Deck removal: container, weight and what you cannot throw in
A 15 yard container. Dimensional lumber is light for its bulk, and how well you break it down decides the size more than the deck does. Expect $300 to $675 for the rental, and check the material list below before you start — this job produces 3 things worth verifying.
- Recommended
- 15 yd³
- Constraint
- Volume-limited
- Weight limit
- 1.5–3 tons
- Typical cost
- $300–$675
How much debris this job produces
Roughly 8 to 15 cubic yards for a 300 to 400 square foot deck, depending on how short you cut the boards. Full-length joists trap enormous amounts of air.
Why this size and not the next one
Dimensional lumber is light for its bulk, and how well you break it down decides the size more than the deck does. The 15 is the least-stocked common size. Plenty of haulers skip it entirely, so if you ask for one you may be quoted a 20 at the same price. Ask before you assume it is available.
What goes wrong on this job
- Concrete footings are a separate material and a separate problem — do not mix them into a wood load
- Pressure-treated lumber is normally fine as C&D; creosote railroad ties used as retaining walls are not
- Pull and bag the deck screws and joist hangers for scrap
Materials from this job that need checking
- Conditional
Untreated lumber and wood
Standard C&D material nearly everywhere. Massachusetts bans wood from disposal, so in-state it is separated for processing rather than landfilled.
Massachusetts: Wood is a banned material under the state disposal bans. (310 CMR 19.017)
We have not verified this material against your state’s own regulator. That means unknown, not allowed — check with your state before you load it.
Varies by state Construction debris MA - Conditional
Pressure-treated wood and railroad ties
Pressure-treated lumber from a deck is normally accepted as C&D. Creosote-soaked railroad ties are a separate problem that many haulers refuse and some states regulate, so ask specifically rather than lumping them in as "wood".
We have not verified this material against your state’s own regulator. That means unknown, not allowed — check with your state before you load it.
Varies by state Construction debris - Conditional
Concrete, brick and asphalt
Accepted only as a clean, dedicated load — no rebar-tangled slabs mixed with wood and trash. Concrete is about two tons per cubic yard, which is why haulers cap these containers by depth rather than by rim. Massachusetts bans asphalt pavement, brick and concrete from disposal outright; they go to an aggregate processor instead.
Massachusetts: Asphalt pavement, brick and concrete are banned materials and must be diverted to processing. (310 CMR 19.017)
California: Not banned, but CALGreen requires covered projects to divert at least 65% of non-hazardous C&D debris by weight, and concrete is the easiest material to hit that number with. Expect to document where it went. (CALGreen)
We have not verified this material against your state’s own regulator. That means unknown, not allowed — check with your state before you load it.
Varies by state Heavy debris MA, CA
Sources
- Primary source MassDEP Waste Disposal Bans — Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection · last reviewed 2026-08-17
mass.gov refuses automated requests from this build environment (HTTP 403). The ban list was read from the publisher’s own guide through a search index and cross-checked against the October 2021 amendment document below. - Primary source CALGreen Construction Waste Management Requirements — CalRecycle · last reviewed 2026-08-17
- Primary source Construction and Demolition Debris: Material-Specific Data — US Environmental Protection Agency · last reviewed 2026-08-17