It's been said that there only two things you can be sure of in life: death and taxes. However, if you're a general contractor, you know that construction debris removal is also on that list!

Every construction project generates trash - garbage, debris and all types of building material waste - and all this has to be continually cleaned-up, hauled off and disposed of. Preferably in a professional and legal fashion. And the larger the job, the greater the quantity of waste. 

Now that Autumn is fully upon us, the building season is coming to a close for many contractors. And that typically means the rush to finish projects that are still in-process. One way to help speed up the process is to find a better way to deal with cleaning up and removing all the construction debris.

Want to know how much C&D (construction and demolition) debris you actually produce in the course of your jobs? While commercial construction obviously generates a great deal of construction garbage, residential construction can produce surprisingly large quantities of trash.

Here are some stats:

• New construction projects average 3.9 pounds of waste per square foot of building area. For example, almost 98 tons of waste is generated when constructing a 50,000 square foot building.
• Building demolition averages about 155 pounds of waste per square foot. That means that 3,875 tons of waste is produced during the demolition of a 50,000 square foot building.

What is in Your Construction Debris

Construction and demolition, or C&D, waste is often divided into a number of categories:

• Waste left over from new construction (i.e. new material scraps, packaging, etc.)
• Remodeling/demolition debris from older buildings (i.e. old wood, insulation, plaster, brick, fixtures, appliances, etc.)
• Debris from large civil works projects such as highways and bridges (i.e. concrete, asphalt, rubble, etc.

So the question remains: What to do with all that garbage? Disposal (i.e. hauling and dumping) is the standard approach, but it's not the only way to deal with construction waste.

Another one of the options, of course, is to reuse as much of the waste material as possible. The benefits of recycling have been made abundantly clear for a number of years now. But knowing that construction debris can be recycled or reused is still a great option for many contractors.

The truth is that, for most construction professionals, it pays to recycle wherever and whatever they can. The good news is that many municipalities and private firms have developed the means and resources to make this option not only viable, but relatively easy and profitable for everyone involved.

Your Three Options for Construction Debris Removal

Essentially, there are three options when dealing with your construction waste removal task. Here they are in order of the most typical approach taken:

1. Find Someone With a Truck

Like many other decisions a contractor must make, there are a few options that can be considered for waste trash removal. On one hand, a common option is to simply hire the job out to some local guy with a truck and hope it gets done right and doesn't take too long.

Although this might seem to be a viable option, the truth is you have a higher risk of running into additional problems using a "guy with a truck".

It may appear to be cheaper than hiring a licensed and professional firm, but in reality, the risks outweigh the benefits. If something bad happens, that guy in a pickup truck could end up costing you a great deal more in the end in terms of both time and money.

There are real issues of safety, potential for damage or theft, and other legal risks. In other words, the seemingly lower cost could end up costing you far more than you anticipated. The bottom line is that, while finding someone else to handle your construction waste removal is a good approach, finding the right person is critical.

2. The DIY Route - Do It Yourself

For many contractors and even sub-contractors, the work of cleaning, removing and hauling off the construction debris collected on a job site is usually not high on their priority list. It's not that they underestimate the importance and necessity of the task, but that it doesn't represent "productive" labor on their part of their crew.

In other words, time and money spent disposing of construction waste doesn't generate revenue for them.

One more reason is that it is sometimes difficult and dangerous work. Hauling broken slabs of concrete, for example, or materials with fiberglass or lead-based paints, all present a potential health and safety issues for those cleaning it up and those tasked with properly disposing of it.

In addition to all this, there are the costs associated with various dumping fees and the fuel, wear and tear, and mileage with their own trucks.

Consequently, it gets done, but for most GCs and contractors, there is the nagging question of "Is there a better way?

3. Outsourcing by Hiring a Professional Hauling Firm

Trash hauling and site clean-up might be considered “part of the job” for contractors, bit it really doesn’t have to be. When you consider that every hour your crew spends picking up debris, cleaning the site, and hauling and disposing of the material, is an hour NOT spent generating revenue on a project. And the bigger the job, the more the opportunity costs add up.

Add to that the possible costs of hazardous material disposal and even required training for your employees, the benefits of outsourcing these tasks become more attractive.

There is more to proper junk removal than simply throwing stuff into the back of a truck. Knowing what can be disposed of legally and where constitutes a large part of what makes a professional firm the better choice. And simply taking everything to the local landfill – assuming there is one – is not always the most cost-effective means of disposal. Recycling and re-purposing many items and materials is a responsible approach for a business to take.

Being a "Pro" Means Knowing When to Outsource

Even though you may be a construction pro, you might still find it difficult to get rid of the debris left over after the job is complete. Whether you are doing demolition, remodeling, or construction, there is always the time sensitive and costly process of getting rid of leftover debris. Concrete, wood, steel, tiling and drywall all can be extremely difficult to haul off of a construction site.

There is more to proper construction garbage removal than simply throwing stuff into the back of a truck. Knowing what can be disposed of legally and where constitutes a large part of what makes a professional firm the better choice. And simply taking everything to the local landfill – assuming there is one – is not always the most cost-effective means of disposal. Recycling and re-purposing many items and materials is a responsible approach for a business to take.

Finding the Right "Pro" for Your Construction Garbage Removal Tasks

Junk King provides an efficient, safe and eco-friendly construction debris disposal service so you don’t need to worry about the pick up or disposal of the debris after the project is complete. Whether you need our services several times during a construction project or just once after it is complete, our hauling professionals will ensure that the construction debris is out of your way so that you can get on with the job.

How can you get us on the site for construction debris disposal? It’s as simple as 1, 2, 3. You make an appointment by booking online above or by calling 1.888.888.JUNK (5865). Our professional and insured hauling team will show up at your site; we call 15 minutes before we arrive on and we’ll give you a free estimate based on how much room your debris takes up in our truck. You point and we haul the construction waste into our junk removal trucks, with no hidden fees.