Dump and Landfill Fees Explained
Updated October 5, 2026 · 7 min read · sources listed below
A tipping fee is what a landfill, transfer station or other facility charges to let you unload, or tip, a load of waste. The Environmental Research & Education Foundation (EREF) surveys landfills every year. Its 2024 analysis, based on 351 landfills, put the national average municipal solid waste (MSW) tipping fee at $62.28 per ton, about 10 percent above the 2023 average of $56.80.
That national number is a benchmark, not a quote. What you actually pay depends on how the facility prices loads, what you are carrying, whether you live in the service area, and whether your load falls under a minimum charge. This guide explains each of those pieces and shows how to estimate a load before you leave the driveway. Individual facility prices are on our facility pages, each with a link to where the fee was published.
How facilities price a load
Most sites use one of a handful of pricing methods, and many combine them: a per-ton rate with a minimum, plus flat fees for items that need special handling. Knowing which method applies tells you whether it pays to sort, to combine loads, or to make one bigger trip instead of two small ones.
| Method | How it works | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Per ton | Your vehicle is weighed in and out and you pay for the difference | Heavy materials like concrete, dirt and shingles cost the most |
| Minimum charge | A flat fee that covers any load up to a set weight | Small loads often cost the minimum no matter how light they are |
| Per load or by vehicle | A flat price by vehicle type or trailer size | Common at sites without scales; a full load costs the same as a half load |
| Per cubic yard | An attendant estimates the volume of the load | Light, bulky loads cost more than their weight suggests |
| Per item | A set fee per mattress, tire, appliance or similar item | Added on top of the load charge in many places |
| Prepaid or free | Covered by local taxes, a utility bill, a permit or a sticker | Usually limited to residents and to certain materials |
Scale-in, scale-out: how a weighed visit works
At a site with a truck scale, the visit follows the same pattern almost everywhere. Scales used to charge customers are commercial weighing devices, and NIST Handbook 44 sets the national specifications and tolerances for them. If a ticket looks wrong, ask the scale house to explain it before you leave.
- Stop at the scale house and say what you are carrying; mixed loads, clean yard waste and clean concrete may be sent to different areas or priced differently.
- Your loaded vehicle is weighed (the gross weight).
- Unload where the attendant directs you, then return to the scale.
- The empty vehicle is weighed (the tare weight); some sites keep a stored tare for regular customers.
- You pay for the difference (the net weight) at the posted rate, or the minimum if the load is light.
Why two people pay different prices at the same dump
Residency is often the biggest factor. Where a county or city funds its facility partly through local taxes or fees, residents may pay a lower rate, get a set number of free visits, or need a sticker or permit, while non-residents pay more or are turned away. Bring a driver's license or utility bill that shows your address.
Material and customer type matter too. Some facilities set separate rates for clean yard waste, clean concrete or scrap metal, because those materials can be composted or recycled rather than buried. Contractors may be directed to a different entrance, asked for an account, or charged commercial rates. Regional costs also differ: in EREF's 2023 data the Northeast averaged $84.44 per ton and the Southeast $43.18.
Surcharges round out the picture. Some operators add a fee for loads that arrive uncovered or unsecured; King County, Washington, writes one into county code. Banned items found in a load can mean a separate charge or a trip back home. Some states also add their own fee: Kansas facilities pay a state solid waste tonnage fee on what they receive, although clean rubble kept separate from other debris is exempt.
| Region | Average per ton |
|---|---|
| Northeast | $84.44 |
| Pacific | $62.28 |
| Midwest | $57.24 |
| Mountains/Plains | $49.86 |
| South Central | $45.25 |
| Southeast | $43.18 |
Estimate your cost before you go
The arithmetic is simple: cubic yards of material times pounds per cubic yard gives pounds; divide by 2,000 for tons; multiply by the per-ton rate; then compare the result with the minimum charge and use whichever is higher. The weight factors below come from published conversion tables, mostly EPA's 2016 volume-to-weight memorandum. The volume is a 6.5-foot pickup bed filled level with the rails, about 2.31 cubic yards from Ford's published 62.3-cubic-foot box.
