Remodel debris looks like junk, but in Los Angeles County it's regulated differently from a couch or a box of old clothes. This guide covers what the curbside programs in the City of LA, Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena will and won't take, and the materials that need extra care.
City of Los Angeles
Where LA's C&D debris goes
LA Sanitation publishes the City-certified processors along with their mixed-debris recycling rates. In Sun Valley that list includes America's Recycling Company 3 at 9364 1/2 Glenoaks Blvd. (83.98%), Crown Recycling Services at 9189 DeGarmo Ave. (81.28%) and East Valley Diversion at 11616 Sheldon St. (78.20%).[1]
Work hours
LADBS allows construction and demolition Monday to Friday 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., with no work on Sunday; violations can be a misdemeanor with a $1,000 fine.[2] In Hillside Construction Regulation districts, such as the Bird Streets and Laurel Canyon area and the Franklin Canyon, Coldwater Canyon and Bowmont Hazen area, weekday work runs 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays are interior work only.[3]
Small jobs: what curbside pickup will take
A bathroom refresh or a fence repair often leaves a few pieces rather than a dumpster's worth. Curbside programs take some fixtures and not others.
| City | Takes | Won't take |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | Toilets, sinks, carpet rolled and tied, large wood pieces or doors[4] | Concrete, bricks, dirt and other construction materials[4] |
| Burbank | No construction items | Drywall, plaster, tile, roofing, fencing, carpet, countertops[5] |
| Glendale | Toilets and sinks (no cast iron)[6]; carpet up to 5 ft rolled[6] | Construction materials, lumber, large amounts of window glass[6] |
| Pasadena | No construction items | Construction and roofing material[7] |
Burbank residents on a Burbank Water and Power account can rent a small City bin instead: $145 per collection for 2 yards or $175 for 3 yards.[8] The 3-yard bin takes lumber and household trash but no heavy material, and every City bin has a 1,000-pound limit.[8] In Altadena, the County hauler's on-call pickup takes only 2 bags or bundles of construction debris under 70 pounds each.[9]
Materials to pull out before anything is loaded
- Asbestos. Some older cement, roofing, flooring and siding contains it, and CalRecycle lists these as banned from the trash.[10] Test suspect material before demolition.
- Treated wood. Lumber treated against insects and rot must be managed as hazardous waste.[10]
- PCBs. Older caulk, paint, glues, fluorescent light ballasts, transformers and capacitors may contain them.[10]
- Fluorescent tubes and LEDs can't go in the trash.[10]
- Leftover paint and solvents go to a PaintCare site or a S.A.F.E. Center; see our paint and chemicals guide.
- Sharps. State law bars putting home-generated sharps in any roll-off container used for C&D debris.[11]
Clean wood is worth separating too. Under SB 1383, lumber and wood count as organic waste,[12] and LA's green bin accepts clean untreated wood.[13]
Salvage what still works
The best-diverted debris never gets hauled. Habitat for Humanity LA's ReStores take major and small appliances under 8 years old if they're uninstalled and disconnected.[14] Donation drop-off at a ReStore is free, and pickup costs $50.[14] Goodwill Southern California, by contrast, doesn't accept construction materials, carpeting, plumbing fixtures or water heaters.[15] Call any donation site with a description and photos before you pull a cabinet or a vanity off the wall for them.
Prep checklist
Before the remodel starts
- Test older flooring, siding and cement for asbestos before demolition.
- Set aside treated wood, fluorescent tubes, paint and solvents.
- Keep clean wood, metal and concrete in separate piles where you can.
- Offer working appliances and fixtures for reuse before demolition day.
When to call a hauler
A remodel also produces plenty of ordinary household junk that isn't construction debris at all: the sofa that was in the way, boxes from new cabinets, the garage that got packed full while the kitchen was torn up. Household junk like that is what Legacy Junk Removal, a North Hollywood family business, hauls away. Our construction debris removal page covers the questions to ask before a cleanup, and you can send photos of what's left to get a price on the junk.