Dumpsters for remodels and renovations

What a remodel tear-out involves

Demo debris is bulky and awkward: cabinet boxes, countertops, drywall, doors, trim and flooring. A full kitchen or a bathroom gut makes more debris than most people guess, so list what is coming out before demo day. Text Robert a photo of the room and he will help you plan the load.

Weight matters as much as bulk. Disposal is billed by weight after the load is dumped, so tile, plaster, stone counters and concrete cost more to dispose of than the same pile of drywall or wood. Tell us before you load concrete, dirt, rock, tile or plaster, and we will tell you how to load them.

Time the dumpster around your crew

The first 24 hours are included, and extra days are billed at a flat daily rate. A simple plan: have the dumpster delivered the day before demo starts and picked up once the tear-out is done, so you are not paying for days it sits full.

Load flat and tight. Break down cabinet boxes, stack drywall and fill the corners first, and keep the load at or below the top edge so it travels safely.

Older homes: settle the asbestos question first

Much of the housing on the mountain predates 1984. Census estimates put the median year built at 1966 for the Crestline area and 1977 for Lake Arrowhead. That matters because San Bernardino County landfills and transfer stations require an asbestos certification for demolition debris from structures built before 1984, and from any building that has burned.

If you are opening walls, ceilings or old flooring in an older home, have a certified asbestos consultant test first, and tell us the year the house was built when you book.

Projects with a building permit: sorting gets you to 65%

A remodel with a County building permit may come with a Construction Waste Management Plan. San Bernardino County applies the CALGreen standard: at least 65% of construction and demolition debris has to be recycled or reused, and you upload receipts and weight tickets to close the plan out before final inspection.

Mixed loads taken to the County's mountain transfer stations earn only 27% diversion credit. Keeping clean wood, metal, concrete and cardboard separate is how projects reach 65%. If you need receipts or weight tickets for your plan, ask when you book.

Keep these out of the remodel dumpster

A few remodel leftovers cannot ride along with the rest of the debris:

• Pressure-treated wood, like old deck boards, fence posts and landscape timbers. California regulates it as treated wood waste, and the County's mountain transfer stations do not accept it. Tell us up front and we will tell you how it has to be handled.
• Paint, thinner, solvents and any other liquids or sealed containers
• Fluorescent tubes, batteries, mercury thermostats and old electronics
• Refrigerators and other appliances that still hold refrigerant
• Pieces longer than 4 feet. The County's transfer stations turn away long items, so cut lumber, pipe and trim down.

Where the dumpster goes on a mountain lot

The dumpster goes on your driveway or your property, not the street. A dumpster in a County road or a Big Bear Lake street needs an encroachment permit, and County mountain guidelines keep building materials out of road shoulders so snowplows can get through.

Robert brings the dumpster on a trailer behind his pickup, so leave room to back in and set it down. Tell him about steep grades, tight turns, low limbs and wires over the spot you have in mind.