Restaurants rent a roll-off dumpster for buildouts, remodels and big cleanouts, and keep their regular trash service for day-to-day kitchen waste. Rent one for the weeks when you're redoing a dining room, replacing old equipment, or clearing a space before a new buildout.
We offer dumpster service from James Island to restaurants and businesses across Charleston, and Tony does every delivery and pickup himself. Family Trash rents roll-off dumpsters and a flatbed for projects. Your regular trash and grease services stay in place for the daily kitchen waste.
When does a restaurant need a roll-off?
A restaurant needs a roll-off for project debris, which is more than the regular carts or compactor are set up for. In a dining room or bar remodel, the old booths, tables, drywall, flooring and trim come out. In a kitchen refit, the cabinets, counters, shelving and built-ins come out. Before a buildout, you clear what the previous tenant left behind: walls, fixtures, signage and debris. After a closure, a lease change or water damage, you empty the space before the next step.
These jobs make a lot of bulky debris in a short time. With a roll-off on site, the crew has one place to put it, and the sidewalk, the back door and the parking lot stay clear.
We rent the dumpster, and you or your contractor load it. Tony handles delivery, pickup and disposal. When the dumpster is full and the work isn't done, call and Tony swaps it for an empty one. There's no scheduled pickup; swaps happen when you call.
Which size fits a restaurant project?
The size follows the scope. A small dining room refresh, like new flooring and trim in one room, fits the 13-yard dumpster, which includes 1 ton and 5 days. A full kitchen refit or a remodel across several rooms goes in the 17-yard dumpster, with 1.5 tons and 5 days. A full gut or a buildout from bare walls goes in the 22-yard dumpster, with 2 tons and 7 days. Contractors use the 17 or the 22.
A commercial kitchen floor may be quarry tile laid in a thick mortar bed, and tile is heavy. Give us the square footage of the kitchen floor when you book so the included tons fit the job. If the project includes a roof, shingles are heavy too. A small roof goes in the 13 and a bigger one in the 17 or 22.
What if the project breaks out concrete or brick?
Clean concrete, brick, block and dirt go in the 7-yard, the size for heavy clean loads. If you're cutting out a slab for new floor drains or taking down a brick wall, keep that debris separate. A clean load of concrete goes to a recycle plant, so it carries no overweight charge. Mixed with wood or trash, it goes to the landfill and is charged by weight.
What about the old kitchen equipment?
Tony takes almost everything from a restaurant remodel. Tell us what's going in when you book, and Tony will talk through the size with you.
Before equipment comes out, have the gas, water and electric lines disconnected and capped by the right licensed trade. Stainless steel edges are sharp, so wear gloves. Move heavy pieces on a dolly or an appliance cart instead of carrying them.
What about fryer oil and grease?
Oil goes in the dumpster sealed in a wrapped container. If the project turns up a lot of oil or grease, or a wet or sludge-type load, describe it on the booking call and Tony will tell you how to handle it.
Can you move new materials in, too?
Yes. The 14-foot flatbed is a daily rental for moving equipment and materials, such as forklifts, pallets of tile or pavers, and concrete mix. On a buildout, that can mean the new floor tile arriving on pallets while the old debris goes out in the roll-off.
How do you plan a remodel around the closure?
Plan the dumpster around the closure dates. Have it dropped the day before demo starts, so the first load goes straight in. Book the rental for the length of the closure. Rentals run 1 to 30 days, and longer works if you call.
If you're remodeling in phases while staying open, put the dumpster where it stays clear of the dining entrance, the delivery lane and the walk from the parking lot. Load during closed hours where you can, and keep the area around the dumpster swept each night.
Where does the dumpster go on a restaurant lot?
If your lot is tight or shared, tell Tony what has to stay clear, like the back door, the delivery lane, the grease pickup and the staff parking, and he'll work out the spot. Tony fits a dumpster in almost any spot. On tight downtown lots, he angles it or sets it out front. If the only spot for your restaurant's dumpster is a City of Charleston street, the city requires a permit for it, and you pull that permit. The city's Traffic Operations Division monitors "the placement of storage devices and dumpsters in the public right-of-way." Downtown, the 13 or 17 is the usual fit.
A dumpster on your own lot needs no permit. If you lease, check with your landlord about where the dumpster can go.
You don't need to be there for delivery or pickup, which helps if the work happens after hours.
What about the cardboard from new equipment?
New equipment and furniture arrive in a lot of cardboard. Break the boxes flat before they go in the roll-off so they take less room. Charleston County's business recycling page covers recycling options for businesses if you'd rather recycle some of it.
How do you book?
Online booking takes about two minutes, and Tony calls every online order to confirm. You can also text or call (843) 800-0689. A restaurant inside 25 miles of James Island carries no fuel fee, and one past 25 miles has a fuel fee. Our commercial dumpster rental page covers business use in more detail.
Common questions from restaurant owners
Does a roll-off replace my regular trash service?
No. Your regular service is for day-to-day kitchen waste. A roll-off is for the extra debris from a buildout, a remodel, an equipment replacement, or clearing a space you're taking over or leaving.
What about the fryer oil and grease?
Oil goes in sealed in a wrapped container. For a larger amount of grease or a wet load, describe it on the booking call first.
Can the dumpster go without blocking the kitchen door?
Usually, yes. Tell us what has to stay clear, and Tony will place the dumpster around it.
What should I tell you about old kitchen equipment?
Describe the equipment coming out and roughly how much there is. Tony will match the size to it.
How long can the dumpster stay during a remodel?
Book the length of the closure. Rentals run 1 to 30 days, and longer works if you call. If the work needs more than one dumpster, ask for a swap-out.
If you have a remodel or buildout coming up, text or call (843) 800-0689 and describe the job.
Need a dumpster in Charleston? Call or text Tony at (843) 800-0689, or order online.
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