Victorville, not the mountain transfer stations.

A July 2026 bulletin from the Contractors State License Board points contractors to TWWDisposal.org for current handling rules. If a job includes treated wood, tell us before it goes in the dumpster so we can plan how it's handled.

Placing the dumpster on a job site

By default, Robert sets the dumpster on your driveway or lot, not the street. A dumpster in a County road right-of-way needs an encroachment permit from County Public Works, a state highway needs one from Caltrans, and a Big Bear Lake city street needs one from the City's engineering office.

The County's mountain guidelines also keep building materials out of road shoulders, drainage ditches and walkways so snowplows can work. In winter, pick a spot behind the snow berm line and keep the path to it clear. When you book, mark the spot and tell us about slopes, tight turns, low limbs or wires overhead.