San Diego Dump Fees & Disposal Guide for Junk Removal Operators
Miramar Landfill FY2026 rates from $35–$247/ton by material type. C&D at $230/ton demands aggressive sorting on every job.
Last updated: Mar 2026
$35–$247/ton
Typical dump fee range
Fee basis
Per ton (weighed loads) or flat rate by vehicle tier
Common materials
Biggest cost trap
C&D debris at Miramar costs $230/ton city waste ($247/ton non-city) — over 2x the general refuse rate. A 5-ton demo load runs $1,150–$1,235 in dump fees alone. If you are not separating clean wood ($35/ton) and green waste ($70/ton) from mixed C&D, you are throwing away margin.
Typical Costs in San Diego
Baseline pricing before you dig into individual facilities.
MSW (Household Junk)
$97–$103/ton
$71–$82 (Tier 1 flat rate)
Basis: Per ton (weighed) or flat rate by vehicle tier
infoMiramar Landfill FY2026 rates: $97/ton for City of San Diego waste, $103/ton for non-city waste. Flat rates for Tier 1 vehicles (under 1 ton): $71 city, $82 non-city. Tier 2 (1–3 tons): $141 city, $149 non-city. Tier 3 (3–5 tons): $614 city, $653 non-city. Rates include the $13/ton AB 939 Recycling Fee and $8/ton Refuse Collector Business Tax. Private landfills (Otay, Sycamore) charge an estimated $100+/ton — call for current rates.
1City of San Diego waste gets the lower rate ($97/ton vs. $103/ton non-city) — a 6% savings that adds up on high-volume operations
2Set up a Deferred Payment Account at Miramar ($250 surety bond) for streamlined billing — no cash accepted
C&D (Construction Debris)
$230–$247/ton
$103–$116 (Tier 1 flat rate)
Basis: Per ton (weighed) or flat rate by vehicle tier
infoC&D at Miramar is brutally expensive: $230/ton city waste, $247/ton non-city. Tier 2 (1–3 tons): $337 city, $359 non-city. Tier 3 (3–5 tons): $1,461 city, $1,568 non-city. On a 5-ton demo job, dump fees alone run $1,150–$1,235. Clean wood ($35/ton) and green waste ($70/ton) should always be separated from mixed C&D. California requires 65% C&D diversion on permitted projects.
1Separate clean wood from C&D — $35/ton vs. $230/ton is a $195/ton difference. On a 3-ton load with 30% clean wood, that is $175+ in savings
2Separate green waste from C&D — $70/ton vs. $230/ton saves $160/ton on every pound diverted
Green Waste & Clean Wood
$35–$70/ton
$25–$49 (Tier 1 flat rate)
Basis: Per ton (weighed) or flat rate by vehicle tier
infoClean wood at $35/ton and green material at $70/ton are dramatically cheaper than general refuse ($97/ton) or C&D ($230/ton). The rate spread between general refuse and clean wood is $62/ton — on a 3-ton load, sorting saves $80–$190. Keep green waste and clean wood loads strictly separated from other materials to qualify for the lower rates.
1Sort clean wood on the truck during every job — the $62/ton spread vs. general refuse makes this the highest-ROI activity on any San Diego job
2Green waste at $70/ton saves $27/ton versus general refuse — keep yard waste loads separate from household junk
Surcharges & Specialty Items
$50–$144/ton
Per-load penalties apply
Basis: Per ton or per load
infoUncovered load penalty: $50 flat — no exceptions, strictly enforced. Special handling waste: $135/ton city, $144/ton non-city. All CRTs, TVs, appliances, universal waste, e-waste, and HHW must be properly disposed BEFORE entering the landfill — mixing these into general loads triggers penalties. No cash accepted at Miramar — credit/debit cards and checks only.
1Always cover loads — the $50 uncovered load penalty is strictly enforced at Miramar with zero exceptions
2Remove e-waste, appliances, and HHW from loads before arriving — California law prohibits these in landfill and penalties apply at the scale
Facilities in San Diego
Recommended facilities first, then additional options.
Top Recommended (3)
Miramar Landfill (City of San Diego)
Primary disposal for all waste types — lowest transparent rates in the metro with published FY2026 rate scheduleRate
$97/ton city MSW, $103/ton non-city MSW, $230/ton city C&D, $247/ton non-city C&D, $70/ton green, $35/ton clean wood
$71 city / $82 non-city (Tier 1 flat rate under 1 ton)
Hours
Mon–Sat (check seasonal hours); closed Sundays and major holidays
Area
Central San Diego (Convoy St / Miramar area)
City-owned landfill and the primary disposal site for San Diego County. FY2026 rates effective July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026. No cash accepted — credit/debit cards (Visa/MC) and checks payable to City Treasurer only. Set up a Deferred Payment Account (DPA) with a $250 minimum surety bond for streamlined billing — account active in 1–2 business days. Self-tipping loads ONLY after 4PM; no hand unloads after 4PM. All loads must be covered ($50 penalty). City vs. non-city rates apply — verify your waste origin. Closure expected ~2031, after which all waste shifts to private landfills at higher rates.
Miramar Buy-Back Recycling Center
Scrap metal, CRV redemption, and recyclables — located at the Miramar Landfill entranceRate
Market rates — call (858) 268-8971 for current pricing
No minimum
Hours
Check with facility for current hours
Area
Miramar (at the landfill entrance)
Full-service buy-back recycling center located right at the Miramar Landfill entrance. Stop here before entering the landfill to sell scrap metals and CRV containers. At $97–$103/ton disposal costs, every pound diverted to recycling improves margin. Also check SA Recycling and independent scrap yards throughout San Diego County for competitive rates on larger quantities.
