Raleigh Dump Fees & Disposal Guide for Junk Removal Operators
South Wake Landfill at $37/ton MSW — one of the lowest rates among major metros. C&D at private facilities around $46/ton.
Last updated: Mar 2026
$37–$46/ton
Typical dump fee range
Fee basis
Per ton
Common materials
Biggest cost trap
South Wake Landfill charges $37/ton for MSW — among the cheapest in the US. But C&D at private facilities runs ~$46/ton. Operators who mix C&D into MSW loads pay $9/ton less on the C&D portion.
Typical Costs in Raleigh
Baseline pricing before you dig into individual facilities.
MSW
$37/ton
$25 minimum load
Basis: Per ton
infoSouth Wake Landfill: $37/ton MSW — cheapest in the Triangle and one of the lowest nationally. National average $62.28/ton, making Raleigh 40% below market. Wake County operates the primary disposal facilities. Most operators save $400-600 per truck monthly compared to Charlotte or Virginia Beach operators. Loads under 1,350 lbs hit the $25 minimum, making small residential cleanouts cost-effective.
1South Wake at $37/ton is half the national average — disposal is not a major margin pressure, focus optimization on labor efficiency instead
2Low rates mean labor and fuel costs dominate — optimize routes over disposal strategy to protect 60-70% gross margins
3Minimum load fee of $25 makes partial truck loads economical — don't wait for full trucks on small jobs
4Wake County residency verification required for some programs — keep customer addresses documented for facility access
C&D
~$46/ton
$35 minimum load
Basis: Per ton
infoPrivate C&D facilities: ~$46/ton (historical — call to verify current rates). Triangle Recycling and similar processors charge by material composition. Clean concrete runs $28-32/ton, mixed C&D hits $46/ton, contaminated loads can reach $55/ton. Operators save $200-300 per truck monthly by preseparating clean materials. Metal separation adds $150-200 revenue per ton of recovered steel.
1Verify current C&D rates — historical data from 2020-2022 shows $42-46/ton range at major Triangle processors
2Route clean concrete and metals separately for 30-40% rate savings — concrete to recyclers at $28-32/ton vs $46/ton mixed
3Contaminated C&D (food waste, hazmat) triggers surcharges up to $55/ton — educate crews on proper sorting
4Drywall separation saves $8-12/ton at specialized gypsum recyclers vs mixed C&D disposal
Yard Waste
$22-28/ton
$20 minimum
Basis: Per ton
infoWake County accepts yard waste at reduced rates — typically $22-28/ton vs $37/ton MSW. Private composting facilities offer similar rates. Seasonal volume from hurricane debris and spring cleanouts can create temporary rate increases to $35/ton during peak periods (March-May, September-November). Clean yard waste only — no plastic bags, construction debris, or treated lumber.
1Separate yard waste from MSW saves $9-15/ton — worth the sorting effort on landscape cleanout jobs
2Seasonal pricing fluctuations during storm cleanup — budget 20-30% rate increases during peak debris season
3Bagged yard waste faces surcharges — educate customers to avoid plastic bag containment for cost savings
Surcharges
$5-75/item
Per item
Basis: Varies
infoStandard surcharges: Tires $5-15/tire by size, Freon appliances $25-35/unit for refrigerant recovery, TVs/monitors $15-25/unit, mattresses $10-15/unit at some facilities. Paint and hazmat $45-75/item depending on volume and type. Wake County enforces NC electronics recycling requirements — CRT monitors banned from landfill entirely. Budget $200-300 monthly in surcharges for typical residential operator.
1Budget 8-12% of total disposal costs for surcharges — helps avoid pricing surprises on mixed residential loads
2NC electronics recycling requirements apply — partner with certified e-waste recycler to avoid $25/unit landfill surcharges
3Tire removal generates revenue at scrap tire dealers — $2-5/tire vs $5-15/tire disposal cost
4Appliance Freon recovery required by law — factor $25-35/unit into appliance removal pricing
Facilities in Raleigh
Recommended facilities first, then additional options.
Top Recommended (4)
South Wake Landfill
Primary MSW at $37/ton — cheapest in the TriangleRate
$37/ton MSW, call for C&D rates
$25 minimum load
Hours
Mon-Fri 7am-4:30pm, Sat 7am-12pm, Closed Sun
Area
3021 Tryon Rd, Raleigh (South Wake County)
Wake County-operated facility with among the cheapest major-metro landfill rates in the US. Commercial haulers need account setup — contact Wake County Solid Waste at 919-856-6300. Scale house processes trucks efficiently, typically 5-10 minute turnaround. Avoid Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings for fastest service. Cash, check, or account billing accepted.
Triangle Recycling & Disposal
C&D recycling and clean concrete at reduced ratesRate
$28-32/ton concrete, $46/ton mixed C&D
$35 minimum
Hours
Mon-Fri 6:30am-5pm, Sat 7am-3pm, Closed Sun
Area
North Raleigh/Wake Forest area
Private facility specializing in construction debris recycling. Clean concrete and asphalt get preferred rates $28-32/ton vs $46/ton mixed C&D. Metal separation required — steel pays $150-200/ton revenue. Contaminated loads (food waste, hazmat) trigger $55/ton surcharge. Account setup required for commercial haulers — net 15 payment terms available.
