Storm Damage Cleanup
After a storm we can take the structural damage but not the tree. That one distinction decides half the calls we get in the days afterwards.
(607) 247-9634Say it is storm work when you ringThe tree cannot go in. The building can.
This is the single most common misunderstanding we deal with in Jackson County, and it is worth being completely clear about before you ring.
A container is right for
- Roof damage — shingles, decking, underlayment, flashing
- Siding, soffit, fascia and trim torn off
- Fencing and gates flattened
- Decking, railings and porch structure
- The shed or garage the tree landed on
- Water-damaged carpet, drywall, insulation and contents
- Guttering, downspouts and window units
A container cannot take
- Limbs, branches and brush
- Leaves, clippings and other yard waste
- Stumps and root balls
- Whole tyres, batteries and bulk liquids, as always
- Appliances still holding refrigerant
Michigan bans yard waste from landfill by statute, with no small-quantity allowance. The tree needs a chipping or composting route, and Jackson County has options for it.
So most storm jobs are actually two jobs. If you tell us which half you have — or that you have both — we can be useful immediately instead of discovering it at the kerb. More on what can and cannot go in →
Four kinds of damage, four different containers
Summer wind and hail. The big one here. A hail or straight-line wind event across the county means roofs and siding, and the call volume goes vertical for about ten days afterwards. Hail-damaged shingle is a tear-off by any other name — size it by squares and layers, and remember that a lot of this housing stock carries a second layer.
Ice. Loaded branches come down on roofs, sheds and fences, and ice dams push water back under the shingle into ceilings and walls. The debris is part structural and part water damage, and the water damage is heavier than it looks.
Spring flooding. Low ground near the Grand River, the Kalamazoo and the River Raisin, and Michigan basements generally. This is the heaviest material we carry in a storm context — saturated carpet, drywall, insulation and stored contents can weigh several times their dry weight, so the container is weight-limited well before it looks full.
Power outages. Worth a mention because it catches people out. A long outage means a freezer full of spoiled food, and a chest freezer that has to be scrapped cannot go in a container until its refrigerant has been reclaimed by somebody certified to do it.
How the ten days after a storm actually work
We will be honest about this rather than promise something we cannot hold to. After a significant wind or hail event across Jackson County, every container company in the area is booked out within a day or two, and the roofing crews are booked out for considerably longer than that.
- Say it is storm work when you ring It changes how we schedule. We hold capacity differently in that week than in a normal one, and a job with active water ingress is not the same as a job that can wait a fortnight.
- Make the building safe first Tarps, boarding, water off. That is a roofer's or a contractor's job, not ours, and it comes before debris removal in every case.
- Photograph everything before you load Your insurer will want it, and once material is in a container it is gone. Take more pictures than you think you need, including the undersides and the edges of the damage.
- Separate the tree from the building Two piles, from the start. Keeping them apart as you work takes no extra effort and it saves a rejected load later.
- Expect the placement conversation to be different Storm week often means blocked drives, downed lines and debris in the road. If there is a service drop down anywhere near where the container should go, tell us immediately — we will not work near it until the utility has cleared it.
What storm jobs usually need
| Damage | Container | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Hail-damaged roof, average house | 15–20 yard | Size by squares and layers, as any tear-off |
| Siding and trim stripped off one elevation | 20 yard | Bulky and light; cut it down and it halves |
| Fencing flattened across a boundary | 20–30 yard | Panels loaded whole waste a lot of space |
| Shed or detached garage destroyed | 30 yard | Keep any slab in a separate clean container |
| Flooded basement, contents and finishes out | 15 yard | Weight-limited, not volume-limited. Saturated material is extremely heavy |
| Water damage through ceilings on one floor | 15–20 yard | Wet drywall and insulation are heavier than dry |
| Whole-property damage | 30 yard plus swaps | Ring and talk it through; sequencing matters more than size |
The pattern worth noticing: anything that has taken water goes in a smaller container than its volume suggests, and anything bulky and dry goes in a larger one. Storm jobs usually contain both.
Questions Jackson County callers ask
Can you take the tree if I cut it into short lengths?
No. The ban is on the material, not the size of the pieces — Michigan prohibits yard waste from landfill with no small-quantity allowance. Chipping or composting is the route for it.
What if the tree hit the shed?
Then you have both jobs. The shed goes in the container and the tree does not. Keep two piles as you work; separating them afterwards is miserable.
How quickly can you deliver after a storm?
Honestly, it depends on the week. After a county-wide event everyone is booked out within a day or two. Ring early, say it is storm work, and we will tell you plainly where the schedule is.
Dealing with storm damage?
Tell us which half of the job you have — building, tree, or both. We will tell you what we can take and when.
(607) 247-9634Mon–Sat 7am–5pm