Denver
Pop-Top & Scrape-Off Debris Removal in
Denver
Popping the top or scraping the lot? Before the demo crew arrives, the house has to be emptied — and once the work starts, the C&D debris has to go somewhere the city won't take it. We do both: pre-demo whole-house clear-outs and renovation debris, hauled flat by a licensed Denver waste hauler. Construction debris is $120 a cubic yard, contractor-friendly, tarped, and with no Colorado sales tax on the service.
Pop-top, scrape-off — the Denver teardown vocabulary
If you're new to Denver's renovation scene, two words come up fast. A "pop-top" is adding a second story to an existing house — going up instead of out, common on the smaller original bungalows. A "scrape-off," or just a "scrape," is a full teardown-and-rebuild: the old house gets scraped off the lot and a new one goes up in its place. Nowhere is this hotter than Northwest Denver — the Highlands, LoHi, Berkeley, and Sunnyside — where original Victorians and Denver Squares sit right next to brand-new slot-home duplicates, plus the same churn in Wash Park and Sloan's Lake. Every one of those projects generates two hauling jobs: emptying the house before demolition, and clearing the construction and demolition debris the work throws off. We're the crew that handles both, so your builder isn't tripping over a debris pile and your timeline doesn't slip.
How debris removal works on a Denver reno
1 · Send photos
Show us the house to be cleared or the debris to be hauled. We estimate by cubic yard or truck-fill and send one flat number — no site visit needed to quote.
2 · Schedule around the trades
We work to your build calendar — before demo, mid-project, or a final clear. Same-day and repeat hauls both available across the metro.
3 · We load & haul
Our crew does the loading, tarps the load, and routes heavy C&D to the right facility with receipts kept on file. Site left clear.
How much does pre-demo & debris removal cost in Denver?
Two ways to price it, both flat from photos. A pre-demo whole-house clear-out (furniture, appliances, everything left inside) prices as truck-fill. Heavy construction & demolition debris prices by the cubic yard, because it tips by weight.
| Job | Flat price |
|---|---|
| Construction & demolition debris (drywall, flooring, cabinets, brick) | $120 / cubic yard |
| Yard & landscaping debris (branches, sod, fencing) | $88 / cubic yard |
| Loose debris pile — small / medium / large | $82 / $129 / $208 |
| Whole-house clear-out — quarter truck | $241 |
| Whole-house clear-out — half / three-quarter truck | $431 / $587 |
| Whole-house clear-out — full truck | $732 |
$75 minimum. Disposal included. Larger demo runs multiple loads, each priced the same way. No Colorado sales tax on the service.
See the full Denver price guide → — every debris and truck-fill rate, and what drives the cost.
What we haul on a pop-top or scrape-off
- Pre-demo whole-house contents — everything left behind before the teardown: furniture, appliances, carpet, junk, the works.
- Interior demo debris — old drywall, plaster, flooring, tile, trim, doors, and cabinets pulled during a gut.
- Kitchen & bath tear-outs — old cabinets, countertops, tubs, toilets, and vanities.
- Heavy C&D — concrete, brick, block, and dirt (priced by the yard for the weight).
- Yard & site debris — cleared landscaping, old fencing, and decking from the lot.
Does Denver pick up construction debris?
No — and it isn't close. Denver's free Large Item Pickup (via Denver 311 · 720-913-1311) is a household bulky-goods program: five large items, once every nine weeks, curbside-only. It explicitly does not take construction or demolition debris — no concrete, brick, dirt, drywall, flooring, or cabinets — and that heavy material tips at higher weight at a construction-debris facility anyway. So a pop-top or scrape-off has no municipal option at all; the debris has to move through a licensed hauler or a C&D drop site. That's our lane. As a licensed Denver waste hauler, we're required to keep the company name and phone on the truck and hold disposal receipts for at least a year — the paper trail a permitted job actually needs.
Built for contractors and their timelines
On a tight Highlands or Sloan's Lake infill lot, there's often no room — or no permit patience — to park a roll-off dumpster for weeks, and a dumpster still leaves the loading to you. We're the flexible alternative: we bring the labor and the truck, load it ourselves, and haul on your schedule. Book a single pre-demo clear, or set up repeat hauls that keep pace as the job moves from demo to rough to finish, so the trades are never working around a growing pile. Every quote is flat and photo-based, so it drops cleanly into a bid, and every load is tarped — which on the Front Range matters, since an uncovered load doubles the tip fee. It's the clean, documented way to keep a Denver reno site moving.
Pop-top & scrape-off debris, compared
| Option | Cost | Speed | Catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denver Large Item Pickup | Free | N/A for C&D | Does not accept construction/demolition debris at all — household bulky goods only |
| Roll-off dumpster rental | ~$400–$700+ | 1–3 days to drop | Eats a tight lot for weeks, permit hassle, and you load every pound by hand |
| Self-haul to a C&D facility | Tip fees + truck | Multiple trips | You do the loading, driving, and tipping; uncovered loads double the fee |
| Traditional full-service hauler | ~$400–$900+ | 1–3 days | Priced by volume, often confirmed only on site |
| JunkRabbit | $120/yd or flat truck-fill | Same/next day, repeat hauls | None — flat photo price, we load it, licensed & documented |
Where the debris goes
We divert what can be diverted. On a pre-demo clear-out, usable furniture, fixtures, and appliances are routed to donation — Goodwill of Colorado, ARC Thrift Stores, and Habitat for Humanity ReStore all take reusable building materials and household goods, which keeps them out of the landfill and can support a project's diversion goals. Scrap metal — old appliances, ductwork, railings — goes to a metal recycler; clean concrete and brick route to aggregate recycling where accepted; and the balance of the C&D goes to the proper construction-debris facility with receipts on file. Every load is tarped, and it all aligns with Denver's push toward construction-waste diversion.
