Acceptable Material Guidelines
Items have to be in a suitable condition for donation so that another customer can buy them to use in their home, yard or construction project. We reserve the right to decline items. Criteria for declining materials include but are not limited to: excessively dirty, water damaged, in otherwise poor condition, incomplete, unsafe, cannot be easily resold or that are currently overstocked, etc.)
This page details basic guidelines for the acceptability of various materials organized by category. It is not a fully comprehensive guide for what all materials that can donated to Construction Junction. If you have further questions regarding whether a specific item(s) could be considered for donation, please contact our donations department:
For information regarding recycling or processing services that are offered for drop off here on site by Construction Junction and other vendors, please visit our Recycling Services page.
Currently not accepting because of overstock:
These current limitations apply to dropping off donations only. If you have a larger amount of materials and would like to see if your donation qualifies for our pickup service, our donation manager will discuss acceptable items on an individual basis.
Less than 100sq. ft. of matching tile or flooring
Flush hollow core interior doors or bi-fold doors
Stone (granite, quartz, marble, etc.) slabs, countertops or windowsills
CRT/Tube TV cabinets or entertainment (that not suitable for most flat screen TVs)
We DO NOT accept:
Paint, primer, stain, polyurethane, etc.
Household chemicals, liquids, or powder products
Unframed glass
Most textiles or fabric upholstered items (drapery, linens, sofas, easy chairs, mattresses, box springs, used carpet or area rugs, etc.)
Electronics
Materials exhibiting the presence of mold, rot or unsanitary conditions
If you don’t see your item on the list please contact us before you bring it in or request a pick up. Construction Junction is not a recycling processor or waste transfer station.
All items for a pickup-eligible donation must be properly staged and accessible for our crew prior to arrival. The donations manager will discuss acceptable locations for your materials upon scheduling your pickup.
Why don’t we accept certain things?
Some of the main reasons include (but are not limited to):
- We can’t handle them safely
- There is not enough demand for them
- Some kind of regulation or certification exists for the type of product
- There are end user safety issues for items that we can’t be sure are safe to use (gas heaters, toys, ladders, etc.)
Appliances
Condition requirements: Must be in good working condition. Some antique appliances are accepted – please contact us here. All Freon appliances must pay $10 recycling fee regardless of working condition. If appliances (non-Freon) are not working but primarily composed of metal, they can be donated for scrap metal.
What we DO NOT take: Sub-zero refrigerators, appliances with damaged cords, vented gas appliances (furnaces, central air units, hot water tanks, etc.), electric heaters, old push-button dishwashers and dishwashers with plastic interiors, any appliances that are damaged or missing parts.
Building Materials (Lumber, Trim, Sheet goods, Roofing, Pipe, etc.)
Condition requirements: Linear materials must be at least 4′ long. Sheet goods must be half a sheet or larger. Must be free of nails, rot, twisting, bowing and cracking. Rolls of insulation must be new. Shingles and siding must be in complete new/unused packages. Marginal styles (accepted as needed, please contact us here) – large beams, engineered wood products (finger-jointed, TGIs, etc.).
TEMPORARILY NOT ACCEPTING BECAUSE OF OVERSTOCK stone/granite/quartz/marble slabs, countertops, or windowsills.
What we DO NOT take: Wood with creosote, items with water damage, rot, bugs, slime or mold; insulation that is not completely wrapped; pieces that are shorter than 4′ long or smaller than half a sheet.
Cabinetry (Built-Ins, Kitchen, Vanity, etc.)
Condition requirements: Must be structurally sound with no significant water damage or splitting at the joints. Must have all drawers and cabinet doors ATTACHED and INTACT. Laminate/particle board must be intact. Metal cabinets must be free of rust. Wall oven cabinets only accepted as part of a complete kitchen set.
What we DO NOT take: Low quality particle board cabinets over 5 years old, incomplete cabinets missing doors or drawers, damaged sink base cabinets, items with water damage, rot or mold.
Countertops
Condition requirements: Must be 4′ or longer. No cutouts without the sink. Used countertops must be in excellent condition with no burn marks, peeling laminate, significant worn areas or cracks.
TEMPORARILY NOT ACCEPTING BECAUSE OF OVERSTOCK stone/granite/quartz/marble slabs, countertops, or windowsills.
Marginal styles (accepted as needed, call in advance) – Computer table tops, tiled counters, laminate tops over 10′.
What we DO NOT take: Worn, stained, burnt, peeling, cracked countertops, countertops with cutouts, items with mold on them.