Habitat for Humanity ReStore San Diego
Reusable furniture, appliances, building materials, and fixtures — free drop-off with tax receiptRate
Free drop-off; tax-deductible donation receipt provided
No minimum
Hours
Check habitatsd.org for current hours and locations
Area
Multiple San Diego County locations
At $97–$103/ton disposal costs, diverting a couch to Habitat ReStore instead of the landfill saves real money — a 200-lb couch costs roughly $10 to landfill. Pickup available for qualifying items. Build donation routing into your job workflow — customers love the tax receipt, and you avoid the tipping fee. Also route to Goodwill (20+ San Diego locations), Salvation Army (pickup available at (619) 231-6000), and Father Joe's Villages (Downtown San Diego).
Rules & Restrictions
Know before you go — avoid rejected loads and fines.
All CRTs, TVs, appliances, universal waste, e-waste, and HHW must be properly disposed BEFORE entering Miramar Landfill. These items cannot be mixed into general refuse loads — California law prohibits e-waste in landfills.
No cash accepted at Miramar Landfill — credit/debit cards (Visa/MC) and checks payable to City Treasurer only. Set up a Deferred Payment Account before your first visit.
Self-tipping loads only after 4PM at Miramar. No hand unloads after 4PM. Plan your schedule accordingly.
No hazardous waste, batteries, paint, chemicals, or liquid waste at any San Diego County landfill. HHW goes to Miramar HHW facility by appointment — call (858) 694-7000.
Set up a Deferred Payment Account (DPA) at Miramar with a $250 minimum surety bond. Apply online — account active in 1–2 business days. Eliminates per-trip payment friction.
California SB 1383 requires 75% organic waste diversion. Separate all organic material from every load. Bay Area and San Diego are among the most aggressive enforcers statewide.
C&D projects permitted after July 2016 require 65% diversion with mandatory deposits. Keep all diversion documentation from recycling facilities.
City vs. non-city waste rates at Miramar create a 6–7% price difference. City of San Diego waste: $97/ton MSW, $230/ton C&D. Non-city: $103/ton MSW, $247/ton C&D. Verify waste origin on every job.
Miramar Landfill is expected to close by approximately 2031. When it closes, all waste shifts to private landfills (Otay, Sycamore) at higher rates. Build rate escalation clauses into long-term commercial contracts now.
Santee residents get free disposal passes (~2 tons/year) at Sycamore Landfill. When quoting Santee homeowners, your value proposition is speed, convenience, and heavy lifting — not just disposal access.
San Diego disposal costs ($97–$103/ton MSW) are well above the national average ($62.28/ton EREF 2024) and the South Central regional average ($44.87/ton). Your pricing must reflect these above-average disposal costs.
Cost-Saving Tips
Margin protection playbook — sorting, timing, and routing.
Sorting Strategy
The rate spread between general refuse ($97/ton) and clean wood ($35/ton) is $62/ton. Green material at $70/ton saves $27/ton versus general refuse. On a 3-ton load with mixed materials, aggressive sorting saves $80–$190 per trip. Sort clean wood, green waste, and recyclables on the truck during every job.
C&D sorting is critical at $230/ton. Separate clean wood ($35/ton), green waste ($70/ton), and recyclable metals (free at Miramar recycling center) from mixed C&D before arriving at the scale. On a 5-ton demo load, sorting out 30% as clean wood saves $585 in dump fees.
Route reusable furniture, appliances, and building materials to Habitat for Humanity ReStore, Goodwill (20+ San Diego locations), or Salvation Army (pickup at (619) 231-6000). At $97/ton, every 500 lbs diverted saves roughly $24 in dump fees plus generates a tax-deductible receipt for the customer.
Timing Strategy
Arrive at Miramar before 4PM — self-tipping loads only and no hand unloads after 4PM. Plan your last dump run to clear the scale by 3:30PM for buffer.
Otay and Sycamore are closed Sundays. Miramar is open Saturdays but closed Sundays. All weekend disposal runs must happen on Saturday — plan Saturday routes to end near your primary facility.
Routing Strategy
For south county jobs (Chula Vista, San Ysidro, Nestor), Otay Landfill saves significant drive time versus Miramar. Call (619) 421-3773 for commercial rates and compare the per-ton premium against fuel and labor costs of driving north to Miramar.
For east county jobs (Santee, El Cajon, La Mesa, Lakeside), Sycamore Landfill is closer than Miramar. Factor total trip cost — not just per-ton rate — into your routing decisions.
Hit the Miramar Buy-Back Recycling Center at the landfill entrance before entering the disposal area. Sell scrap metals and CRV containers to offset your disposal costs on the same trip.
Best Practice
Track dump fees per job and per facility in ScaleYourJunk to monitor your disposal cost as a percentage of revenue. At $97–$230/ton depending on material type, San Diego operators who do not actively manage sorting and routing will see disposal costs eat 15%+ of gross revenue — far above the 6% target. The platform logs every dump run so you can compare material-specific costs and identify where sorting creates the biggest margin improvement.
Track Every Dump Fee in San Diego County
ScaleYourJunk logs disposal costs per job, per facility, and per material type. At $97–$247/ton, untracked dump fees will crush your margins.
Dump Fees in San Diego: FAQ
Related Resources
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GuidePricing Strategy Guide
Build high disposal costs into profitable pricing that protects your margins in expensive markets like San Diego.
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 per material type. At $97–$247/ton in San Diego, untracked dump fees destroy margins faster than anywhere else in the country.
Dump fee tracking included in all plans — Starter $149/mo