location_onDump Fee Guide

Houston Dump Fees & Transfer Station Guide for Junk Removal Operators

Current 2026 tipping fees for Houston-area landfills and transfer stations. MSW rates from ~$15/cu yd to $60+/ton with facility details, hours, and cost-saving strategies for operators.

Last updated: Mar 2026

receipt_longAt a Glance

$15/cu yd – $60+/ton

Typical dump fee range

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Fee basis

Per cubic yard (transfer stations) or per ton (landfills)

Common materials

MSWC&DGreen WasteMetalsAppliances

Biggest cost trap

WM and Republic don't post rates — contract-based pricing means you're overpaying without a negotiated account. Gainsborough at ~$15/cu yd is the operator default.

Facilities listed

Cheapest MSW

~$15/cu yd

Scrap yards

Donation centers

3 locations

Typical Costs in Houston

Baseline pricing before you dig into individual facilities.

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MSW (Household Junk)

$15–$45/cu yd or $38–$65/ton

$15–$25 minimum at most facilities

Basis: Per cubic yard at transfer stations, per ton at landfills

infoMixed loads with mattresses, appliances, or Freon units trigger surcharges that can double your per-job disposal cost

1Gainsborough Waste at ~$15/cu yd is the floor — no account needed, walk in and pay

2WM and Republic require commercial accounts but offer 20–40% below walk-in rates at volume

3Sort metals and e-waste on-truck to offset disposal with scrap revenue

construction

C&D (Construction & Demolition)

$15–$60/cu yd

$15 minimum at Gainsborough

Basis: Per cubic yard (most Houston facilities accept mixed MSW/C&D)

infoPure concrete and rock loads may qualify for free or reduced-rate disposal at dedicated C&D processors

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Green Waste (Yard Debris)

$10–$20/cu yd

Call for current rates

Basis: Per cubic yard

infoLumber mixed with yard waste gets charged at MSW rates — keep brush loads clean

weekend

Bulky Items & Surcharges

$25–$80 per item

Mattresses ~$25 each at most facilities

Basis: Per item surcharge on top of load fees

infoFreon-containing appliances (refrigerators, A/C units) cost $40–$80 each for evacuation — factor this into your quote or you eat the margin

Facilities in Houston

Recommended facilities first, then additional options.

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Top Recommended (4)

Gainsborough Waste — Egbert Street Transfer Station

Mixed junk and C&D loads — cheapest walk-in option in Houston

Household junkFurnitureConstruction debrisDrywallTileShinglesWood/lumberConcreteScrap metalCardboardRoofing materialsYard waste

Rate

~$15/cu yd (call to verify — not publicly posted)

Call (713) 785-8050

Hours

Mon–Fri 7:30 AM – 5:00 PM · Sat & Sun CLOSED

Area

Inner Loop / Heights (5200 Egbert Street, Houston, TX 77007)

No account needed — walk in and pay per load. Multiple unloading ramps mean most operators are in and out in 30 minutes. Hard hats and safety vests REQUIRED on-site (sold there if needed). No pre-sorting required. 100% concrete surfaces. No hazardous waste, chemicals, paints, oils, or liquid waste.

Gainsborough Waste — McCarty Street Transfer Station

East-side and Ship Channel area loads — same rates as Egbert

Household junkFurnitureConstruction debrisDrywallTileShinglesWood/lumberConcreteScrap metalCardboardRoofing materialsYard waste

Rate

~$15/cu yd (same as Egbert — call to verify)

Call (713) 785-8050

Hours

Mon–Fri 7:30 AM – 5:00 PM · Sat 7:00 AM – 2:00 PM (call to confirm Saturday hours) · Sun CLOSED

Area

East Houston (950 McCarty Street, Building C, Houston, TX 77029)

Main office location with Saturday hours — gives you an extra half-day of disposal capacity that Egbert doesn't. Same PPE requirements: hard hat and safety vest mandatory. Same pricing structure and accepted materials as Egbert. This is your Saturday dump option.