Doors (Interior, exterior, storm, patio)
Condition requirements: No major splits/cracks, deep gouges, rot, bowing, twisting or excessive alterations. No fogged or broken window glass in doors. Patio doors must be complete and in the frame.
TEMPORARILY UNABLE TO ACCEPT ANY HOLLOWCORE OR BI-FOLD DOORS.
Marginal styles (accepted as needed, call in advance) – Commercial solid core door slabs.
What we DO NOT take: Any cut or damaged doors with stickers, hooks, thumbtacks, nails, pet doors or holes; items with water damage or mold. Garage doors. Bi-fold doors. Accordion doors.
Flooring (Carpet, Wood, Vinyl, Laminate, etc.)
Condition requirements: Wood flooring must be free of nails, rot, twisting, cracking, bowing, etc. Tongues and grooves must be intact and must be within 1/16″ of full original thickness.
TEMPORARILY NOT ACCEPTING less than 100 square feet of matching tile or flooring for drop off donations.
Carpet, carpet tile, vinyl, vinyl tile and area rugs must be NEW AND UNUSED and free of holes or stains. Rolls must be of usable size.
id=”tile”>Tile must be new, unused and unbroken. Some antique tile can be accepted, like fireplace tiles, but they must be clean and undamaged. Any used tile with grout, mortar, mastic, or other adhesives attached will not be accepted.
What we DO NOT take: Used or damaged tile, bags of adhesive, filler, grout or mortar, used carpet, used vinyl flooring or area rugs, asbestos tile, items with splits, cracks, chips, water damage or mold. 9×9″ vintage tile.
Mirrors and Glass
Condition requirements: Must be framed, no pre-drilled holes, cracks, chips, breaks or broken corners.
What we DO NOT take: Unframed glass or mirrors of any kind, storm window panes from windows or doors, items with mold on them.
Hardware and Tools (hand tools, electrical, nails, screws, knobs, pulls, lock sets, etc.)
Condition requirements: Minimal rust. Tools must be in working/usable condition. Gasoline powered tools (lawnmowers, trimmers, etc.) must be empty of all fuel.
What we DO NOT take: Out of code electrical hardware, battery powered tools, items with mold on them.
Interior Furnishings
Condition requirements: Furniture must be assembled, complete, and with no major damage. No significant water damage or peeling laminate. Antique furniture is accepted.
TEMPORARILY UNABLE TO ACCEPT TUBE TV CABINETS AND ENTERTAINMENT CENTERS.
Marginal styles (accepted as needed, please contact us here) – Particle board items. Horizontal blinds can only accepted if brand new in unopened box, with all hardware.
What we DO NOT take: Vertical blinds, horizontal blinds that are not brand new in an unopened box with all hardware, drapes, curtains, window treatments, upholstered furniture of any kind, mattresses, foam, bed frames, items missing pieces or without drawers/doors, luggage, sporting goods, particleboard desks/tables/furniture, organs, pianos (try Piano Adoption PA), items with water damage or mold.
Lighting
Construction Junction accepts 110V residential or commercial lighting fixtures or ceiling fans suitable for CFL, incandescent or LED only, must be complete with no damage, pitting, broken or missing parts. All bulbs must be removed prior to donating.
– Only globes/shades can be accepted separately, no other incomplete lighting fixture parts.
– No fluorescent, metal halide, halogen, sodium or mercury vapor fixtures, bulbs or ballasts.
Please see our recycling services page for bulb and ballast recycling offered here.
Condition Requirements: ALL DONATIONS MUST BE PRE-SCREENED BY CJ STAFF – please reverse to the Donate Here doors and we will promptly take a look at your donation. Clean, whole bricks, blocks, landscaping stones, slabs, pavers, landscape edging.
Condition requirements: All furniture must be assembled and have all parts, including doors and drawers. Filing cabinets must be in excellent shape, unlocked, with minimal dents and rust. Marginal styles (accepted as needed, please contact us 
Condition Requirements: No rot or structural damage. Double pane window seals must be intact (free of fogging). No cracks in glass. Single pane wood sashes must be in excellent condition. Aluminum and vinyl windows must be in excellent condition. Marginal styles (accepted as needed, please contact us 
Condition requirements: Must be safe, useable items. Power tools, hand tools, gardening, unused painting accessories (no paint) accepted
Condition requirements: We accept a large variety of antique millwork, mantels, trim, corbels, rosettes, plinths, chimney caps, tin ceiling, some antique tile, window headers, newel posts, spindles, handrail, cupolas, wainscoting, paneling, and more. Must be free of nails.