Most city bulk pickups in Collin and Grayson County won't take remodel debris like drywall, lumber, tile and old cabinets. In Collin County, the main destination is NTMWD's 121 Regional Disposal Facility in Melissa, which charges by the ton. The other routes are a city's paid special collection or a hauler who loads it for you, priced by trailer space.
Why won't the curb take remodel debris?
Bulk pickup is built for furniture and household items, not job-site waste. Nearly every city program we checked excludes construction or remodeling debris in some form.
Some cities exclude all of it. Others exclude only commercial or contractor debris, which still leaves a homeowner guessing about a big DIY tear-out.
What does each city's bulk pickup say?
These come from each city's own trash page.
- McKinney: bulky item collection excludes construction and demolition materials and pallets.
- Allen: bulk collection excludes construction and remodeling waste and fence materials.
- Frisco: bulk pickup excludes construction and remodeling waste. It limits carpet to one 6x6 section and fencing or boards to one panel or 5 loose boards.
- Frisco's residential trash page takes kitchen cabinets and countertops only in sections of 4 feet and 50 pounds maximum. Tile is excluded.
- Plano: bulky and special paid collections don't accept bricks, rock, concrete, dirt, roofing or shingles.
- Prosper: the town's bulk list prohibits commercial construction or remodeling debris, plus bricks and concrete.
- Princeton and Van Alstyne exclude commercial construction or remodel debris, and Wylie excludes commercial debris. Farmersville excludes sheetrock, shingles and construction materials.
- Gunter excludes construction debris such as bricks, concrete and shingles. Sherman excludes concrete, shingles and dirt or rock, and Denison excludes construction debris.
Where can remodel debris go in Collin County?
NTMWD's 121 Regional Disposal Facility is a landfill at 3820 Sam Rayburn Hwy in Melissa. It's open Monday–Friday 7 a.m.–5 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m.–3 p.m.
It charges $52 per ton with a 1-ton minimum and accepts card payment only. Roofing shingles carry a $150 surcharge.
Allen's do-it-yourself disposal page calls the 121 facility the only location that accepts large quantities of construction and demolition materials. Our guide to dumping construction debris covers each site in more detail.
Can you use the free resident drop-off for remodel waste?
Usually not. Free resident drop-offs are mainly for household trash, and most cities carve remodeling waste out of them.
- Plano says remodeling waste of any type isn't allowed under the free resident drop-off program and requires a paid drop-off.
- Frisco says construction and remodeling debris is never accepted at the transfer station, only at the 121 landfill with an authorization letter.
- Allen says the Custer Road Transfer Station takes limited construction materials free only if they're 10% or less of the load.
- Melissa's free landfill drop-off excludes remodeling waste such as sheetrock, tile, carpet, cabinets, doors and windows. That waste can go to NTMWD facilities at the posted gate rate.
- Anna says construction materials, treated wood and fences are accepted at the NTMWD Melissa Landfill for the posted gate rate.
What about Grayson County?
WM's Hillside Landfill at 1102 Nelson Rd in Sherman accepts construction and demolition debris. It's open Monday–Friday 7 a.m.–5 p.m. and closed weekends.
Denison's Residential Collection Station doesn't accept construction material. It also doesn't accept contractors or landlords.
Does the city offer a paid pickup?
Some do. Allen's bulk page lists CWD's paid special collection of bulk and construction waste at 972-392-9300, option 2.
Plano's Special Paid Collection covers large construction debris from major household renovation. Frisco suggests its Rent a Bin program for residential remodeling projects.
What if a contractor is doing the work?
Several cities write debris into their permit or contractor rules. If your remodel is permitted, these may apply to whoever you hire.
- Plano: the building permit application requires a Solid Waste Removal subcontractor to be listed when job valuation is $10,000 or more.
- Plano also says waste from projects requiring a contractor must go to the 121 Regional Disposal Facility, by the contractor or a permitted hauler.
- Fairview: the Town's permit application notes that Republic Services is its sole provider for collecting construction and demolition debris.
- Celina: the demolition packet requires construction debris to be gathered up and removed by the end of each construction day.
- Melissa: the city's code requires anyone providing construction debris removal and disposal to register with the City.
- Gunter: the demolition permit requires the owner to clear all materials and debris, and it asks for the disposal method.
Is asbestos a separate question?
Yes. McKinney requires a signed Asbestos Survey Certification before any demolition or alteration permit for a public or commercial building. Wylie and Murphy have their own asbestos survey rules.
TCEQ says asbestos abatement in buildings falls under the Texas Department of State Health Services.
We don't haul asbestos. If you suspect it in old flooring, ceilings or drywall, deal with it before any tear-out starts.
How should you sort debris before it leaves?
A few habits make remodel debris easier to move, however it leaves the property.
- Keep clean metal separate. Frisco, for example, offers free metal drop-off for residents with a water bill and ID.
- Flatten and stack cardboard from cabinet and fixture boxes instead of mixing it into the drywall pile.
- Pull anything reusable, like intact cabinets, doors or fixtures, before the tear-out turns into one pile.
- Keep paint, solvents and adhesives out of the debris entirely. They belong in a household hazardous waste program, not a landfill load.
- Pull nails or bend them over as you stack lumber, so nobody gets hurt loading it.
When does hiring a hauler make sense?
It makes sense when the pile is too big for a pickup truck, you're short on time, or the next trade needs the space. Our construction and remodel debris service hauls drywall, lumber, flooring, tile, trim, packaging and pulled cabinets and countertops.
On a longer job we come back as many times as it needs, so nothing has to be staged for one big pickup. Clean metal and cardboard get pulled for recycling, and the driveway gets swept before we leave.
Pricing is by trailer space. A Half Trailer Load starts at $515 and covers about a bathroom's worth of remodel debris. A Full Trailer Load starts at $759 and fits about a kitchen tear-out, with the firm quote confirmed on site before we load.