In Phoenix, dirt, concrete and rock can't go out for bulk trash, so you'll need to haul them to a facility that takes heavy inert material, give clean fill away, or hire someone to remove it. Clean, sorted loads are easier to place and often cheaper. And because these materials are so heavy, the real limit on each trip is your trailer's weight rating, not how full the bed looks.
Bulk trash won't take it: what Phoenix excludes
Phoenix bulk trash is for furniture, appliances without refrigerant and similar bulky items. Heavy landscaping and construction material is a different category. According to KTAR's summary of the city's rules, bulk trash excludes:
- Bricks, concrete, dirt and rocks
- Asphalt and roofing
- Construction and demolition debris over 25 lb or longer than 4 feet
- Tree trunks over 4 feet long or 12 inches wide
Confirm the current list on the City of Phoenix bulk trash page before you plan around it. If your project is a turf-to-desert conversion, a patio tear-out or a pool deck, plan on another route for the heavy stuff.
Clean fill vs mixed loads (why sorting saves money)
How you sort the material matters as much as where you take it.
- Clean fill is dirt, sand or rock with no trash, roots, wood or chunks of debris mixed in. It's the easiest to give away and the most widely accepted.
- Clean concrete or brick is broken concrete or masonry without much dirt, rebar tangles or trash.
- Mixed loads combine dirt, rock, concrete, asphalt, tile and other debris. Fewer places take them, and some limit chunk size.
Keep separate piles as you dig. If you're renting a trailer, load one material per trip when you can. A clean load gives you more places to take it, and you won't be turned away because someone tossed a bag of trash on top.
Where to take dirt, concrete and rock around Phoenix
Call ahead before any trip. Acceptance rules, hours and rates change, and some sites don't publish prices.
Vulcan Materials 24th Street facility
Vulcan's 24th Street facility at 3000 S. 24th St. lists these rules on its site:
- It takes clean dirt with no rock over 3 inches and no more than 30% rock.
- It accepts mixed loads of dirt, asphalt, rock, tile or concrete, as long as pieces are under 1.5 x 1.5 x 1.5 feet.
- Hours are listed as 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Rates aren't published, so call for pricing.
City of Phoenix transfer stations
The city runs two transfer stations, according to its transfer station page:
- 27th Avenue: 3060 S. 27th Ave.
- North Gateway: 30205 N. Black Canyon Hwy.
Hours are Monday to Friday, 5:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. HelloGravel's 2026 guide says the stations accept construction and demolition debris and have sorting facilities that handle concrete. Call the city at 602-262-6251 to confirm whether they'll take your load and what dirt or concrete will cost before you drive over.
For general trash, furniture and household junk, our guide on where to dump trash in Phoenix covers the full list of drop-off sites.
Landscape and aggregate suppliers
Some landscape supply yards and aggregate companies take clean fill or clean concrete for recycling. Call the yards near you and ask what they accept, whether there's a fee, and how they want it sorted.
Give clean dirt away free (Marketplace, Craigslist "clean fill wanted")
Clean dirt is useful to someone. Homeowners filling low spots, builders grading lots and landscapers often look for it.
- Search Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace for "clean fill wanted" or "fill dirt wanted" posts near you.
- Post your own listing: "Free clean fill dirt, you haul," with the rough amount and a photo.
- Be honest about what's in it. Mention rock, caliche or roots so nobody makes a wasted trip.
- If you can deliver, you'll find takers faster than if they have to come load it.
Broken concrete sometimes goes the same way for people building retaining walls or garden paths. List it as free "urbanite" or broken concrete.
How much dirt or concrete fits in a dump trailer (by weight, not volume)
This is where most DIY projects go wrong. Dirt, rock and concrete are dense enough to weigh a ton or more per cubic yard, so a trailer hits its weight limit long before the bed is full.
Every trailer has a payload rating (its GVWR minus its empty weight) on the spec plate. For a 7x14 dump trailer, payload is "often around 8,200 to 10,000 lb," according to an industry explainer from KBEW. That can be just a few cubic yards of heavy material.
To plan your trips:
- Find the trailer's payload on its spec plate, or ask when you book.
- Ask the facility or supplier how much your material weighs per cubic yard.
- Divide the payload by that weight to estimate how many yards per trip.
- Load partway, keep the weight toward the front, and make extra trips rather than overloading.
Our dump trailer sizes guide walks through cubic yards and payload in more detail. When you're ready, you can rent a trailer from our dump trailer rental page, or see our Gilbert dump trailer rental page if you're in the East Valley. Always tarp and strap the load before you drive.
Breaking up concrete: tools and safety
If you're removing a slab, walkway or patio yourself, you'll need to break it into pieces you can lift and that fit a facility's size limits.
- Sledgehammer and pry bar: fine for thin slabs and small areas. Pry up an edge so the slab is unsupported, then strike it.
- Rented jackhammer or demolition hammer: much faster for thicker concrete or larger areas.
- Bolt cutters or a grinder: for any rebar or wire mesh in the slab.
Safety basics:
- Wear eye protection, hearing protection, heavy gloves and steel-toe boots.
- Concrete dust contains silica, so wet the surface to keep dust down and wear a proper respirator.
- Call 811 before you dig or break ground so buried lines get marked.
- Lift with your legs and keep pieces small enough to carry safely.
When to hire concrete removal instead
DIY makes sense for a small patio or a few wheelbarrows of dirt. Consider hiring help when:
- The slab is large or thick, or has heavy rebar.
- You don't have a vehicle rated to tow a loaded dump trailer.
- The job would take several weekends of trips.
- The material is mixed with other debris and hard to sort.
Our concrete removal service handles the breaking, loading and hauling. For mixed remodel debris, see construction debris removal, and for green waste from a landscaping project, see yard waste removal. Call or request a free quote.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I dump dirt for free in Phoenix?
The easiest free option is giving clean fill away through Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. Phoenix bulk trash won't take dirt, and disposal sites usually charge, so call ahead to ask about rates.
Can I put concrete out for Phoenix bulk trash?
No. Bricks, concrete, dirt, rocks, asphalt and roofing are excluded from Phoenix bulk trash. Confirm the current list on the city's bulk trash page.
How do I dispose of concrete in Phoenix?
Break it into manageable pieces, keep it separate from other debris, and take it to a facility that accepts concrete, such as Vulcan's 24th Street site or a city transfer station. Call ahead to confirm acceptance and rates, or hire concrete removal.
How much dirt can a dump trailer hold?
Usually less than the bed looks like it can hold. Dirt is heavy enough that most trailers reach their weight limit with the bed only partly full, so check the payload on the spec plate and plan extra trips.