Construction debris removal in Charleston, SC

No town in the Charleston area collects debris from a hired contractor, and most cap what a homeowner can set out. The City of Charleston and North Charleston both stop at 90 gallons, and Sullivan's Island takes no construction material at all. Homeowners can take their own debris to a county drop-off site for free, within the vehicle limits. Anything bigger means a dumpster or a hauler. National guides put hauling at about $100 to $800 a truckload.

What your town takes at the curb

Every town draws the same line: debris from a contractor is the contractor's or the owner's to remove. What changes is how much a homeowner doing their own work can set out.

Where you live	Homeowner's own debris	Not collected
City of Charleston	Up to 90 gallons per collection cycle	Anything from hired contractors or builders. Concrete and plaster.
North Charleston	Up to 90 gallons per collection day, in its own pile. Concrete up to 3 cubic feet.	Shingles, bricks, tile. Trash from contractors.
Mount Pleasant	Not stated	Contractor construction, demolition and remodeling debris. Bricks and concrete.
James Island (James Island PSD)	Repair materials such as doors, lumber, carpet, plumbing and windows, within 2 bulk items or 1 claw scoop a week	Contractor material, bricks, concrete, roofing
Isle of Palms	Routine building materials	Contractor building materials, shingles, concrete
Sullivan's Island	None. Construction materials "large or small" aren't collected.	All construction material
Goose Creek	Owner-generated construction material, weekly	Contractor debris, concrete, asphalt, bricks and blocks
Hanahan	None. Lumber, siding, doors, windows, cabinets, roofing and flooring aren't accepted.	All building materials and contractor waste
Moncks Corner	Dry carpet you removed yourself, rolled in 4-foot sections	Doors, windows, lumber, tile, shingles, contractor debris

A few details from those pages:

James Island PSD wants lumber under 6 feet with nails bent down, glass taped in an X, and loose tile or sheetrock broken up in heavy-duty bags.
Moncks Corner sends construction and demolition debris to Berkeley County's Oakley Road convenience center, and says carpet installers must haul away the carpet they replace.
Hanahan residents can use the Luken Road convenience center, 275 Luken Rd, which takes construction debris with a Berkeley County photo ID.

Taking it to a county site yourself

The county sites are free for residents hauling their own debris. None of them are open to contractors.

Charleston County

Zone 2 at the full-service convenience centers takes construction debris, including drywall, carpet, insulation and lumber. It doesn't take shingles, bricks, cement or stucco. Zone 7 takes small quantities of cement and bricks. Wood going into the compactors must be under 48 inches.

The centers are residential only. Businesses and contractors may use only the single-stream recycling area. Bring a photo ID with a county address. Double-axle trailers, box trucks and moving vans need an appointment at 843-720-7111. See Charleston County convenience centers.

Berkeley County

All 10 convenience centers take construction debris, free for residents with a valid photo ID. Only pickup-sized vehicles are allowed. Double-axle trailers up to 12 feet are fine, but box trucks, dump trucks and longer trailers are not.

Businesses, contractors and oversized loads go to the Berkeley County Landfill, 2277 Highway 52, Moncks Corner, (843) 572-4400. Its Scale House page lists construction debris at $100 a ton with a 1-ton minimum. The county FAQ lists an older rate of $50 a ton, and neither page is dated, so call to confirm. See Berkeley County convenience centers.

Dorchester County

Construction debris containers are at the Old Fort (Oakbrook), St. George, Sandy Pines, Bucks (Knightsville) and Givhans sites. The limit is a 3/4-ton pickup or a single-axle trailer, with no pickup-and-trailer combination loads and no vehicles with contractor or commercial signage. Contractor and commercial dumping is prohibited. See Dorchester County convenience sites.

Pro tip separate the heavy material before you load. Shingles, brick and concrete are turned away from Charleston County's Zone 2, so a mixed load can mean a second trip.

Renting a dumpster

A dumpster gives you days to fill it, which suits a renovation that runs longer than one visit from a hauler. ZTERS' Charleston page lists these prices for a 10-day rental, with no date shown:

Size	ZTERS Charleston price	Weight allowance
10-yard	$675 to $825	1 to 2 tons
20-yard	$755 to $905	2 to 4 tons
30-yard	$800 to $935	4 to 6 tons
40-yard	$890 to $990	5 to 8 tons

Check the weight allowance as well as the size. Angi (2024 data, national) says a 20-yard dumpster can run up to $1,300 in areas with high disposal costs.

Hiring a hauler

A junk removal crew loads the debris and takes it away the same visit. National guides put the cost at:

$100 to $800 by the truckload (Angi, 2024 data)
$200 to $600 (Fixr, January 2025)
$300 to $800 a truckload (LawnStarter, December 2025)
About $240 for yard waste, construction debris and scrap metal jobs (Thumbtack, October 2026)

In Charleston, LoadUp's page says construction debris starts at $415. Several other companies list construction debris removal on their own sites, including College HUNKS Hauling Junk & Moving, Lowcountry Junk Pros and Lowcountry Junk Dogs. Junk King says it gives construction and demolition recycling receipts on request.

Tearing down a structure in the yard is its own job. See our guide to shed removal, and the junk removal cost guide for load-size prices.

Frequently asked questions

Will the City of Charleston pick up construction debris?

Only a small amount, and only if you did the work yourself. The City collects owner-generated construction refuse up to 90 gallons per trash collection cycle. It doesn't collect material from hired contractors or builders, such as bricks, lumber, mortar, plaster or roofing. The contractor, builder or owner has to remove that.

Can a contractor use the county convenience centers?

No. Charleston County's centers are residential only, and businesses and contractors may use only the single-stream recycling area. Berkeley County sends businesses and contractors to the county landfill. Dorchester County prohibits contractor and commercial dumping at its sites and turns away vehicles with contractor or commercial signage.

Where can I take shingles, bricks or concrete?

These are the hardest materials to place. Charleston County's Zone 2 doesn't take shingles, bricks, cement or stucco, though Zone 7 takes small quantities of cement and bricks. Most towns don't collect them at the curb either. For more than a small quantity, ask a dumpster company or hauler whether they take heavy debris before you book.

How much does construction debris removal cost?

National guides put it at $100 to $800 by the truckload (Angi, 2024 data), $200 to $600 (Fixr, January 2025) or $300 to $800 a truckload (LawnStarter, December 2025). In Charleston, LoadUp's page says construction debris starts at $415, and ZTERS lists a 10-yard dumpster at $675 to $825 for 10 days.

Bottom line

If a contractor did the work, the debris is theirs or yours to remove, because no town here will take it. For a small job you did yourself, the curb limit or a pickup-truck run to a county site is free. For a renovation, price a dumpster against a hauler, and ask both about shingles, brick and concrete.

How do we know this?

We check every rule, address and hour on this page against the official source, and re-check on a schedule. Spot something out of date? Tell us.