Grand Rapids Dump Fees & Landfill Guide for Junk Removal Operators
Current 2026 tipping fees for Kent County landfill and transfer station. MSW at $62.54/ton, C&D at $53.64/ton — full published rate card from county DPW.
Last updated: Mar 2026
$53.64–$62.54/ton (published county rates, effective January 2026)
Typical dump fee range
Fee basis
Per ton at all county facilities — residential self-haul by vehicle type ($30–$60/load)
Common materials
Biggest cost trap
Six metro cities (Grand Rapids, Walker, Wyoming, Kentwood, East Grand Rapids, Grandville) are bonded to the Waste-to-Energy facility — curbside haulers in those cities must deliver there by ordinance. Self-hauling junk removal operators can use the landfill directly.
Typical Costs in Grand Rapids
Baseline pricing before you dig into individual facilities.
MSW (Household Junk)
$62.54/ton (all-in with surcharges)
$30–$60 per load for residential self-haul depending on vehicle type · Loads over 1,400 lbs prorated at per-ton rate
Basis: Per ton (weighed) — rate includes $60.00 base + $1.68 Kent County surcharge + $0.36 MI surcharge + $0.50 environmental fee
infoThe published $62.54/ton all-in rate is remarkably transparent compared to Detroit's completely opaque market. Rates effective January 1, 2026 per official Kent County DPW rate sheet.
1C&D at $53.64/ton saves $8.90/ton compared to MSW — always sort construction debris from household junk
2Scrap metal drop-off is FREE at South Kent Landfill — pull all metals from every load before weighing
3Contaminated soils/foundry sands at $37.30/ton (with prior approval) are the cheapest material category
C&D (Construction & Demolition)
$53.64/ton (all-in)
Same minimums as MSW
Basis: Per ton — $51.10 base + surcharges
infoC&D saves $8.90/ton versus MSW. On a 3-ton construction load, that is $26.70 saved by keeping C&D separated from household junk. This is the clearest financial incentive for load sorting in the Grand Rapids market.
Bulky Items & Surcharges
$4–$77.54 per item/ton
$4 per passenger tire
Basis: Per item or per ton
infoAppliances with refrigerant: $20 each (residential). Mattresses: $20 each (residential). Commercial appliance and mattress loads charged at per-ton MSW rate. Tires: $4 each (up to 42 inch) / $6 each (42–50 inch) / cut tires at $71.54/ton (1-ton minimum). Trees and stumps: $77.54/ton — the most expensive material category.
Specialty Materials
$37.30–$77.54/ton
Prior approval required for contaminated soils
Basis: Per ton
infoContaminated soils and foundry sands: $37.30/ton with prior county approval. Trees and stumps: $77.54/ton. Yard waste is prohibited in Michigan landfills under PA 451 — cannot be disposed at South Kent. Route yard waste to composting facilities.
Facilities in Grand Rapids
Recommended facilities first, then additional options.
Top Recommended (2)
South Kent Recycling & Waste Center (South Kent Landfill)
Primary disposal site for all of Grand Rapids — county-operated with full published rate card and Saturday hoursRate
MSW: $62.54/ton · C&D: $53.64/ton · Appliances (w/Freon): $20 each · Mattresses: $20 each · Tires: $4–$6 each · Trees/stumps: $77.54/ton · Contaminated soils: $37.30/ton · Scrap metal: FREE
$30–$60 per load for residential self-haul · Loads over 1,400 lbs prorated at per-ton rate
Hours
Mon–Fri 7:30 AM – 5:00 PM · Sat 7:30 AM – 3:30 PM · Sun CLOSED
Area
Byron Center (10300 South Kent Drive SW, Byron Center, MI 49315)
Operated by Kent County Department of Public Works. The only active MSW landfill in Kent County with fully published rates (effective January 1, 2026). Saturday hours until 3:30 PM are generous compared to most Midwest landfills. Cash, check, or credit/debit card accepted (2.4% convenience fee for card). Scrap metal drop-off is completely FREE — always pull metals from your load before weighing. Yard waste (leaves, grass, shrubs, trees under MI PA 451) is prohibited — route to composting. Loose plastic film, Styrofoam, and fine particles must be properly contained. Asbestos requires proper manifest.
North Kent Transfer Station (Kent County DPW)
North metro loads (Rockford, Cedar Springs, Sand Lake) — saves drive time versus the South Kent LandfillRate
Call (616) 632-7920 for current transfer station rates
Call for details
Hours
Call (616) 632-7920 for current hours
Area
North Kent County
County-operated transfer station serving the northern portion of the metro. Waste is transferred to South Kent Landfill for final disposal. Transfer station rates may include a premium over direct-haul landfill rates for the transfer service. Best for operators working Rockford, Cedar Springs, and northern Kent County routes where the drive to Byron Center would cost more time than the rate premium.
