Get on the schedule before the storm, not after. That's the one piece of advice worth more than everything else here. Hurricane season runs June through November, and in the week after a big one, every dumpster in Charlotte and Lee County is spoken for. After Ian you could not find one anywhere at any price. If a storm is tracking toward us and you know you'll have debris, call and get in line early. You can always cancel.
The rest of this is what we've learned hauling storm debris around here, and it mostly comes down to weight and patience.
What size do you need for storm debris?
The 20-yard for most storm jobs, and the 15-yard if the pile is mostly yard waste. Storm debris is deceptive: downed limbs, palm fronds, fencing, soaked drywall, ruined furniture, and torn-off roofing fill a box faster than people expect, and everything is wet.
Wet is the part that costs money. The 15-yard includes 3,000 pounds and the 20-yard 4,000, and water-logged drywall, carpet, and padding are several times heavier than the same debris dry. Overage is $100 a ton billed at the exact weight, so a soaked load can run past its allowance while the box still looks like it has room. Send a photo of the pile when you call and we'll tell you which size fits and roughly where the weight will land, so the number isn't a surprise at pickup.
Pricing is $349.99 for the 15-yard and $424.99 for the 20-yard, each with three days and driveway protection included. Extra days are $25, which after a storm is usually worth taking, because cleanup runs longer than anyone plans for.
Why does everything take longer after a storm?
Because the landfills and transfer stations back up with everyone else's debris. The lines stretch for miles some days. So even once your dumpster is full, hauling it off and getting an empty one back to you takes longer than a normal week. We keep you posted rather than leaving you guessing, but plan for the entire thing to move slower.
The same goes for the roll-off itself. Availability tightens across the county, which is why booking ahead of the storm beats calling after. If you've already got a box on site when the wind hits, you're weeks ahead of your neighbors.
What do people forget about storm cleanup?
Nails. Every roof in the neighborhood has been picked apart, so the roads and driveways are covered in screws and roofing nails for weeks. We run 16-ply tires on the truck on purpose and still patch them constantly after a storm. After Ian I did almost a dozen patches just on my wife's car, and she wasn't even driving to the dump. Walk your yard and your driveway with a magnet before you park on it.
Insurance photos are the second one. We take a photo of the spot before we drop and after we grab it anyway, and after a storm those are worth having. If you're filing a claim, a record of what got hauled and the condition of the property helps. Ask and we'll send them over.
The third is ground conditions. Storms leave yards torn up and driveways buried, and a lot of lots out here sit soft for a week afterward. Our truck is four-wheel drive for exactly that reason, so a muddy lot or a half-graded site usually isn't a problem. Tell us if your spot is messy or tight when you call. We would rather plan for it than send a truck that can't get in.
Doesn't the county pick up storm debris?
Some of it, and knowing the difference saves you money. After a declared storm the county typically runs curbside collection for vegetative debris, the limbs and fronds and brush. It costs you nothing and it's the right call for a yard full of branches. What it generally does not cover is construction and demolition material, fencing, or household goods, so the soaked drywall, the ruined couch, the carpet, and the torn-off shingles are still yours to deal with. Rules shift from storm to storm, so check with the county for the event you're in.
That's the split most people rent for: brush goes to the curb for the county, and everything from inside the house goes in the box. If you're not sure which pile is which, send a photo and we'll tell you what we can take.
If the pile is more than you want to touch, we also do full cleanouts where we bring the labor and load it ourselves. Plenty of people book a dumpster for the yard debris and have us haul the ruined furniture out of the house separately.
Whether you're getting ahead of a season or digging out of one, call or text (239) 412-3283 and we'll get you on the calendar.