Atlanta Dump Fees & Disposal Guide for Junk Removal Operators
MSW from $60–$110/ton across county jurisdictions. Cobb County at ~$60/ton is cheapest — but waste origin restrictions lock you by county.
Last updated: Mar 2026
$60–$110/ton
Typical dump fee range
Fee basis
Per ton at county and private facilities
Common materials
Biggest cost trap
County landfills restrict waste by origin — DeKalb only accepts DeKalb waste, Cobb resident rates require Cobb origin. Cross-county jobs may need different facility routing.
Typical Costs in Atlanta
Baseline pricing before you dig into individual facilities.
MSW
$60–$110/ton
$14–$50
Basis: Per ton
infoCobb County TS: ~$60/ton resident, $70/ton non-resident. DeKalb Seminole Road: $95/ton (tripled from $33 in 2023). Merk Miles (South Fulton): $110/ton. GA statewide average $55.76/ton. WM/Republic unpublished rates typically $75-$95/ton. Private Gwinnett facilities run $80-$105/ton. North Fulton TS charges $85/ton for non-residents. Cherokee County maintains lower $58/ton rate but requires Cherokee origin proof.
1Cobb at ~$60/ton cheapest documented public rate — save $35/ton vs DeKalb
2DeKalb 2023 tripling pushed operators to explore private alternatives — negotiate WM/Republic accounts for predictable pricing
3Weekend surcharges add $10-15/ton at some facilities — plan Tuesday-Thursday runs
4Volume discounts kick in at 500+ tons/year with private haulers — potential 10-15% savings for high-volume operators
C&D
$50–$110/ton
$50 at WM Chadwick Rd
Basis: Per ton
infoWM Chadwick Road Roswell: $50 min for loads up to 2,000 lbs — best C&D deal in metro. Cobb: ~$60/ton. DeKalb: $95/ton at Seminole Road only. Cherokee C&D facility: $62/ton. Private C&D processors in Gwinnett: $70-$85/ton. Clean concrete recyclers: $15-25/ton. Mixed C&D with gypsum/hazmat: $120-$150/ton surcharge. Separated wood waste: $35-$45/ton at dedicated processors.
1WM Chadwick Rd $50 min best C&D option — save $10-45/ton vs alternatives
2DeKalb TSs reject C&D — route to Seminole Road or pay private facility premiums
3Separate clean concrete to save $35-80/ton vs mixed C&D disposal
4Wood waste separation saves $25-65/ton at dedicated wood recyclers vs MSW rates
Scrap Metal
$0.75–$4.65/lb (paid)
No min
Basis: Per lb
infoSA Recycling Atlanta: copper ~$4.65/lb, aluminum ~$0.75/lb, steel ~$0.12/lb. Schnitzer Northeast: copper $4.50/lb, aluminum $0.72/lb. PSC Metals: competitive rates but requires 500+ lb minimums. At $60–$110/ton disposal, metal separation offsets tipping fees and generates $200-500/ton revenue on metal-heavy jobs. Appliance compressors: $15-25 each. Copper pipe: $3.50-4.65/lb. Aluminum siding: $0.65-0.85/lb.
1SA Recycling copper at ~$4.65/lb generates meaningful revenue — $100+ per water heater job
2Separate appliance compressors and copper pipe for premium pricing vs mixed metals
3Steel separation saves $60-110/ton disposal while earning $0.12/lb — net $300+ savings per ton
4Route aluminum-heavy jobs (siding, gutters) separately — premium rates justify extra trip
Surcharges
$5–$200/item
Per item
Basis: Per item
infoFreon appliances: $48 DeKalb, $5 Cobb, $25 Cherokee, $35 private facilities. Tires: $10 DeKalb (max 10/visit, personal only — commercial banned), $15 Cobb, $12 Cherokee. Mattresses: $15 Cobb, $20 DeKalb, $25 private facilities. DeKalb min scale fee $48 (under 999 lbs). Paint disposal: $5-8/gallon at CHaRM. Electronics: $0.40-0.70/lb at certified recyclers. Propane tanks: $15-25 each. Used oil filters: $2-4 each.
