A temporary debris chute carries waste from upper floors down to a dumpster at the base, so crews are not hauling it down the stairs or dropping it off the building. We source the chute and the dumpster under it from local providers in the markets we serve and schedule them together. Availability varies by market.
What it is
A trash chute is a run of linked sections hung down the face of a building or scaffold, with a loading point at each floor that needs one and the bottom end over an open-top dumpster. Debris goes in where it is made and lands in the container.
The parts of a chute run
When a job needs it
A chute makes sense when debris comes off upper floors day after day.
Interior demolition on upper floors, where debris would otherwise go down stairs or elevators.
Tear-off on a building tall enough that debris would drop more than 20 feet outside the walls.
Keeps debris out of shared stairs, elevators and lobbies while people still use them.
Where the dumpster sits close to the building and debris cannot be dropped in the open.
The rules
Two OSHA construction standards cover chutes: the general rule for disposing of waste, and the demolition rule for chutes. Read them for your job and plan the chute with your safety lead.
29 CFR 1926.252(a)
When material is dropped more than 20 feet to any point outside the exterior walls of the building, an enclosed chute of wood or equivalent material has to be used. The standard defines an enclosed chute as a slide closed in on all sides.1
29 CFR 1926.252(b)
When debris is dropped through holes in the floor without a chute, the area below has to be enclosed with barricades at least 42 inches high and at least 6 feet back from the edge of the opening above, with warning signs at each level.1 See barricades.
29 CFR 1926.852(b) to (d)
In demolition, chute sections at more than 45 degrees from horizontal have to be entirely enclosed apart from loading openings with closures. A substantial gate goes at or near the discharge end, run by a competent employee, and the area around the discharge end is closed off when work stops.2
29 CFR 1926.852(e) to (g)
Openings where workers dump debris need a guardrail about 42 inches high. Where material is dumped from equipment or wheelbarrows, each opening needs a toeboard or bumper at least 4 inches thick and 6 inches high, and the chute has to be strong enough for the impact of the debris.2
Settle who mounts, inspects and takes down the chute before it goes up, and check whether your city needs a permit for a chute or dumpster over a sidewalk or street. See dumpster permits.
Tell us the floors, the debris and the dates. We source the chute and the dumpster under it.
The options
A chute is one of three common approaches. The building, the debris and the rules decide which one fits.
| Approach | How it works | Usually fits |
|---|---|---|
| Enclosed chute into a dumpster | Debris slides down an enclosed run into an open-top roll-off at the base | Steady loads from upper floors over days or weeks |
| Dropping through floor openings | Debris is dropped inside the building to a barricaded area below | Interior work where the drop zone can be fully barricaded and kept clear |
| Carrying it down or using a hoist | Debris goes down in carts or bags, by stairs, an elevator or a material hoist | Small amounts, or buildings where a chute cannot be mounted |
Whichever you choose, size the container to the debris. Plaster, tile and concrete fill a dumpster by weight before they fill it by volume. See the dumpster size guide.
How it works with Detritus
You get one point of contact. A local provider supplies and installs the equipment.
The address, the floors, the debris and the dates.
A provider in your market for the chute, and a roll-off for the base, quoted together.
The provider delivers and mounts the chute, and the dumpster is set under the discharge.
The dumpster is swapped as it fills. Call us to schedule a swap.
The chute comes down and the last container is hauled when the work is done.
For a quote
The more of this we have on the first call, the faster the quote.
Common questions
OSHA rule 29 CFR 1926.252(a) requires an enclosed chute when material is dropped more than 20 feet to any point outside the exterior walls of the building. Debris dropped through floor openings inside the building needs a barricaded drop zone instead.
Yes. We source the chute and the roll-off under it together, so swaps are scheduled with the work.
The local provider that supplies it. Settle who mounts, inspects and removes it before work starts.
It depends on the debris and how fast it comes down. Heavy debris such as plaster, tile or concrete fills a container by weight before volume, so tell us what is coming down.
It depends on the city. A chute or dumpster over a sidewalk or street may need one, so check with your building or public works department.
Call sales at (888) 588-2607 or request a quote with the address, the floors, the debris and the dates.
Local providers do the work. We source them, schedule them with your other site services and send one bill.