These are estimates. Moisture, how tightly the load is packed and what is mixed in all change the real weight, and published factors for the same material can differ a great deal, so treat the result as a range and trust the scale ticket. Our estimator does the same calculation for other trucks, trailers and dumpster sizes, and uses a facility's own published rate when we have one.
| Material | Lb per cubic yard | Approx. load weight | Approx. cost before minimums |
|---|---|---|---|
| Household trash, uncompacted | 275 | 635 lb | $20 |
| Yard waste, uncompacted | 250 | 578 lb | $18 |
| Drywall scrap | 467 | 1,079 lb | $34 |
| Mixed C&D debris | 484 | 1,118 lb | $35 |
| Asphalt roofing shingles | 731 | 1,689 lb | $53 |
| Broken concrete | 1,855 | 4,285 lb | $133 |
How dumpster pricing differs
A roll-off rental usually bundles delivery, a rental period, the haul and disposal up to a weight allowance into one price. The allowance is where surprises come from: go over it and the overage is billed per ton, and heavy material reaches the limit long before the container looks full. A 10-yard container of tear-off shingles at EPA's 731 pounds per cubic yard is about 7,300 pounds, and the same container of broken concrete would be roughly 18,500 pounds.
Before you sign, ask for the allowance in tons, the overage rate, the length of the rental and the daily rate after it, the list of prohibited items and their fees, and whether heavy material such as concrete or dirt needs a separate container or a fill line.
Open the dump fee calculator to estimate a load's weight and disposal cost from its volume, using the published factors cited here.
Questions
What is a tipping fee?
It is the charge for unloading waste at a landfill, transfer station or processing facility. It is usually quoted per ton, but some sites charge per load, per cubic yard or per item, and most have a minimum charge.
How much does it cost to go to the dump?
It depends on the facility and the load. EREF's 2024 national average MSW tipping fee was $62.28 per ton, but small loads often pay a flat minimum and residents may pay less. Check the facility page for its published rates.
Do dumps charge by weight or by load?
Both are common. Sites with truck scales usually charge by weight with a minimum; sites without scales tend to charge by vehicle, trailer size or estimated cubic yards. Per-item fees for mattresses, tires and appliances are often added on top.
Are dumps free for residents?
Some are, at least for certain materials or a set number of visits, because local taxes or fees already fund them. Others charge everyone but give residents a lower rate. Bring proof of address and check the facility page or call.
Why is the C&D rate different from the trash rate?
Facilities price each stream by their own costs and markets. EREF's 2024 study found C&D tipping fees running close to MSW fees in many places, so do not assume either one is cheaper; compare posted rates.
Can I be charged extra for an untarped load?
Yes. Some operators add a surcharge for loads that arrive unsecured, and every state prohibits debris from falling off vehicles, with fines that AAA reports range from $10 to $5,000.
Sources
- Waste Advantage Magazine: EREF report shows 10% increase in U.S. landfill tipping fees (July 24, 2025) (wasteadvantagemag.com)
- EREF: 2024 Analysis of MSW Landfill Tipping Fees (report page) (erefdn.org)
- EREF: Analyzing Municipal Solid Waste Landfill Tipping Fees (2023 data) (erefdn.org)
- NIST: Handbook 44, current edition (nist.gov)
- King County, WA: Secure your load (kingcounty.gov)
- Kansas Department of Health and Environment: C&D Volume to Weight Conversion Factor (Policy 10-02) (kdhe.ks.gov)
- EPA: Volume-to-Weight Conversion Factors (April 2016) (epa.gov)
- Los Angeles County Public Works: Converting from Volume to Weight (CIWMB factors) (ladpw.org)
- Ford: 2026 F-150 technical specifications (cargo box volume) (fromtheroad.ford.com)
- AAA Newsroom: American drivers aren’t securing their loads (Aug 11, 2016) (newsroom.aaa.com)