1Cobb $5/unit Freon appliance cheapest in metro vs $48 DeKalb — route appliance jobs accordingly
2DeKalb bans commercial tires entirely — use Cherokee ($12) or private tire recyclers
3Mattress consolidation saves surcharges — combine multiple jobs to one facility
4Paint separation to CHaRM saves $40-70/ton vs hazmat disposal rates
Facilities in Atlanta
Recommended facilities first, then additional options.
Top Recommended (5)
Cobb County Transfer Station (GFL)
Cheapest public rate ~$60/ton for Cobb residentsRate
~$60/ton resident, $70/ton non-resident
$14
Hours
Mon–Fri 7AM–5PM, Sat 7AM–3PM
Area
Cobb County (NW metro)
GFL-operated facility at 1700 County Services Pkwy, Marietta. Cheapest documented public rate in metro. Freon appliances only $5 vs $48 at DeKalb. Accepts MSW + C&D in same load. Requires Cobb County business license or residency proof for resident rates. Scale house accepts cash/check. Long lines Saturday mornings — avoid 7-10AM weekends. Commercial accounts get priority lane access.
WM Chadwick Road (Roswell)
C&D at $50 min for loads up to 2,000 lbs — best C&D dealRate
$50 min covering up to 2,000 lbs
$50
Hours
Mon–Fri 7AM–4:30PM, Sat 7AM–12PM
Area
11570 Chadwick Rd, Roswell
WM C&D landfill specializing in construction debris. $50 min hard to beat for small C&D loads. Over 2,000 lbs charged at $50/ton — still competitive. Clean concrete accepted at $25/ton. No MSW accepted. Requires commercial WM account setup — 2-3 business days processing. Scale house closes 15 minutes early. Rejects loads with >10% non-C&D contamination. Popular with contractors — plan around 2-4PM rush.
SA Recycling Atlanta
Scrap metal — copper ~$4.65/lb, aluminum ~$0.75/lbRate
Copper ~$4.65/lb, aluminum ~$0.75/lb, steel ~$0.12/lb
No min
Hours
Mon–Thu 7:30AM–3:30PM, Fri 7:30AM–2:30PM, Sat 7:30AM–11:30AM
Area
Multiple locations: Doraville, Forest Park, College Park
Largest scrap operation in Southeast. Doraville location most convenient for north metro jobs. Separate metals from every load — typical water heater yields $35-55. They provide sorting guidance and material identification. Cash payment same day. Bring photo ID for first visit. Prices fluctuate weekly based on commodity markets. Track aluminum vs steel pricing — some weeks aluminum siding pays better separated vs mixed metals.
Cherokee County Environmental Center
MSW $58/ton, accepts out-of-county at $68/tonRate
$58/ton resident, $68/ton non-resident
$15
Hours
Mon–Fri 7AM–5PM, Sat 7AM–12PM
Area
1815 Bluffs Pkwy, Canton
County-operated facility 35 miles north of Atlanta. Accepts out-of-county waste at reasonable $68/ton rate — no origin restrictions like other counties. C&D accepted at same MSW rate. Electronics recycling available. Tire disposal $12 vs $15 at Cobb. Clean, efficient operation with minimal wait times. Worth the drive for large loads from north metro jobs. Cash or check accepted.
Habitat ReStore Donation Centers
Free diversion — furniture, appliances, building materialsRate
Free; tax receipt provided
No min
Hours
Mon–Sat 9AM–7PM, vary by location
Area
Multiple metro locations: Decatur, Marietta, Duluth, Griffin
Free pickup available with 1–2 week scheduling lead time. At $60–$110/ton disposal costs, diversion essential for margin protection. Decatur location most central for metro coverage. Items must be in sellable condition — working appliances, clean furniture. They reject particle board furniture and broken items. Building materials like cabinets, doors, windows accepted if reusable. Provides tax receipts for donated items. Call ahead for large furniture pickup scheduling.
Rules & Restrictions
Know before you go — avoid rejected loads and fines.
County landfills restrict waste by origin — DeKalb requires proof of DeKalb residency/business license. Cobb resident rate needs Cobb origin proof. Cherokee and Gwinnett less restrictive but charge non-resident premiums.
