Hurricane season: storm debris removal in Tampa Bay

When a hurricane or tropical storm comes through Tampa Bay, you're not just cleaning up a mess. You're racing a clock. Fallen limbs, ruined drywall, soaked carpet, torn off roofing, it all has to go somewhere, and it has to go fast. The biggest mistake we see is waiting until after the storm to figure out how you're going to get rid of it.

A roll-off container is the fastest way to get debris off your property and keep it out of your way while you rebuild. Order one before the storm if you can. Once a storm is inbound, or has just come through Tampa Bay, availability tightens fast across Tampa, Brandon, Riverview, Seffner, and everywhere in between. The earlier you call, the better shot you have at getting a container exactly when you need it.

If there's a storm in the forecast and you think you'll need a dumpster, call us or use the online quote tool as soon as you can. Once a storm is bearing down on Tampa Bay, or has already come through, roll-off availability gets tight fast because everyone is calling for the same thing at once.

Under normal conditions we can usually deliver same day if you order before noon, or first thing the next morning if you call later. Storm season can stretch that timeline out since dispatch gets busier, so the earlier you call, the better. Dispatch answers 24/7 at 813-210-1608, so there's no bad time to call, even in the middle of the night before a storm makes landfall.

After a major storm, Tampa Bay counties and cities typically run their own storm debris collection programs, sending crews down the street to pick up what residents set out at the curb. Those programs often require you to separate vegetative debris, like limbs and brush, from construction debris, like drywall and flooring, because the county needs that separation for its own reimbursement process.

A SteelSmith roll-off works differently, and for a lot of people it's simpler. It's a private container that sits in your driveway or yard. You load it however makes sense for your cleanup, and we haul it on your schedule instead of you waiting on a county truck to make its way down your street. You don't have to separate vegetative debris from construction debris to use one of our boxes.

That said, keeping your loads reasonably sorted, metal separate from general debris, clean concrete separate from mixed material, still helps us recycle more of what comes off your property. It's not required. It just helps.

Storm cleanup is usually a mix of C&D material, lumber, drywall, shingles, brick, damaged pipe and metal, dirt, and brush, sometimes combined with Class III items if a house took on water. That can mean ruined furniture, soaked carpet, and yard waste. Both material types can go in the same container. The one thing to leave out is any appliance that still has refrigerant in it.

If your cleanup is mostly downed trees and heavy brush along with general debris, a 20 yard box is what most people end up needing. It holds about six pickup truck loads and fits a standard two car driveway. Bigger jobs, like storm damage to a roof or a room full of water damaged material, often call for a 30 yard, which has rear doors that swing open for easier loading. If you're not sure which size fits your situation, use our online quote tool or call us and we'll help you figure it out.

Storm season is when hauling companies that broker out their trucks tend to fall behind, because they're waiting on somebody else's schedule. We own our own trucks and our own facility at 3905 S. 54th St. in Tampa, so hauling runs on our schedule instead. That's what lets us keep dispatch answering 24/7 and keep pushing deliveries out even when the phones don't stop ringing.

In Zone A, which covers most of Tampa, Brandon and Riverview, residential pricing for C&D debris is a flat rental-plus-delivery rate: $525 for a 10 yard, $575 for a 20 yard, $625 for a 30 yard, and $675 for a 40 yard, each with a set number of tons included before overage fees kick in. Outside Zone A, for commercial jobs, or for Class III and concrete loads, pricing varies by distance and material. Use our online quote tool or call 813-210-1608 for an exact number.