Option 1: a roll-off bin for the length of the job
A bin is the usual choice when the renovation runs for days or weeks and the tear-out happens in stages. Your contractor or your family loads it as the work goes, and it leaves when the job does. Rentals include up to 7 days unless otherwise stated, and delivery and extra days are charged separately.
Because renovation waste is heavy, the way you pay for the bin matters more than the size. We price bins three ways (all before HST):
| Bin |
Volume Based |
Weight Based |
Flat Rate |
| 10 yard |
$325, up to 1 tonne |
$400, up to 1.5 tonnes |
$500 |
| 14 yard |
$325, up to 1 tonne |
$450, up to 2 tonnes |
$575 |
| 20 yard |
$325, up to 1 tonne |
$550, up to 3 tonnes |
$700 |
Weight above the included allowance on Volume Based and Weight Based Pricing is $130 per metric tonne, prorated.
Here is why that matters for a renovation. A 14 yard bin that comes back at 2 tonnes costs $325 plus $130 of overage on Volume Based, so $455, against $450 on Weight Based. A 20 yard bin from a full gut that weighs 3 tonnes costs $325 plus $260 on Volume Based, so $585, against $550 on Weight Based. Once a load runs past a tonne, Weight Based is usually the cheaper choice, and you know the number before the bin arrives.
Flat Rate has no standard excess-weight charge, but it comes with material rules. Ceramic and tile are allowed. Plaster or shingles move the load to Weight Based Pricing, and concrete, dirt, brick and asphalt are not accepted. If the tear-out includes plaster walls, as many older Toronto houses do, plan on Weight Based from the start. Our bin rental cost guide works through more examples.
Which bin size for which job
- One bathroom: a 10 yard bin is usually enough. A tub, a vanity, tile and the drywall behind it are heavy but not bulky.
- A kitchen or a finished basement: a 14 yard bin handles most mid-size renovations and full basement clearouts, about four pickup truck loads.
- Several rooms or a full gut: a 20 yard bin. On a full gut of a larger house, such as a Leaside house, a 20 yard plus one swap part way through is common, because plaster, lath and old subfloor fill space fast.
The bin size guide covers driveway fit and when a bin on the street needs a City permit.
Option 2: a crew haul-away in one visit
A crew haul-away is the better buy when the debris already exists and nobody wants to touch it again. That covers the pile your contractor left in the garage, the basement that was torn out before the house was listed, and the condo where a bin is not allowed in the first place.
The crew carries everything out from wherever it sits, down the stairs and across the yard, sorts metal out for recycling, and leaves with it the same visit. There is no bin on the driveway for a week and no permit to think about.
Renovation and construction debris is quoted separately from our household junk load prices, including when it is mixed with household junk. Send photos of the pile, or describe it on the phone, and we confirm one total price for the whole job before anything is loaded. If the price does not work for you, nothing is booked.
A crew haul-away tends to win when:
- The debris is already sitting in one place and the renovation is finished.
- There is no room for a bin. Many semis in East York, the Junction and Little Portugal have a single narrow drive, or none.
- It is a condo or apartment. The building sets the service elevator and loading dock window, and the crew works inside it.
- Nobody is available to load. A bin only saves money if someone does the lifting.
Option 3: a City of Toronto drop-off depot
For a small job and a vehicle that can carry it, the City's drop-off depots accept some renovation waste. According to the City of Toronto's list of items accepted at drop-off depots:
- Drywall is taken up to 1 tonne, and only at the Bermondsey, Ingram and Commissioners depots. Nails, screws, metal corner beads, ceramics and wood must be removed first.
- Other renovation waste such as baseboards, bathtubs, cabinets, countertops, doors, insulation, plaster, tiles and siding is listed as accepted, with lumber cut to 4 feet or less. Check the accepted items for the specific depot before you go.
- Fees apply for dropping off renovation waste.
- Bricks, concrete, asphalt, soil, sand and rocks are not accepted. The City tells residents to arrange a private company for those.
The depot is the cheapest route only when you already own a truck or a trailer, the load is small, and you have the time to strip fasteners out of drywall and cut lumber down to size. A kitchen's worth of cabinets and drywall usually means several trips, and the time adds up quickly.
How to choose in two questions
Is the waste still being made? If the tear-out is happening over several days, a bin on the drive lets your trades load as they go. If the pile already exists, a crew haul-away clears it in one visit with no rental days running.
Who is lifting? A bin is cheaper on paper because you are doing the loading. If your contractor is not including disposal in their price, or the debris is two floors down, the crew's quote is usually the lower total once the labour is counted.
Many renovations use both: a bin during the tear-out, then a crew for whatever is left in the basement or garage once the bin has gone.
What none of these routes will take
Some things are excluded whichever route you use, because they need a household hazardous waste depot instead: paint, solvents and other liquid chemicals, motor oil, fuel, propane tanks, and car and marine batteries. Set them aside before loading.
If you suspect asbestos, for example vermiculite insulation, old pipe wrap or certain floor and ceiling tiles in an older house, stop and have it tested before the tear-out goes further. We do not remove asbestos or suspected asbestos material.
Need Renovation Waste Gone in Toronto? Junk Alert Is Ready to Help
Tell us what is coming out, whether the pile already exists, and the address. We will tell you whether a bin or a crew haul-away is the better fit and confirm the price before anything is booked.
See our construction debris removal service, compare bin rental sizes and options, check the pricing page, call us at (647) 456-6665, or contact us today. We work across Toronto and the GTA, Monday to Saturday from 7am.
