How to Gut a Bathroom Yourself and Handle the Heavy Debris

When you gut a bathroom yourself, plan the dumpster around weight, because the debris from a small room adds up faster than you expect. The room might only be five by eight feet, but once you pull tile, plaster and an old cast-iron tub, the load gets heavy. Family Trash offers roll-off container rental in Charleston from James Island, and if you're doing the demo yourself, it helps to have the dumpster in the driveway before you start.

What comes out of a bathroom?

A full bathroom gut produces a lot of material for its floor space. There's wall and floor tile, the mortar bed or backer board behind it, drywall or old plaster, a vanity and its top, the toilet, a mirror, a medicine cabinet, the exhaust fan, and the tub with its surround. In an older Charleston house you might be pulling lath and plaster instead of drywall, and plaster is dense.

The debris splits into two kinds. The drywall, wood trim, vanity and a fiberglass surround are bulky and fairly light. The tile, mortar, plaster, a stone or cultured marble vanity top and a cast-iron tub are heavy. Knowing roughly how much of each you have tells you which size to book.

Which dumpster size fits a bathroom gut?

For one bathroom, the 13-yard dumpster is the size to book. It fits the vanity, toilet, tub, drywall, tile and trim from one room. It comes with 1 ton included and 5 days.

If you're gutting two bathrooms, or a bathroom and a full kitchen in the same stretch, step up to the 17-yard dumpster. It has more room and 1.5 tons included. The dumpster size comparison shows all four sizes side by side.

Each size has its included tons. Tile and plaster are heavy for their size, and a small pile of tile can outweigh a large pile of drywall. When you book, give the size of the room, roughly how much tile is coming out and whether there's a cast-iron tub, and we'll help you plan the weight.

If the job also includes breaking out a clean concrete step or slab outside, that concrete goes in a separate 7-yard. Tile and the rest of the bathroom debris go in the 13 or 17.

How do you get ready before the demo starts?

Shut off the water to the toilet and the sink at the valves, or at the main if the valves are old and stuck. Flush the toilet and sponge out what's left in the tank and the bowl so it comes out dry. Turn off the breaker for the bathroom lights, the fan and any outlets, and test them before you pull a fixture.

Cover the drain in the tub and the floor drain if there is one, so broken tile and grout stay out of the pipes. Tape plastic over the bathroom door and any return vent nearby to keep dust out of the rest of the house. Open a window and set a fan in it blowing out if you can.

Have your tools and safety gear together before day one: a flat bar, a hammer, a utility knife, a reciprocating saw, a sledgehammer for the tub if you plan to break it, heavy gloves, eye protection, a dust mask, and sturdy buckets for tile. In an older house, old floor tile and the adhesive under it can contain asbestos. If you're not sure what you have, get a sample tested before you break it up.

What order should the demo go in?

Pull the fixtures first: the toilet, the vanity, the mirror, the medicine cabinet and the light. Carry them straight out to the dumpster. Cap the supply lines and stuff a rag in the toilet drain so sewer gas stays out of the house.

Then take down the wall tile and the backer board, working from the top down. Pull the drywall or plaster next. Leave the floor tile for last so you have a solid place to stand while the walls come down. The tub usually comes out after the walls around it are open.

How do you load bathroom debris?

Load the heavy debris low and spread it across the floor of the dumpster instead of piling it at one end. Put the vanity, trim and drywall on top. Carry tile out in sturdy buckets instead of bags, and dump it in an even layer.

Set the dumpster on the driveway, as close to the front door as the space allows, so each bucket of tile is a short carry. A dumpster on your own driveway needs no permit. Keep the load level with the top edge. If you're doing a second bathroom later in the month, call for a swap at that point.

How do you get an old cast-iron tub out?

A cast-iron tub is the heaviest single item in most bathrooms. Before you pull it, plan how it's getting out of the house. Lay cardboard or moving blankets along the path from the bathroom to the door, measure the doorways and the turns, and clear the route first. Get a second person and a heavy-duty dolly.

You can also break a cast-iron tub into pieces with a sledgehammer so it's easier to carry. If you do, wear eye protection and long sleeves, and cover the tub with a heavy tarp before you swing. A fiberglass or acrylic tub is much lighter and can be cut into sections with a reciprocating saw.

What about the water heater and the leftover products?

You may also pull out a water heater, or find half-used tubes of caulk and adhesive, cleaners from under the sink, or leftover paint. Ask about any of it when you book. Paint goes in the dumpster.

SC DES has a page on construction and demolition debris for residents if you want to read more about remodeling debris in South Carolina.

How long does a bathroom gut take?

Demo on one bathroom is usually a weekend or a few evenings. The 13 and 17 come with 5 days included, which covers the tear-out. If the plumber or the tile setter needs the room clear by a set date, book delivery for the day before you start and call for pickup once the last bucket is out. For more on home projects, see the residential dumpster rental page.

Common questions about a DIY bathroom gut

When you're ready for a dumpster in the driveway, call or text (843) 800-0689. Family Trash is family-owned and based on James Island.

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