Flooring removal: carpet, laminate, tile and vinyl
Old flooring carried out of the house and hauled: carpet and pad, laminate and engineered planks, ceramic tile and sheet vinyl.
Flooring we haul
- Carpet, pad and tack strip
- Laminate and engineered wood planks
- Ceramic and porcelain tile in buckets
- Sheet vinyl and modern vinyl plank
- Underlayment and baseboards
Common flooring jobs
Most calls come between tear-out and install. The new flooring is scheduled, the old carpet or laminate is up, and it needs to be gone before the installer arrives. Some installers include haul-off; many don't.
Tile is the heavy one. Broken ceramic tile with thinset attached fills buckets quickly and adds up in weight. Carpet and pad are light but bulky, and they're easier to load when rolled and taped.
Older vinyl is the one to slow down on. 9-inch-square vinyl tiles and the black mastic under them, common in homes built before the 1980s, can contain asbestos (EPA). If your floor looks like that, get it tested before pulling it up.
What's in and out of scope
Included
- Carpet, pad and tack strip
- Laminate, engineered and solid wood flooring
- Ceramic, porcelain and stone tile
- Sheet vinyl and vinyl plank from recent decades
- Underlayment, baseboards and transition strips
Not in our loads
- Vinyl tile or mastic that tested positive for asbestos
- Untested 9-inch vinyl tile from older homes
- Buckets of wet adhesive or leveling compound
How the job runs
Square footage and type
Tell us the rooms, the flooring type and whether it's already up.
Price by weight and volume
Tile is priced mostly by weight; carpet and laminate by volume.
Carried out
Rolls, bundles and buckets are carried out with care for walls and door frames.
Hauled
Flooring goes to a permitted facility; clean materials go to recycling where accepted.
Making it quick
Roll carpet and pad in strips about 3 feet wide and tape the rolls. Stack laminate in bundles and put broken tile in sturdy buckets or heavy bags. Pull tack strip carefully; it's full of sharp points.
If you're not sure what's under the current floor, lift a corner in a closet and send a photo. Older sheet vinyl and tile sometimes hide under newer flooring.
What changes the price
- Square footageThe size of the floor sets the volume of carpet, laminate or vinyl.
- Tile and thinsetCeramic tile with thinset is heavy; weight drives the price.
- StairsUpstairs bedrooms and stair runners add carrying time.
- Older materialsUntested vinyl tile or mastic from older homes needs testing before we handle it.
Old vinyl tile and mastic
The EPA lists vinyl floor tile and the adhesive under it among household materials that may contain asbestos when they were made before the 1980s (EPA). Material in good condition that's left in place isn't a hazard; scraping, sanding or breaking it can release fibers.
Single homes are generally exempt from San Diego County's asbestos survey rule (SDAPCD Rule 1206), but the EPA recommends professional sampling before remodeling disturbs suspect material (EPA). We haul flooring that has been tested and cleared.
Where we work
We take flooring removal jobs in Pala and nearby towns along SR-76 and I-15, including Rainbow, Pauma Valley, Fallbrook, Bonsall. See the full service-area list.
Flooring Removal questions
Do you pull up the flooring or only haul it?
Both, depending on the floor. Hauling flooring that's already up is the most common request. Describe the rooms and the floor type and we'll talk through removal.
How should I bag broken tile?
Sturdy 5-gallon buckets or heavy contractor bags filled about halfway. Tile is heavy; overfilled bags split.
Is old vinyl flooring dangerous?
Not when it's intact and left alone. 9-inch vinyl tile and black mastic from before the 1980s can contain asbestos, which becomes a hazard when it's scraped or broken. Test before removing.
Can carpet be recycled?
Some carpet and pad can be recycled through specific programs, but most of what comes out of homes goes to a landfill. We'll use a recycling option when one accepts the load.
Got a pile? Get it priced.
Tell us what the material is, roughly how much there is, and where it sits. A few photos sent by text usually get you a price range on the first call.
- What it is: concrete, drywall, shingles, lumber, flooring or a mix
- How much: a pickup load, a few loads, a room's worth
- Where it sits: driveway, backyard, inside, upstairs
- Gate codes, steep driveways or tight streets we should know about
- Monday–Friday8 AM–6 PM
- Saturday9 AM–4 PM
- SundayClosed