What removal costs
| Item | Typical range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Removing old flooring, general | about $1.50–$3.50 per sq ft | Angi |
| Carpet (nailed or stapled) | about $1–$1.50 per sq ft | Angi |
| Tile | about $2–$7 per sq ft | Angi |
| Dumpster rental, national average | $384 (most pay $294–$480) | Angi |
Many flooring installers include removal and disposal of the old floor in their price. If they don’t, or you do the tear-out yourself, the dumpster is the main disposal cost.
How each floor behaves in a dumpster
Carpet and pad
Bulky and relatively light when dry. Cut carpet into strips about 3 feet wide and roll them tightly; roll the pad separately. Wet carpet from a leak or flood is much heavier. Tack strips have sharp nails – wear gloves and bag them.
Vinyl and laminate
Light to moderate weight. Sheet vinyl can be cut into strips and rolled; laminate planks stack flat. Old sheet vinyl and the adhesive underneath may contain asbestos in older homes – see below.
Hardwood and engineered wood
Moderately heavy and full of nails. Short boards stack well. Sound hardwood is sometimes salvageable for reuse.
Tile
Heavy – especially with the mortar bed underneath in older homes. Tile debris fills a container’s weight allowance quickly; plan a smaller container or a higher weight allowance, and load it in buckets or bags for safety.
Underlayment and subfloor
Plywood, particleboard or cement board. If the subfloor is replaced too, the volume and weight increase noticeably.
Which dumpster size?
- One or two rooms of carpet: a 10 yard container, or junk removal for small amounts.
- Carpet or laminate throughout a house: 10 to 20 yards.
- Tile throughout a house: a 10 to 15 yard container with a high weight allowance, sometimes two hauls.
- Flooring plus subfloor replacement: 20 yards.
- Flooring as part of a larger remodel: 20 to 30 yards.
Old floors and asbestos
Floor tiles in older homes – especially 9-by-9-inch tiles – as well as some sheet vinyl and the black adhesive (mastic) underneath can contain asbestos. The EPA advises that asbestos-containing material in good condition is best left alone and that suspect material should be tested before it is disturbed. If it has to come out, removal must be done by trained professionals, and the waste has its own disposal rules. Never sand, scrape or break suspect tiles, and never put them in a regular dumpster.
In some cases, new flooring can be installed over old tiles instead of removing them. Ask your flooring contractor.
Step by step: a DIY tear-out
- Remove furniture, baseboards and transition strips. Label baseboards if you plan to reuse them.
- Check for asbestos risk in older homes before touching old tile or sheet flooring.
- Cut carpet into strips, roll and tape it; remove pad and tack strips.
- Pry up hardwood and laminate starting at a wall; pull nails or staples as you go.
- Break tile with a hammer and chisel or a rotary hammer; wear eye and hearing protection and a dust mask, and wet the area to reduce dust.
- Scrape adhesive and mortar only if the new floor requires it.
- Sweep and vacuum thoroughly before installing the new floor.
Protect the rest of the house
Flooring removal creates dust and sharp debris. Seal doorways with plastic, cover HVAC vents, and lay a protected path to the exit and the container. Carry debris out in bags or buckets rather than dragging it across floors you want to keep.
Hardwood: refinish instead?
Before tearing out solid hardwood, check whether it can be refinished. Solid hardwood floors can usually be sanded several times over their life; a professional can tell you whether enough wood is left above the tongue. Refinishing avoids demolition debris entirely and is often much cheaper than replacement. Engineered wood with a thin top layer can be sanded fewer times, if at all.
Floating floors and click-lock laminate
Laminate and luxury vinyl plank floors are often “floating” – not glued or nailed down. They come up quickly and are light. The foam or cork underlayment beneath them is very bulky but weighs almost nothing; roll or fold it tightly. These floors fill a container by volume, not weight.
Estimating the amount
Flooring is sold and priced by the square foot, which makes it easy to estimate. Measure each room and add them up. As a rough guide:
- a 12 by 12 foot bedroom is 144 square feet;
- a typical living room is often 250 to 350 square feet;
- a whole single-story house might have 1,200 to 2,000 square feet of flooring.
Give the provider the total square footage and the floor type. For tile, mention whether there is a thick mortar bed underneath – that roughly doubles the weight compared to thin-set tile.
Water-damaged floors
After a leak or flood, flooring often has to come out quickly. The EPA advises drying wet building materials within 24 to 48 hours to limit mold; carpet pad and laminate that have been soaked usually can’t be saved. Wet flooring is much heavier than dry, so tell the provider it is water-damaged when you book. Take photos for your insurer before you remove anything. See storm debris cleanup.
Coordinating with your installer
If a flooring company installs the new floor, ask whether removal and haul-away are included, and how they handle transitions, baseboards and subfloor repairs. If removal is not included, schedule the container for the day before installation starts, so the old floor is gone and the subfloor can be checked and prepared.
Reuse and recycling
- Carpet: some areas have carpet recycling programs or drop-off sites.
- Hardwood: salvaged boards in good condition may be wanted by reuse stores or DIYers.
- Tile: leftover new tiles in unopened boxes can be donated.
How our service fits in
Local Dumpster Network is a free referral service. When you call, you are connected with an independent, local dumpster provider that serves your ZIP code. Tell them the floor type and square footage, and they will recommend a container and weight allowance.