Capital City Scrap & Recycling
Metal revenue generation and appliance processingRate
$150-200/ton steel, $1.20-1.50/lb copper, $0.45-0.65/lb aluminum
No minimum
Hours
Mon-Fri 7:30am-4:30pm, Sat 8am-12pm, Closed Sun
Area
Multiple Triangle locations
Primary scrap dealer for junk removal operators. Steel appliances, construction metal, copper, aluminum all generate revenue vs disposal costs. Current market rates: Steel $150-200/ton, copper $1.20-1.50/lb, aluminum $0.45-0.65/lb. Freon removal required on appliances — they provide EPA-certified service for $15-20/unit. Clean loads get better pricing — remove non-metal contamination before delivery.
Regional Donation Centers
Free diversion and customer goodwill generationRate
Free pickup/drop-off for reusable items
No minimum
Hours
Varies by location - most Mon-Sat 9am-6pm
Area
Multiple Raleigh-Durham locations
Habitat for Humanity ReStore, Goodwill, Salvation Army locations throughout Triangle. Working appliances, furniture, building materials generate customer goodwill and disposal cost savings. ReStore specializes in building materials, fixtures, appliances. Schedule large item pickups 24-48 hours ahead. Tax receipts available for customer donations — add value to service offering.
Rules & Restrictions
Know before you go — avoid rejected loads and fines.
Wake County facilities may restrict waste origin verification — commercial haulers need proof of county business registration or customer addresses within service area.
North Carolina electronics recycling law prohibits CRT monitors, TVs, CPUs from landfill disposal — mandatory recycling at certified facilities with $15-25/unit fees.
Hazardous waste strictly prohibited at all facilities — paint, chemicals, batteries, asbestos require specialized disposal through registered hazmat haulers.
Commercial tire disposal limited to 10 tires per load at county facilities — larger volumes require commercial tire recycler with $5-15/tire fees.
Commercial account setup required at Wake County facilities — contact Solid Waste Division at 919-856-6300 with business license, insurance proof, vehicle registration.
Load manifests recommended for C&D loads over 2 tons — facility may require waste origin documentation for disposal tracking compliance.
Freon appliance disposal requires EPA certification documentation — facilities verify proper refrigerant recovery before accepting air conditioners, refrigerators, freezers.
Raleigh MSW at $37/ton is 40% below national average ($62.28/ton) — disposal costs represent only 15-20% of operating expenses vs 25-30% in higher-cost markets.
Triangle metro population growth of 2.3% annually drives increasing junk removal demand — new construction and move-in/move-out volume expanding faster than national average.
Hurricane debris season (June-November) can temporarily increase yard waste rates 20-30% and create processing delays at organic waste facilities during peak cleanup periods.
Cost-Saving Tips
Margin protection playbook — sorting, timing, and routing.
Sorting Strategy
Pull all metals before disposal — steel pays $150-200/ton revenue vs $37-46/ton disposal cost, generating $187-246/ton swing on separated material.
Separate clean concrete and asphalt for $28-32/ton processing vs $46/ton mixed C&D — saves $14-18/ton on construction debris jobs.
Route working appliances to donation centers — saves $37/ton disposal cost plus generates customer goodwill worth $25-50 in referral value.
Clean yard waste separation saves $9-15/ton vs MSW disposal — worth sorting effort on landscape cleanout jobs over 1 ton volume.
Electronics to certified recyclers costs $15-25/unit vs prohibited landfill disposal — budget into pricing but saves regulatory penalties.
Timing Strategy
Avoid Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings at South Wake Landfill — Monday-Thursday 8am-2pm provides fastest 5-10 minute turnaround times.
Hurricane season (June-November) creates 20-30% rate increases at yard waste facilities — schedule organic debris jobs for December-May when possible.
Early morning runs (7-8am) at private facilities avoid afternoon traffic backups and reduce truck idle time by 15-20 minutes per dump.
Mid-week C&D facility runs avoid contractor rush periods — Tuesday-Thursday mornings get priority processing and faster weight station service.
Routing Strategy
South Wake Landfill for all MSW at $37/ton — lowest cost primary disposal site serving entire Wake County service area with central location.
Triangle Recycling for C&D preseparation saves $14-18/ton on clean materials — worth 15-20 minute detour on construction debris loads over 2 tons.
Scrap metal route to Capital City Scrap generates $150-200/ton revenue — justifies separate stops on loads with 500+ lbs metal content.
Durham County jobs require separate facility verification — don't assume Wake County facility access for cross-county service calls.
Best Practice
Track dump fees per job in ScaleYourJunk to catch annual rate increases averaging 3-5% at regional facilities. Raleigh's low rates ($37/ton) mean 60-65% of operating costs come from labor and fuel — optimize crew efficiency and route density over disposal strategy. Monitor monthly disposal costs per truck to maintain 65-70% gross margins despite low dump fees creating pricing pressure in competitive market.
Track Every Dump Fee in Raleigh
ScaleYourJunk logs disposal costs per job, per facility, and rolls them into per-truck P&L reports. Stop guessing your margins in Raleigh.
Dump Fees in Raleigh: FAQ
Related Resources
North Carolina Junk Removal Market Guide
Statewide market data, licensing requirements, and competitive landscape for North Carolina operators.
DataCharlotte Dump Fees
Disposal guide for Charlotte.
GuideDump Run Efficiency Guide
Optimize dump run routing, load batching, and material sorting to minimize disposal costs.
FeatureRoute Optimization
Automatically optimize job sequencing and dump run routing to minimize drive time and fuel costs.
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 Raleigh.
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