DeKalb transfer stations do NOT accept C&D, mattresses, tires, or Freon appliances — route to Seminole Road landfill or pay private facility premiums.
DeKalb bans commercially-generated tires entirely. Residential limited to 10/visit at Seminole Road. Commercial tire disposal requires private recyclers at $15-25/tire.
Contaminated C&D loads (>10% non-construction materials) rejected at WM Chadwick Road and other C&D-only facilities. Sort loads carefully or face MSW disposal rates.
Each county requires separate permits and account setup. DeKalb needs landfill decal application ($25/year). Cobb requires business license verification. Budget 3-10 business days for county permit processing.
WM/Republic private facility accounts require credit application, insurance certificate, and 2-3 business references. Processing takes 5-7 business days but provides access to unpublished rates.
Scrap metal facilities require photo ID for first visit and track seller information. SA Recycling provides account setup for regular customers with faster processing.
Atlanta metro waste fragmentation: 10+ counties each with different facilities, rates, and restrictions. Waste from Fulton often cannot go to DeKalb landfills and vice versa.
DeKalb 2023 fee shock: $33/ton → $95/ton overnight in June — first increase in 10+ years. Many operators now budget for potential rate volatility at public facilities.
Georgia has no statewide paint stewardship program. CHaRM (Center for Hard to Recycle Materials) in Atlanta is only year-round household hazardous waste option for paint disposal.
Cost-Saving Tips
Margin protection playbook — sorting, timing, and routing.
Sorting Strategy
Separate all metals for SA Recycling — copper ~$4.65/lb generates $100+ revenue per water heater. Steel separation saves $60-110/ton disposal while earning $240/ton revenue.
Route reusable items to Habitat ReStore for free pickup instead of paying $60-110/ton disposal. Schedule pickup 1-2 weeks ahead for large furniture items.
Clean concrete separation saves $35-80/ton vs mixed C&D disposal — route to dedicated concrete recyclers at $15-25/ton.
Paint consolidation to CHaRM saves $40-70/ton vs hazmat disposal rates — collect paint from multiple jobs for single drop-off.
Electronics separation to certified recyclers ($0.40-0.70/lb) beats MSW disposal while meeting environmental compliance requirements.
Timing Strategy
Tuesday-Thursday mid-morning runs avoid weekend residential crowds and Monday commercial rushes — save 15-30 minutes wait time per facility.
Most facilities stop accepting loads 15-30 minutes before posted closing — plan arrival buffer time to avoid rejected loads and wasted trips.
End-of-month volume discounts at private facilities — batch large jobs for 500+ ton quarterly pricing breaks (10-15% savings potential).
Avoid Saturday 7-10AM at public facilities due to residential traffic — wait times double during peak weekend hours.
Routing Strategy
Cobb County jobs route to GFL Transfer Station (~$60/ton) — save $35/ton vs DeKalb rates and $10-50/ton vs private alternatives.
DeKalb jobs limited to Seminole Road ($95/ton) unless negotiating private facility accounts — budget accordingly in pricing.
Cherokee County facility worth 35-mile drive for large loads — $68/ton non-resident rate beats most metro alternatives by $12-42/ton.
WM Chadwick Road essential for C&D jobs — $50 minimum saves $10-45/ton vs alternatives and handles loads up to 2,000 lbs efficiently.
Best Practice
Track dump fees per job, per county in ScaleYourJunk. Atlanta county fragmentation means your disposal cost varies $60–$110/ton based on waste origin and facility access — route optimization by jurisdiction determines profitability. Build facility-specific costs into job pricing and monitor monthly disposal trends to identify cost creep before it impacts margins.
Track Every Dump Fee in Atlanta
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Dump Fees in Atlanta: FAQ
Related Resources
Georgia Junk Removal Market Guide
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GuideDump Run Efficiency Guide
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FeatureRoute Optimization
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Track Every Dump Fee Automatically
ScaleYourJunk logs disposal costs per job, per facility, and rolls them into per-truck P&L reports. Stop losing margin to untracked dump fees in Atlanta's fragmented disposal market.
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