San Jose Dump Fees & Disposal Guide for Junk Removal Operators

Kirby Canyon (WM) at ~$99/ton is the cheapest per-ton MSW disposal in the San Jose metro — $30/ton cheaper than Guadalupe (WM) at $129/ton. Guadalupe's commercial minimum is $124/vehicle; Kirby Canyon's is $114/vehicle. Both include an 18.9% Energy Surcharge plus Waste Water Management Fee. No cash accepted at either facility — Visa, MC, AmEx, Discover only with a $100 minimum credit card deposit per weighed load.

• Route full trucks to Kirby Canyon (~$99/ton) instead of Guadalupe ($129/ton) — $30/ton savings. The ~25-minute drive to Morgan Hill is justified for loads over 1 ton
• Set up a commercial account with WM for potential volume discounts — contact James Towner at jtowner@wm.com or (408) 442-4094 for Guadalupe

C&D rates vary dramatically by facility and material. Guadalupe charges $168/ton for C&D recycle. Kirby Canyon charges $123.23/ton. Zanker Recycling charges $46/cu yd for mixed C&D. Clean concrete ranges from $20/cu yd (Zanker) to $28.33/ton (Kirby Canyon) to $56/ton (Guadalupe). Pre-sort clean concrete and wood from mixed C&D for massive savings. San Jose requires 75% C&D diversion from landfill on permitted projects.

• Route C&D to Zanker Recycling at $46/cu yd mixed C&D — per-cubic-yard pricing benefits lighter/bulkier loads. Clean concrete is just $20/cu yd
• Clean concrete at Kirby Canyon ($28.33/ton) versus mixed C&D ($123.23/ton) is a $95/ton difference — sort aggressively

Clean wood at Guadalupe is $110/ton. Greenwaste at Guadalupe is also $110/ton. At Kirby Canyon, clean wood is $99.46/ton. At Zanker, clean wood is $30/cu yd and clean brush/yardwaste is also $30/cu yd — significantly cheaper for bulky, light loads. Mixed wood at Zanker is $46/cu yd. Treated wood commands a premium: $186/ton at Guadalupe, $133.53/ton at Kirby Canyon, $65/cu yd at Zanker.

• Route green waste and clean wood to Zanker at $30/cu yd — dramatically cheaper than $110/ton at Guadalupe for bulky, lighter loads
• Separate treated wood from clean wood — treated wood costs $53⁠–⁠$86/ton more depending on facility

Mattresses: $100 each at Guadalupe, $69.15 at Kirby Canyon, first 4 free at Zanker. Appliances without freon: $52 at Guadalupe, $35.77 at Kirby Canyon, $50 at Zanker (with freon). Stuffed furniture: $49 at Guadalupe, $35.77 at Kirby Canyon. Tires: $61/passenger at Guadalupe, $35.77 at Kirby Canyon, $30 at Zanker. Carpet: $52 each at Guadalupe, $35.77 at Kirby Canyon, $44/cu yd at Zanker. Unsecured load fee: $34 at Guadalupe. E-waste: free at landfills (log required), $25 each at Zanker. PPE mandatory at Guadalupe.

• Route mattress-heavy loads to Zanker — first 4 mattresses free (Bye Bye Mattress program) vs. $69⁠–⁠$100 each at landfills
• PPE (high-visibility vest + hard hat) required at Guadalupe — stock your truck to avoid delays

Lowest-cost disposal option in the San Jose metro — MSW at ~$99/ton versus $129/ton at Guadalupe ($30/ton savings). Clean concrete at $28.33/ton is the cheapest in the county. Account holders get early 6AM gate access; commercial accounts get 5AM access. The ~25-minute drive to Morgan Hill is easily justified for full trucks. No cash accepted — Visa, MC, AmEx, Discover only with $100 minimum credit card deposit. Energy Surcharge and Waste Water Management Fee additional — call to confirm if 2025/2026 rate update has been released.

Materials accepted: MSW, C&D debris, Composition roofing, Clean concrete (no rebar, <24"), Mixed concrete (brick/asphalt/rock/tile), Clean wood, Greenwaste, Clean soil (for recycle), Treated wood, Carpet/padding, Stuffed furniture, Mattresses, Appliances with/without freon, Tires, E-waste (free with log), Non-RCRA sludges

Documentation needed: $100 credit card deposit per weighed load; Account setup for early gate access

Surcharges: Energy Surcharge + Waste Water Management Fee (additional); Mixed concrete: $93.35/ton; Treated wood: $133.53/ton; Mattresses: $69.15 each; Appliances without freon: $35.77 each; Appliances with freon: $53.65 each; Stuffed furniture: $35.77 each; Carpet/padding: $35.77 each; Tires passenger: $35.77 each; Tires tractor: $65.57 each

The only major San Jose facility open on Sundays (Site 1, 8AM–12:45PM). First 4 mattresses free under the Bye Bye Mattress program — massive savings versus $69⁠–⁠$100 each at landfills. Per-cubic-yard pricing benefits lighter, bulkier loads. Clean concrete at $20/cu yd is extremely affordable. Zanker's 75%+ diversion rate satisfies San Jose's C&D permit compliance requirements. Provides RCI-certified diversion documentation for CalGreen/LEED projects. Cash, check, or charge account accepted.

Materials accepted: Mixed C&D, Brush/yardwaste, Tree chips, Clean concrete (no rebar), Concrete with rebar ($37/cu yd), Dirt, Roofing ($46/cu yd), Clean wood, Mixed wood ($46/cu yd), Treated wood ($65/cu yd), Foam/insulation, Trash ($46/cu yd), Carpet ($44/cu yd), Clean drywall ($40/cu yd), E-waste ($25 each), Freon items ($50 each), Mattresses (first 4 free, then $20 each), Car tires ($30 each), Truck tires ($44 each), Propane tanks

Documentation needed: RCI-certified diversion documentation provided for C&D permit compliance

Surcharges: Mattresses after first 4: $20 each; E-waste: $25 each; Freon items: $50 each; Treated wood: $65/cu yd; Clean dirt: $73.50/cu yd

Accepts furniture, working appliances under 7 years old, building materials, cabinets, and fixtures. At $99⁠–⁠$129/ton disposal costs, diverting reusable items here saves real money. Pull scrap metals (appliance frames, copper, aluminum) and sell to scrap yards in North San Jose. This combined donation-plus-scrap approach can reduce effective disposal costs by 30⁠–⁠50% compared to dumping everything unsorted at Guadalupe.