can u get paid to get rid of old wood & other materials when re-habbing a house?

Question

...I heard there are places that come to your house and collect old materials like wood, drywall, etc. and give u cash for it. I guess they recycle those materials.

I'm rehabbing my house & wanted to know where I can contact people or companies that do this.

(In or around Chicago, IL)

Thanx!

Answer 1

I have never heard of that. I know there are organizations like Habbitat for Humanity that will come and pick up old building matterials, but they are non-profit so I wouldn't expect them to pay you for it.

Nobody is going to want Drywall that you just ripped off a wall. The only thing your going to get cash for if anything is old doors and windows, and any un-used drywall or plywood.

Answer 2

I know that there are people who will come and remove all metal and wiring including pipes.
There's also a huge market for vintage material from older homes such as doors, hard wood florring, leaded windows, stained glass windows, old brick, old doorknobs, etc. People will definitely come to your door to buy these types of items.
http://www.heritagesalvage.com/

As for just getting rid of basic building material such as drywall, windows, siding and basic lumber, yes there is also a market for this however you aren't going to get a lot of money for these materials (but something is better than nothing and better than paying to get rid of the material). Unless there is a salvage company near you, I doubt that they will come to purchase these types of materials. I would suggest that you just gather all your used material and list it in a local newspaper or pennysaver. If it's in decent condition and priced right you will probably sell it. Everyone is always looking for a bargain.
You could also look for something like the following website.
http://building99.com/main.php

As a last resort, you could just donate the material for a tax write off. Many salvage companies will come to your home and do the dismantling for you if you donate them.
http://olympiasalvage.org/deconstruction.html
http://www.driftwoodsalvage.com/
http://www.seconduse.com/

Best of luck to you!

Answer 3

Wood, sheet rock and the like are rather low value materials and would not bring much unless it is unusual or someone needs it to match something they already have. Generally most of the metal materials in a home are very much recyclable and can be sold to salvage yards. Be sure to sort it before you bring it in as mixed metals will bring less money. For instance steel screws and rivets in steel plate.

Answer 4

Drywall has no value. Ugh. But if the house has any architecturally interesting scraps (wood, doors, sinks, wainscoting) Salvage One on Sagamon in Chicago might be interested.

Come to think of it, there is also a salvage place out in Woodstock.

Answer 5

I don't know of any such place but I know of a group in yahoo.groups that is called freecycle.org where you list what you have to GIVE away and if someone needs any of it they reply and will come and get it- the idea of this is to help reduce the amount of useable items that are being thrown into the landfill- it is a great idea and a great site- check it out!!