When people call for pop-top & scrape-off hauling
- Before a scrape — empty the house completely so the demo crew can start on schedule.
- Popping the top — clearing the old roof, framing, and interior debris from a second-story addition.
- Mid-gut renovation — hauling out drywall, flooring, and old cabinets as the trades pull them.
- Final construction clean — clearing offcuts, packaging, and site debris before finish and handoff.
- Flipping an original bungalow — clearing decades of contents plus the reno debris in one relationship.
Why Denver builders choose JunkRabbit
- Licensed & documented — a licensed Denver waste hauler with disposal receipts kept on file, the way a permitted job needs.
- We do the loading — unlike a dumpster, the labor and the truck come with it.
- Flat, bid-ready pricing — $162/yard for C&D or flat truck-fill, quoted from photos, no on-site surprise.
- Diversion-first & tarped — donation, scrap, and aggregate recycling, with every load covered.
What Denver reno customers say
"We scraped an old bungalow in Berkeley. They emptied the whole house before demo and then handled the debris hauls as we went. Flat prices I could put in the bid, and everything documented. My go-to now."
"Pop-top on our Highlands square meant no room for a dumpster on the lot. They loaded and hauled the demo debris by the yard, on our schedule. Site stayed clear the whole build."
"Gut renovation near Sloan's Lake — old cabinets, tile, drywall, the works. They took it as it came out, tarped every load, donated the fixtures. Flat and fast."
Pop-top & scrape-off questions, answered
How is construction debris priced?
By the cubic yard — $120/yd for heavy C&D, $119/yd for yard debris — quoted flat from photos. Whole-house clear-outs price as truck-fill to $732.
Will the city take demolition debris?
No — Denver's bulky program excludes all construction and demolition debris. It has to go through a hauler or C&D facility, which is what we do.
Can you do repeat hauls through a build?
Yes — we schedule around the trades and haul as the job progresses, a flexible alternative to a roll-off on a tight lot.
Are you licensed and insured?
Yes — a licensed Denver waste hauler with insured crews, tarped loads, and disposal receipts kept on file.
What's a pop-top versus a scrape-off — and do you handle both?
A pop-top is a second-story addition raised over the existing footprint; a scrape-off is a full teardown-to-rebuild. Both throw off pre-demo whole-house junk and C&D debris, and we clear either one — the empty-out before the crew swings a hammer, and the pile after.
Can you take concrete, brick, and dirt?
Yes — heavy clean-fill from a scrape rides at the $120/yd C&D rate and goes to a C&D or fill facility, not a curb. We keep it as its own load so the weight doesn't blow up the rest of your quote.
Reno & teardown areas we cover
Frequently asked questions
What's a pop-top and a scrape-off, and do you handle both?
They're Denver's own renovation vocabulary. A pop-top is adding a second story to an existing house; a scrape-off (or just a scrape) is tearing the house down to rebuild new on the lot. We handle the hauling for both — the pre-demolition whole-house clear-out that empties the place before the crew swings a hammer, and the renovation and construction debris the work generates.
How much does construction debris removal cost in Denver?
Heavy construction and demolition debris is priced by the cubic yard at $120/yd, quoted flat from photos. Yard and landscaping debris is $120 lighter at $119/yd. A pre-demo whole-house clear-out prices as truck-fill — a quarter truck $241, half $431, three-quarters $587, full $732. $75 minimum, disposal included, and no Colorado sales tax on the service.
Will the City of Denver take construction debris?
No. Heavy C&D — concrete, brick, dirt, drywall, flooring, cabinets — is excluded from Denver's free Large Item Pickup, which is curbside-only, five items every nine weeks, and meant for household bulky goods. Demolition and renovation debris has to go to a hauler or a construction-debris facility, which is exactly what we do, with disposal receipts kept on file.
Are you contractor-friendly for ongoing jobs?
Yes. We schedule around the trades, do repeat hauls as a job progresses, and clear a site fast so your crew isn't working around a debris pile. It's a flexible alternative to parking a roll-off dumpster on a tight Highlands lot — flat photo-quoted per haul, and we do the loading.
Are you licensed to haul debris in Denver?
Yes. Since 2016 anyone hauling solid waste, C&D debris, or bulky items from within the City & County of Denver must hold a Denver waste-hauler license, with the company name and phone on the truck and disposal receipts kept at least a year. We're a licensed Denver waste hauler, every load is tarped, and heavy C&D is routed to the right construction-debris facility.
Can you take concrete, brick, and dirt from a scrape?
Yes. Heavy clean-fill rides at the $120/yd construction-debris rate and goes to a C&D or fill facility rather than a curb. We keep it as its own load so the weight doesn't inflate the rest of the quote.
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