Astro City Scrap Metal

Non-ferrous metal revenue recovery (copper, aluminum, brass from job sites)

Copper (bare bright, #1, #2)Aluminum (cans, extrusions, sheet)BrassStainless steelInsulated wire

Rate

Bare bright copper $3.50–$5.00/lb · #1 copper $3.00–$3.50/lb · Aluminum cans $0.30–$0.50/lb · Brass $1.50–$2.50/lb

No minimum listed

Hours

Mon–Fri 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM · Sat 8:00 AM – 1:30 PM

Area

North Houston / Heights (4530 North Shepherd, Houston, TX 77018)

Non-ferrous only — no steel or iron. XRF scanner on-site for accurate grading. Live prices updated daily on astrocityscrap.com. Smart operators sort copper, aluminum, and brass on-truck during jobs and run to Astro City at end of week. Even a few pounds of copper per job adds $15–$30 in recovered revenue.

C&D Scrap Metal Recyclers (4 Houston locations)

Full-service scrap including ferrous metals — commercial pickup available

Ferrous metals (steel, iron)Non-ferrous metals (copper, aluminum, brass)Appliances (non-Freon)Auto parts

Rate

Market rates — call individual locations

Ferrous: 100 lbs minimum · Non-ferrous: 1 lb minimum

Hours

Mon–Fri 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM · Sat 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Area

NW Houston: 6775 Bingle Road (713) 862-5588 · SW Houston: 10400 SW Plaza Drive (832) 786-8687 · Almeda: 11620 Almeda Road (832) 743-6500 · Sugar Land: 15222 McKaskle Road (281) 933-3600

Accepts both ferrous and non-ferrous — unlike Astro City, you can bring steel and iron here. Four locations mean there's always one near your route. Offers roll-off containers and commercial pickup for high-volume operators. Set up a commercial account if you're pulling 500+ lbs of metal per week.

Rules & Restrictions

Know before you go — avoid rejected loads and fines.

blockCommon Restrictions

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No hazardous waste (chemicals, paints, oils, solvents) at any commercial facility — route to Harris County HHW at 6900 Hahl Road by appointment only

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No liquid waste at any transfer station or landfill — solidify or absorb before transport

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Transporting 6+ tires within Houston city limits requires a City of Houston tire transport permit (City Code Ch. 39, Art. VIII)

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City of Houston Neighborhood Depositories are residential ONLY — commercial vehicles and junk removal operators are explicitly excluded

descriptionDocumentation Required

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Texas Transportation Code requires ALL loads to be tarped or secured — WM charges a surcharge for untarped loads, and you risk a state citation

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Gainsborough requires PPE (hard hat + safety vest) on-site — carry in your truck or purchase at the gate

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WM Atascocita and Republic McCarty prefer or require commercial accounts — set up before your first load to avoid cash-customer premium pricing

location_cityLocal Quirks

info

Harris County facilities charge by weight (per ton) while independent transfer stations like Gainsborough charge by volume (per cubic yard) — lighter loads cost less at volume-based facilities

info

Hurricane season (June–November) can cause facility closures and surge pricing — Gainsborough offers 24/7 emergency dispatch for storm debris

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WM Atascocita is the only Houston facility with true 24-hour weekday access — valuable for late-night jobs or early-morning dump runs before the route starts

Cost-Saving Tips

Margin protection playbook — sorting, timing, and routing.

sort

Sorting Strategy

Sort metals on-truck during every job — even small amounts of copper and brass add $15–$30 per job at Astro City or C&D Scrap Metal

Separate clean concrete and rock from mixed loads — some processors take it free or at reduced rates, saving you the full MSW tipping fee on that weight

Pull working appliances and clean furniture for Habitat ReStore donation — free disposal plus a tax deduction receipt the customer can use

schedule

Timing Strategy

Hit Gainsborough at opening (7:30 AM) for zero wait times — most operators arrive after 9 AM

