San Diego Dump Fees & Disposal Guide for Junk Removal Operators

Miramar Landfill FY2026 rates: $97/ton for City of San Diego waste, $103/ton for non-city waste. Flat rates for Tier 1 vehicles (under 1 ton): $71 city, $82 non-city. Tier 2 (1⁠–⁠3 tons): $141 city, $149 non-city. Tier 3 (3⁠–⁠5 tons): $614 city, $653 non-city. Rates include the $13/ton AB 939 Recycling Fee and $8/ton Refuse Collector Business Tax. Private landfills (Otay, Sycamore) charge an estimated $100+/ton — call for current rates.

• City of San Diego waste gets the lower rate ($97/ton vs. $103/ton non-city) — a 6% savings that adds up on high-volume operations
• Set up a Deferred Payment Account at Miramar ($250 surety bond) for streamlined billing — no cash accepted

C&D at Miramar is brutally expensive: $230/ton city waste, $247/ton non-city. Tier 2 (1⁠–⁠3 tons): $337 city, $359 non-city. Tier 3 (3⁠–⁠5 tons): $1,461 city, $1,568 non-city. On a 5-ton demo job, dump fees alone run $1,150⁠–⁠$1,235. Clean wood ($35/ton) and green waste ($70/ton) should always be separated from mixed C&D. California requires 65% C&D diversion on permitted projects.

• Separate clean wood from C&D — $35/ton vs. $230/ton is a $195/ton difference. On a 3-ton load with 30% clean wood, that is $175+ in savings
• Separate green waste from C&D — $70/ton vs. $230/ton saves $160/ton on every pound diverted

Clean wood at $35/ton and green material at $70/ton are dramatically cheaper than general refuse ($97/ton) or C&D ($230/ton). The rate spread between general refuse and clean wood is $62/ton — on a 3-ton load, sorting saves $80⁠–⁠$190. Keep green waste and clean wood loads strictly separated from other materials to qualify for the lower rates.

• Sort clean wood on the truck during every job — the $62/ton spread vs. general refuse makes this the highest-ROI activity on any San Diego job
• Green waste at $70/ton saves $27/ton versus general refuse — keep yard waste loads separate from household junk

Uncovered load penalty: $50 flat — no exceptions, strictly enforced. Special handling waste: $135/ton city, $144/ton non-city. All CRTs, TVs, appliances, universal waste, e-waste, and HHW must be properly disposed BEFORE entering the landfill — mixing these into general loads triggers penalties. No cash accepted at Miramar — credit/debit cards and checks only.

• Always cover loads — the $50 uncovered load penalty is strictly enforced at Miramar with zero exceptions
• Remove e-waste, appliances, and HHW from loads before arriving — California law prohibits these in landfill and penalties apply at the scale

City-owned landfill and the primary disposal site for San Diego County. FY2026 rates effective July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026. No cash accepted — credit/debit cards (Visa/MC) and checks payable to City Treasurer only. Set up a Deferred Payment Account (DPA) with a $250 minimum surety bond for streamlined billing — account active in 1⁠–⁠2 business days. Self-tipping loads ONLY after 4PM; no hand unloads after 4PM. All loads must be covered ($50 penalty). City vs. non-city rates apply — verify your waste origin. Closure expected ~2031, after which all waste shifts to private landfills at higher rates.

Materials accepted: MSW/General refuse, C&D debris, Green material, Clean wood, Food material, Special handling waste

Documentation needed: DPA application with $250 surety bond for deferred billing; Franchise haulers need Class I or II designation; C&D diversion documentation for permitted projects

Surcharges: Uncovered load: $50 flat; Non-city waste: 6⁠–⁠7% premium over city rates; AB 939 Recycling Fee: $13/ton (included in rates); RCBT: $8/ton (included in rates); Special handling: $135/ton city, $144/ton non-city

Full-service buy-back recycling center located right at the Miramar Landfill entrance. Stop here before entering the landfill to sell scrap metals and CRV containers. At $97⁠–⁠$103/ton disposal costs, every pound diverted to recycling improves margin. Also check SA Recycling and independent scrap yards throughout San Diego County for competitive rates on larger quantities.

At $97⁠–⁠$103/ton disposal costs, diverting a couch to Habitat ReStore instead of the landfill saves real money — a 200-lb couch costs roughly $10 to landfill. Pickup available for qualifying items. Build donation routing into your job workflow — customers love the tax receipt, and you avoid the tipping fee. Also route to Goodwill (20+ San Diego locations), Salvation Army (pickup available at (619) 231-6000), and Father Joe's Villages (Downtown San Diego).