Rules & Restrictions
Know before you go — avoid rejected loads and fines.
Yard waste (leaves, grass, shrubs, trees) is prohibited in Michigan landfills under PA 451 — you cannot dispose of yard waste at South Kent Landfill. Route to composting facilities.
Kent County Waste-to-Energy ordinance applies only to licensed curbside haulers in six bonded cities — self-hauling junk removal operators can use the landfill directly and are NOT required to deliver to WTE.
Asbestos requires a proper manifest before disposal at South Kent. Loose plastic film, Styrofoam, and fine particles must be properly contained or loads will be rejected.
All rates at South Kent include three surcharges: Kent County $1.68/ton, Michigan state $0.36/ton, and environmental $0.50/ton — these are already baked into the published all-in rates.
Credit/debit card payments at South Kent incur a 2.4% convenience fee. Pay cash or check to avoid. No account setup required for walk-in disposal.
Commercial appliance and mattress loads are charged at the per-ton MSW rate ($62.54/ton) rather than the $20 per-item residential rate. This matters for bulk cleanouts.
Grand Rapids has the most transparent disposal pricing in Michigan — Kent County DPW publishes a full rate card effective annually. Compare this to Detroit where no facility posts rates.
Scrap metal is completely FREE to drop off at South Kent Landfill. Pull all metals from every load before weighing at the scale — every pound of metal you remove reduces your per-ton charge at no cost.
All curbside waste collection in Kent County is privatized — the county does not collect waste directly. This means the commercial hauling market is fully open to private junk removal operators.
Cost-Saving Tips
Margin protection playbook — sorting, timing, and routing.
Sorting Strategy
Pull ALL scrap metal from every load before weighing at South Kent — metal drop-off is completely FREE. Even removing 200 lbs of metal from a 2-ton load saves roughly $6 in disposal fees and takes 30 seconds.
Separate C&D from MSW on every mixed load — C&D at $53.64/ton saves $8.90/ton compared to MSW at $62.54/ton. On a 3-ton renovation job that's 50% construction debris, sorting saves approximately $13.
Route contaminated soils separately at $37.30/ton (with prior approval) — the cheapest material category at the landfill, saving $25/ton compared to MSW rates on loads with significant soil content
Timing Strategy
South Kent Landfill Saturday hours extend to 3:30 PM — significantly better than most Midwest landfills that close at noon. Plan Saturday routes around a post-lunch dump run.
Weekday opening at 7:30 AM allows pre-route dump runs — arrive at opening for zero wait times. Avoid Friday afternoons when contractor volume peaks.
Trees and stumps at $77.54/ton are the most expensive category — if you're quoting tree removal jobs, build this premium rate into every quote.
Routing Strategy
South and central Grand Rapids jobs: Direct to South Kent Landfill in Byron Center ($62.54/ton MSW, $53.64/ton C&D)
North metro jobs (Rockford, Cedar Springs): North Kent Transfer Station saves drive time versus the landfill — call for transfer station premium rate
Compare Pitsch Companies' private rates against county published pricing — for high-volume operators, the private alternative may offer better volume discounts
Best Practice
Grand Rapids is one of the few Midwest markets with fully published disposal rates — use this transparency to build accurate disposal costs into every quote. At $62.54/ton for MSW, a 3-ton full truckload costs $187.62 in disposal. ScaleYourJunk logs dump fees per job automatically so you can verify your estimated disposal costs against actual invoices and catch any overages immediately.
Published Rates Make Accurate Quoting Easy — Track Every Load
ScaleYourJunk tracks disposal costs per job against Kent County's published rates so you know your exact margin on every Grand Rapids job.
Dump Fees in Grand Rapids: FAQ
Related Resources
Michigan Junk Removal Market Guide
Demographics, competitor landscape, pricing benchmarks, and regulations for operating in Michigan.
DataGrand Rapids Metro Junk Removal Market
Competitor analysis, neighborhood targeting, and entry strategy for the Grand Rapids metro area.
DataDetroit Dump Fees
Facility data and tipping fees for operators comparing Michigan disposal costs across metros.
GuideAccounting Best Practices for Operators
Track dump fees, labor, and fuel costs per job to protect your margins.
FeatureLoad-Based Pricing Engine
Build published disposal rates into every quote with volume-based pricing tiers.
Published Rates Mean No Excuses — Track Every Dollar
ScaleYourJunk logs disposal costs per job against Kent County's transparent pricing so you know your exact margin on every Grand Rapids job.
Dump fee tracking included in all plans — Starter $149/mo