Renovation debris removal in St. Louis

The short answer

Renovation debris is priced by item for the big pieces and by truck tier for mixed piles. Common lines: full kitchen cabinet set $293, cast iron bathtub $185, fiberglass tub $90, toilet $64, bathroom vanity $69, drywall $37 per sheet or small bundle, carpet removal $71 per room. Mixed debris piles: quarter truck $241, half truck $431. Concrete and masonry is $219 per quarter truck. The price is shown before booking, carried out from any floor.

Why St. Louis generates so much rehab debris

The City's population peaked at 856,796 in 1950 and is about a third of that today, which leaves a lot of older housing being rehabbed rather than replaced. The building stock is old and solid:

• Soulard houses date to the mid- to late-19th century; Lafayette Square's Second Empire townhouses have been restored since the 1970s.
• Carondelet housing was mostly built 1880-1930 in brick.
• Old North St. Louis has seen dozens of homes renovated over the past 25 years.
• Maplewood homes were mostly built 1900-1910; Richmond Heights grew 328% in the 1920s.

Then there is storm recovery. The May 16, 2025 EF3 tornado damaged about 5,000 structures through Clayton, Richmond Heights, the Greater Ville, Fountain Park and O'Fallon, and rebuilding produces debris.

Renovation debris price list

Worked examples

• Bathroom gut, Bevo Mill flat: cast iron tub, toilet, vanity and three sheets of drywall, $185 + $64 + $69 + $37 + $37 + $37 = $429.
• Kitchen remodel, Webster Groves: full cabinet set plus two stone countertop sections, $293 + $111 + $111 = $515.
• Soulard rehab, mixed plaster and lath: bagged or loose, it is usually cleaner as a tier — a half truck is $431.
• Brick and mortar from a chimney or wall: concrete and masonry is $219 per quarter truck.
• Heating swap, Lafayette Square townhouse: four cast-iron radiators coming out for a new system, $123 + $123 + $123 + $123 = $492.
• Window replacement, Maplewood: eight old window units, 8 × $33 = $264, which is $33 + $33 + $33 + $33 + $33 + $33 + $33 + $33.

Old-house materials to know about

Older St. Louis homes come with materials modern remodels do not: plaster and lath, heavy cast-iron tubs and radiators, old brick. They are heavy, which is why concrete and masonry have their own line on the price list. Plaster dust and brick fragments are best bagged in contractor bags rather than loose.

Homes from this era can also contain lead paint and, in some places, asbestos-containing materials. Those are hazardous and not standard. If you suspect either, have it tested and handled by a qualified abatement contractor first. Tell us what you have; hazardous material is case by case. Ordinary paint cans are accepted: $30 a gallon, $52 for a 5-gallon bucket.

Homeowner remodels: what the DIY routes cost

Homeowners doing their own remodel usually try the public options first. In the City, the monthly bulky pickup takes up to three items, set out by 6:00 am on the Monday of your collection week, nothing over 100 lbs, 6 ft long or 2 ft in diameter. A cast-iron tub, a radiator or a stack of 8-foot lumber fails those limits, and a bathroom gut produces far more than three items. Railroad ties pulled from a yard project are specifically not accepted.

City residents can self-haul to the North or South transfer station, weekdays 8:00 to 4:00, up to 12 loads a year, each up to a half-ton pickup's worth. Demo debris is dense, so a half-ton pickup fills by weight before it fills by volume, and a kitchen and bath rehab can take several of your 12 loads. No household hazardous waste is accepted, and no commercial or business waste, so a hired contractor's debris is a different question. County and Metro East homeowners should check their municipality or trash district before planning around a curb pile.

Pickup vs a dumpster for a rehab

For a long gut renovation with steady debris over weeks, a roll-off dumpster may suit you. For a remodel that produces debris in bursts — demo day, then finish work — scheduled pickups often fit better: no container in the street or alley for weeks, and the crew carries debris from the third floor or the basement instead of you wheeling it out. In City alley blocks, a dumpster also competes with neighbors' access and the City's own refuse dumpsters. See junk removal vs dumpster rental.

Prepping debris for pickup

• Bag the small stuff. Plaster, broken tile and drywall scraps go in contractor bags. A contractor bag is $41, and bag counts have their own prices (10 bags $132, 20 bags $259).
• Stack the long stuff. Lumber, trim and doors in a neat pile, nails bent over or pulled where possible.
• Keep concrete separate. Brick, block and concrete are priced per quarter truck at $219; mixing them into a general pile makes the load heavier and harder to judge.
• Keep hazardous material out. Solvent cans, adhesives and anything suspected of lead or asbestos should be separated and discussed before booking.
• Leave a path. Clear the stair and the route to the alley or street before the crew arrives.

A well-staged pile is quick to load and easy to price from a single photo.

For contractors and rehabbers

If you are flipping or rehabbing several properties, set up one account covering them. Book online for demo days, choose a two-hour window, and get same-day pickup when you book by 4 PM. Windows run until midnight, so a crew can stage debris during the day and have it gone the same evening. For condos and commercial buildings, we email a certificate of insurance within one hour. Note that the City's transfer stations do not accept commercial or business waste, so contractor debris needs another route. Get a price from site photos at the instant quote page.

Frequently asked questions