Grand Rapids Dump Fees & Landfill Guide for Junk Removal Operators
Current 2026 tipping fees for Kent County landfill and transfer station. MSW at $62.54/ton, C&D at $53.64/ton — full published rate card from county DPW.
Use the guidance with your local numbers.
Resource pages explain the planning model, but local disposal rates, labor costs, truck setup, service area, and customer demand still decide the final operating choice.
Typical disposal costs
Six modules, one focused interface. No add-ons, no upgrade prompts, no per-feature pricing — just the tools that run your business.
Facilities and transfer stations
Six modules, one focused interface. No add-ons, no upgrade prompts, no per-feature pricing — just the tools that run your business.
Restrictions and paperwork
Six modules, one focused interface. No add-ons, no upgrade prompts, no per-feature pricing — just the tools that run your business.
Cost-saving playbook
Grand Rapids is one of the few Midwest markets with fully published disposal rates — use this transparency to build accurate disposal costs into every quote. At $62.54/ton for MSW, a 3-ton full truckload costs $187.62 in disposal. ScaleYourJunk logs dump fees per job automatically so you can verify your estimated disposal costs against actual invoices and catch any overages immediately.
Next pages that support this topic.
Read next
Questions this resource should answer.
Honest answers. If your question isn't here, ask us directly.
Kent County DPW publishes official rates effective January 1, 2026. MSW disposal at South Kent Landfill costs $62.54 per ton all-in (includes base rate plus county, state, and environmental surcharges). C&D is $53.64 per ton. Residential self-haul loads are $30 to $60 depending on vehicle type, with loads over 1,400 pounds prorated at the per-ton rate. Appliances with refrigerant cost $20 each. Mattresses cost $20 each. Scrap metal drop-off is free.
Yes. While six metro cities are bonded to the Kent County Waste-to-Energy facility (requiring curbside haulers to deliver there), this ordinance applies only to licensed curbside collection services — not self-hauling junk removal operators. You can use South Kent Landfill or North Kent Transfer Station directly without being subject to the WTE ordinance. No account setup is required for walk-in disposal.
Yes — scrap metal drop-off is completely free at South Kent Recycling and Waste Center. Pull all metals from your load before weighing at the scale. This reduces your per-ton charge and costs nothing. The landfill accepts all types of scrap metal. For higher-value metals like copper and brass, consider selling to local scrap yards instead of dropping for free — but for mixed ferrous metals and appliance shells, the free drop-off eliminates the hassle of finding a buyer.
No — Michigan law (PA 451) prohibits yard waste disposal in landfills statewide. Leaves, grass, shrubs, and tree trimmings cannot be disposed at South Kent Landfill. Route yard waste to local composting facilities. Trees and stumps are a separate category and ARE accepted at South Kent at $77.54 per ton — the most expensive material category. Always separate yard waste from mixed loads and quote tree/stump jobs with the premium rate built in.
South Kent Landfill is open Saturday 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM — significantly more generous than most Midwest disposal facilities that close by noon. This gives you a full half-day of disposal capacity for weekend jobs. The landfill accepts all standard materials on Saturdays including MSW, C&D, appliances, mattresses, tires, and scrap metal (free). Cash, check, or credit/debit card accepted at the scale house.
Still have questions?
Published Rates Mean No Excuses — Track Every Dollar
ScaleYourJunk logs disposal costs per job against Kent County's transparent pricing so you know your exact margin on every Grand Rapids job.