Avoid Mondays and month-end at all facilities when commercial volume peaks

WM Atascocita's 24-hour access means you can dump at 5 AM before starting your route — no wasted midday windshield time

route

Routing Strategy

Set up accounts at both Gainsborough (volume-based) and one landfill (weight-based) — route lighter loads to the per-cubic-yard facility and heavier loads to the per-ton option

Use C&D Scrap Metal's four locations to always have a metal drop within 15 minutes of your current job — Sugar Land for southwest routes, Bingle for northwest, Almeda for south

Cluster southeast jobs to use Republic's Lawndale transfer station; inner-loop and north jobs go to Gainsborough Egbert; northeast jobs go to WM Atascocita

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Best Practice

Track dump fees per job in your software — disposal is the #1 margin leak in junk removal. Houston operators running 4+ jobs/day who don't track per-job disposal costs typically underestimate disposal at 15–20% of revenue when the real number should be 8–11%. ScaleYourJunk logs dump fees per job automatically so you can see exactly which job types and which facilities are eating your margin.

Track Every Dump Fee Per Job — Automatically

ScaleYourJunk logs disposal costs per job so you can see exactly where your margin goes. No spreadsheets, no guessing.

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Dump Fees in Houston: FAQ

Gainsborough Waste at ~$15 per cubic yard is the lowest-cost option for mixed junk and C&D loads in Houston. They operate two transfer stations — Egbert Street (inner loop) and McCarty Street (east Houston). No commercial account is needed to use either location, and most operators report in-and-out times under 30 minutes. For comparison, WM and Republic facilities use contract-based per-ton pricing that typically runs higher unless you've negotiated a volume account.

Houston-area landfill tipping fees range from approximately $38 to $65+ per ton for MSW, depending on the facility and whether you have a negotiated commercial account. The state average for Texas MSW is $45.15 per ton across 148 facilities. Transfer stations like Gainsborough charge by volume (~$15/cu yd) rather than weight, which is often cheaper for lighter residential junk loads. Add surcharges for mattresses ($25 each), Freon appliances ($40–$80 each), and the TCEQ state fee of $0.94 per ton on all landfilled waste.

Gainsborough Waste does not require a commercial account — any operator can walk in and pay per load at either location. WM Atascocita and Republic facilities strongly prefer or require commercial accounts, and their rates are not publicly posted. Setting up a WM account through wmsolutions.com or calling Republic at (713) 676-7600 typically gets you 20–40% below their walk-in pricing. For new operators, start at Gainsborough with no account and set up WM/Republic accounts once you're running 3+ loads per week.

Gainsborough Waste accepts mixed MSW and C&D at both locations — drywall, tile, shingles, wood, lumber, concrete, and roofing materials all go in at the same ~$15/cu yd rate. For pure concrete and rock, check with dedicated C&D processors who may take clean loads at reduced rates. WM Atascocita and Republic McCarty Road also accept C&D through their commercial programs. Avoid the City of Houston Neighborhood Depositories — those are residential-only and explicitly exclude commercial haulers.

Yes — dump fees, tipping fees, and landfill charges are ordinary business expenses deductible on your federal tax return. Track every disposal cost per job throughout the year. Additionally, donating usable items to Houston Habitat ReStore generates a tax-deductible donation receipt that you can pass to your customer or claim yourself if the customer declines. The ReStore has three Houston locations and offers free pickup for qualifying donations.

Related Resources

Guide

Texas Junk Removal Market Guide

Demographics, competitor landscape, pricing benchmarks, and regulations for operating in Texas.

Data

Houston Metro Junk Removal Market

Competitor analysis, neighborhood targeting, and entry strategy for the Houston metro area.

Guide

Dump Run Efficiency Guide

Route your dump runs to cut windshield time and maximize jobs per day.

Guide

Accounting Best Practices for Operators

Track dump fees, labor, and fuel costs per job to protect your margins.

Feature

Load-Based Pricing Engine

Price by truck volume with built-in dump fee tracking and margin protection.

Stop Guessing on Dump Fees — Track Every Dollar

ScaleYourJunk logs disposal costs per job, per facility, per truck. See exactly where your margin goes and which routes are actually profitable.

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