What Can't Go in a Rented Dumpster in Polk County, FL?

You rented the trailer, it's in the driveway, and now you're standing over a pile wondering what's allowed in. Most of it is. Here's the short list of what isn't, what to do with each thing instead, and the two rules that cost people money at the landfill gate: weight and covering.

What stays out of a rented dump trailer?

Why can't concrete or dirt go in?

Weight, plain and simple. A dump trailer is built to tip a load of furniture and lumber, not a load of broken slab. A few wheelbarrows of concrete weigh more than a whole living room, and the landfill charges by the ton on top of that. So concrete, dirt and rock never ride in my trailers, on a rental or a crew job. I break concrete with the skid steer when that's part of the work, and partner dump trucks haul it to a recycler. That's a separate quote, per job. Don't hide it under the drywall; the scale finds it anyway.

Where do paint, propane and batteries go?

Not in my trailer, and not in anybody's. The landfill refuses them, so every hauler does too. Polk County residents have a free answer. The county runs a Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility at the North Central Landfill in Winter Haven. Per the county's page, it's open Friday 8 a.m. to noon and Saturday 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., there's no fee for residents, paint is limited to 20 gallons a year, and electronics are limited to five components per visit. It takes auto and household batteries, fuel and gas cylinders including propane, used oil and antifreeze, pesticides and fluorescent bulbs.

Set that shelf aside before you load. A gas can buried in a trailer of drywall is exactly the thing the gate looks for.

What is the 2-ton line?

Every rental, 14-yard or 16-yard, includes 2 tons of weight. The trailer gets weighed at the landfill, and if it's over, the difference is $70 per ton on the card I keep on file. Most household loads never get close. Couches, mattresses, cardboard, drywall and tree limbs are light for their size. Shingles, tile, wet lumber and anything with a motor are not. If your pile is mostly heavy material, say so when you book. Sometimes a second trailer is the cheaper answer.

Why does tile cost extra?

Because the facility charges me more to take it, and I pass that through as an extra dump-fee charge rather than quietly building it into everyone's price. Tile is also heavy, so it counts against the 2 tons. If the bathroom floor is coming out, it's fine, just tell me first.

Why does the load have to be covered?

Two reasons, and both are written down by the counties. Polk County's fee schedule for the North Central Transfer Station says loads must be secured, and the county's landfill page notes that loads must be covered and secured under Florida Statute 316.525. Orange County goes further: its landfill and transfer station fee schedules say uncovered loads are charged a double fee.

So when I pick up your trailer, I tarp it before it moves. That's also why nothing can stick above the top rail. A mattress on end or a door poking over the side means the tarp won't seal, the load isn't legal to tow, and the gate can turn me around or charge double. Stack flat things along the sides, break down the big hollow pieces, and stop at the rail.

What if I'm not sure about something?

Text me a photo of it. Half the questions I get are about one odd item: a water heater, a mower with gas still in it, a jug of weed killer. The mower is fine once the gas is out. The weed killer goes to the county facility. Ask before it goes in, not after the trailer's on the scale.

What Big Rob's does here

The dump trailer rentals page has the two sizes and the drop rules, and construction debris removal covers the loads that are mostly building material. The Polk County disposal guide lists every county site with hours and fees, and the Orange County guide does the same for the Orlando side. I drop rental trailers all week in Davenport and Haines City, and on scheduled runs to Winter Haven, Auburndale and west Orlando.

Not sure about the pile? Text a photo to (863) 225-2147 before you load it.