An old shed is really three jobs: emptying it, taking the structure down and dealing with the floor. Each has different rules in Los Angeles, and the first one is where most of the hazardous waste hides.
Start with what's inside
Sheds collect the things people don't want in the house, which is why so much of it can't go in the trash.
| Found in the shed | Where it goes |
|---|---|
| Paint, stain, varnish | Free PaintCare drop-off, original labeled can, 5 gallons or smaller per container[1],[2] |
| Pesticides, weed killer, solvents, pool chemicals, antifreeze | A household hazardous waste facility[3] |
| Propane tanks and camping gas cylinders | Banned from the trash;[3] S.A.F.E. Centers take propane cylinders[4] |
| Motor oil and oil filters | Banned from the trash;[3] certified used oil collection centers take oil[5] |
| Batteries of any kind | Banned from every household bin in California[3] |
| Old fluorescent tubes | Banned from the trash[3] |
Even dried-out paint can't go in the trash in California; PaintCare sites take it.[6] For everything else hazardous, the City of LA's S.A.F.E. Centers are free for LA County residents,[7] with a limit of 15 gallons or 125 pounds per trip.[4] The Valley centers are at 11025 Randall St., Sun Valley,[7] and 10241 N. Balboa Blvd., Northridge,[8] open weekends 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Used oil has a practical limit: certified collection centers may cap drop-offs at 5 gallons a day.[5] Drain it into a clean container and don't mix it with anything.[5]
Lawn equipment. In Los Angeles, a mower or blower can go out as a bulky item once the fuel and oil are drained, since LASAN takes anything non-hazardous too big for the black bin.[9] In Burbank, lawnmowers and gas-powered yard tools carry a $12.14 per-item special handling fee on bulky pickup.[10]
Metal, wood or resin: how the structure breaks down
Metal sheds
Steel and aluminum sheds are the easiest to recycle. SA Recycling's Sun Valley yards take scrap metal from the public: 8250 Tujunga Ave., open weekdays 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays 7 a.m. to noon,[11] and 9754 San Fernando Rd., which takes steel, aluminum, copper and tin.[12] Bring a government-issued photo ID; the yard requires one to sell scrap.[11]
Metal sheds come apart with a drill and a lot of screws. The panel edges are sharp, so wear cut-resistant gloves.
Wooden sheds
Lumber counts as organic waste under California's SB 1383,[13] and LA's green bin takes clean, untreated wood.[14] The lid has to close for the bin to be collected,[15] so a whole shed would take many weeks of green-bin loads. LASAN's bulky list also includes large wood pieces and doors,[9] which can help with the panels and the shed door.
Two exceptions change the plan:
- Treated wood. Wood that's been chemically treated against insects and decay has to be managed as hazardous waste in California.[3] Burbank sends treated wood such as railroad ties to a S.A.F.E. Center,[16] and Glendale's HHW facility accepts treated railroad ties.[17] If you don't know how the framing was treated, ask before you cut it.
- Asbestos. Some older cement, roofing, flooring and siding contains asbestos, and CalRecycle lists it among building materials banned from the trash.[3] Glendale's HHW facility takes asbestos case by case, wet and double-bagged;[17] Burbank's Drop Zone doesn't take it.[16] If your shed has old cement-board siding or roofing, have it tested before anyone breaks it.
Resin and plastic sheds
Plastic kit sheds unbolt into flat panels. They're neither metal nor wood, so in LA they go out with a regular bulky pickup.[9] Cut or stack them so each piece can be carried by two people.
The slab, footings and pavers
The floor is often the heaviest part. LA's curbside pickup won't take concrete, bricks or dirt.[9] Burbank's bulky pickup excludes concrete, bricks, dirt, rocks, fencing and roofing, and the City rents a 2-yard bin for those instead.[10] That bin holds heavy material like concrete only up to 12 inches deep, within a 1,000 lb limit.[18] Our concrete and dirt guide covers the other routes, and dumpster rental explains bin sizes.
Shed teardown checklist
Before the shed comes down
- Empty it completely and sort out paint, chemicals, fuel, batteries and propane.
- Drain fuel and oil from mowers and other engines.
- Shut off and disconnect any power run to the shed, and have an electrician cap it.
- Check for wasps, rodents and other animals before pulling panels.
- Find out whether the siding or roofing could contain asbestos.
- Separate metal, clean wood, treated wood and plastic as it comes apart.
- Plan separately for the slab or pavers.
When to call a hauler
A small resin shed is a weekend project. A wooden shed with a floor, a slab and years of stored stuff is a bigger job, and hiring help is worth pricing when:
- the shed still has a roof and walls that need to come down safely;
- it's in a back corner with no truck access, so everything has to be carried out;
- the contents are a mix of junk, yard equipment and bulky items;
- you'd rather not make four separate trips to a S.A.F.E. Center, a scrap yard and a green bin.
Legacy Junk Removal offers shed removal from its North Hollywood base. Point out any chemicals, fuel or old roofing in your photos, since those need their own route whoever does the job. Send photos of the shed, inside and out, and we'll text back a price to take it down and haul it off.