The Nanaimo dump is the Regional Landfill at 1105 Cedar Road, open 7 days a week from 8am to 5pm, and a small load of garbage costs $8 at the gate. Here are the current fees, what the facility will and will not accept, and the point where calling a junk removal crew beats making the trip.
Where it is and when it is open
The region runs two drop off facilities. The Nanaimo Regional Landfill at 1105 Cedar Road serves Nanaimo and the south, and the Church Road Transfer Station at 860 Church Road serves Parksville, Qualicum Beach and the north. Both run 7 days a week, 8am to 5pm, and both close on statutory holidays.
What it costs at the gate
From the regional fee schedule current as of spring 2026:
- Garbage: $8 flat up to 50 kg, then $160 a tonne.
- Yard and garden waste: $8 up to 100 kg, then $60 a tonne.
- Clean wood waste: $275 a tonne past 50 kg.
- Scrap metal: $70 a tonne.
- Mattresses and box springs: $25 per unit on top of the tipping fee.
- Fridges, freezers and other refrigerant appliances: $25 per unit.
- Unsecured load: $25. Tarp it before you leave the driveway.
Rates change, so check the Regional District of Nanaimo's site before you drive. Asbestos is its own category with strict handling rules and a far higher rate, and it is not a load to improvise.
What the dump will not take
Hazardous waste, liquids and biomedical waste are refused at both facilities. Paint and household chemicals go to dedicated recycling depots instead, not over the scale. Drywall is only accepted at Church Road, with a signed declaration and date stamps from 1991 or newer, or lab testing for older material. Large concrete pieces, land clearing waste and loads heavy in recyclables can be refused or surcharged.
That last line surprises people: a mixed load with too much recyclable or compostable material in it can cost extra precisely because it was not sorted.
The real cost of a do it yourself dump run
The gate fee is the visible number. The full bill is the truck or trailer rental if you do not own one, fuel both ways, the tarp, the loading and unloading labour, and the separate stops if any of it should go to donation, electronics recycling or scrap instead. For most mixed loads that is a full Saturday.
For one clean load you can lift yourself, the dump wins on price. It is the mixed loads, the heavy items and the stairs where the math turns.
Dump run, bin rental, or junk removal?
A dump run is cheapest for a small, clean, single stream load you can lift. A bin rental suits a renovation that produces debris over days or weeks, though the bin sits on your driveway, you do all the loading, and weight caps and banned materials still apply. Junk removal costs more than the gate fee and less than most people expect: the crew does the lifting, the load is sorted into donation, recycling, composting and landfill streams, and the whole thing is done in one visit. Our pricing page shows the load ladder from the $125 minimum to $850 for a full 15 yard trailer, and the A to Z page shows what can go on it.
When calling us makes more sense
When the pile will not fit in one trip, when the items are heavy or upstairs, when the load is mixed enough to need three different facilities, or when the Saturday is worth more than the difference. Send the details through and get a free estimate form below and you will have a number to weigh against the trip. Same-day or next-day service may be available depending on our schedule, your location and the size and scope of the job.