The short answer
Renting a truck can cost less if you have the help to load it and a facility that takes your load. You also pay the facility's fee, follow its rules on residency, tarps and safety gear, and unload it yourself. Junk removal costs more up front, starting at $190 with Roa Solution Junk Removal, but the crew loads, hauls and cleans up in one visit.
Want it handled for you? See our junk removal service.
What doing it yourself involves
A self-haul trip is more than the drive. Here's the whole list.
- Rent the truck and pick it up.
- Load it yourself, including anything heavy or upstairs.
- Cover the load with a tarp and tie it down.
- Find a facility that takes your material and takes loads from where you live.
- Pay the gate fee and any surcharges.
- Unload by hand at the facility, inside its time limit and in its safety gear.
- Return the truck.
What facilities charge and require
These are the published rules and fees for a few LA and Orange County facilities. Fees carry the date shown on each source page. Check the page the day you go, since hours and rules change.
The minimums matter. With a 1-ton minimum, a half-full pickup pays for a full ton.
| Facility | Rule or fee |
|---|---|
| OC Waste & Recycling public landfills | Cars, minivans and SUVs under 360 lb: $15. Pickups and vans under 880 lb: $30. Over 880 lb: $92.70 a ton. Items over 6 ft add $15. Fees effective July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027. |
| OC Waste & Recycling public landfills | Waste from Orange County only. Bring an OC driver's license, a utility bill or a contract showing where the waste came from. |
| LACSD landfills (Scholl Canyon, Calabasas) | 1-ton minimum, except tires and special handling. |
| Scholl Canyon Landfill, Glendale | Waste from its wasteshed only: Glendale, La Cañada Flintridge, Pasadena, South Pasadena, San Marino, Sierra Madre, Altadena, La Crescenta, Montrose and some nearby unincorporated areas. |
| Uncovered loads at LACSD sites | Scholl Canyon adds $5.40 and Puente Hills MRF $5.06, per ton or per load (surcharges effective July 1, 2024). |
| Puente Hills MRF | Safety vest required at all times ($4.50 if you need one). Every load inspected; 30 minutes maximum to unload. |
| Sunshine Canyon Landfill, Sylmar | 1-ton minimum and a $175 penalty for an untarped load (rates as of July 1, 2024). Vest, hard hat and work shoes outside your vehicle. Bring an Origin Report Form. |
More on this: self-haul dump rules and fees · every dump and landfill in LA and Orange County
Sources: OC Waste & Recycling: Landfill Fees; OC Waste & Recycling: Olinda Alpha Landfill; LA County Sanitation Districts: Tipping Fees; LA County Sanitation Districts: Scholl Canyon Landfill; LA County Sanitation Districts: Puente Hills MRF; LA County Sanitation Districts: PHMRF Load Requirements; Sunshine Canyon Landfill: Disposal Costs; Sunshine Canyon Landfill: Drop-off Requirements, checked Nov 2026
Two landfills people still look for
Puente Hills Landfill closed October 31, 2013. The Puente Hills MRF at the same entrance, 13130 Crossroads Parkway South in City of Industry, takes self-haul loads Monday through Saturday.
Chiquita Canyon Landfill in Castaic has been closed to waste since January 1, 2025.
More on this: Puente Hills MRF hours and rules
Sources: LA County Sanitation Districts: Puente Hills Landfill; LA County Sanitation Districts: Puente Hills MRF; Chiquita Canyon Landfill, checked Nov 2026
Side by side
Here's how the two compare on one load.
| Rent a truck | Hire junk removal | |
|---|---|---|
| Who loads | You, and whoever you can recruit | The crew, from inside, upstairs, the garage or the yard |
| What you pay | Truck rental, fuel, the facility fee and any surcharges | One price from photos, starting at $190 |
| Rules to follow | Tarps, residency or origin rules, safety gear, unloading limits | Ours is short: we don't take hazardous waste |
| Time | Pickup, loading, the drive, the line, unloading, the return | One visit, same-day or next-day depending on availability |
| Heavy material | Concrete, dirt and appliances are on you | Priced by weight; send photos first for concrete or dirt |
| Cleanup | Yours | Included |
When renting a truck makes sense
Doing it yourself is a fair choice when most of these are true.
- You have help and a free day.
- The load is light and close to the driveway.
- You live inside the facility's area and it takes your material.
- You don't mind unloading by hand.
When hiring a crew makes sense
A crew is usually the easier call when the load or the rules get harder.
For contractors, property managers and businesses: first-time commercial clients pay upfront for the first job. After that, we invoice on net 10 or net 30 terms, and after-hours and weekend pickups are available.
- There are heavy items, or things upstairs.
- It's a mix of furniture, appliances and debris that would need more than one facility.
- You'd rather skip tarps, minimums and lines.
- You need it gone today or tomorrow.
More on this: how our junk removal pricing works
Sources
- OC Waste & Recycling: Landfill Fees
- OC Waste & Recycling: Olinda Alpha Landfill
- LA County Sanitation Districts: Tipping Fees
- LA County Sanitation Districts: Scholl Canyon Landfill
- LA County Sanitation Districts: Puente Hills MRF
- LA County Sanitation Districts: PHMRF Load Requirements
- Sunshine Canyon Landfill: Disposal Costs
- Sunshine Canyon Landfill: Drop-off Requirements
- LA County Sanitation Districts: Puente Hills Landfill
- Chiquita Canyon Landfill
Rules change. Check the city or county page before you rely on a limit, fee or date.