Lakeland, FL guide
Lake Wales sits beside one of Florida's most distinctive landmarks — a 205-foot Gothic Revival bell tower dedicated by a sitting U.S. president. Here's a renovation debris guide for the historic district around it.
Lake Wales was incorporated as a town on May 28, 1917, and became a city in 1925, following a community first established in 1911–1912 by the Lake Wales Land Company. Its name carries a small, genuine quirk: it's named for Lake Wailes — spelled with an "i" — itself renamed from the original "Watts Lake" by Sidney Irving Wailes in the late 1800s. The city's name simplified the spelling to "Wales" while the lake itself retains the original "Wailes" spelling to this day.
Just north of Lake Wales sits Bok Tower Gardens, founded by Edward W. Bok, the Dutch-American editor of Ladies' Home Journal, and developed between 1924 and 1928. The centerpiece Singing Tower was built 1927–1929 and dedicated by President Calvin Coolidge on February 1, 1929 — a genuinely significant moment for the city. The 205-foot Gothic Revival tower is built of pink Etowah marble and gray Creole marble and houses a 60-bell carillon cast by John Taylor & Co. of England; architect Milton B. Medary won the AIA Gold Medal in 1929 for the design. The gardens sit atop Iron Mountain, one of the highest points on the Florida peninsula, and the sanctuary has grown from an original 25 acres to roughly 250 acres today. The site was designated a National Historic Landmark on April 19, 1993, and Edward Bok himself is entombed at the base of the tower following his death in 1930.
Lake Wales' commercial historic district preserves architecture from the 1920s Florida land boom, anchored by the Dixie Walesbilt Hotel, the city's tallest historic structure, which has undergone restoration. Other real local landmarks in the area include Chalet Suzanne, a historic inn and restaurant notable for its own private airstrip, and Spook Hill, a well-known local gravity-hill optical illusion that draws steady curious visitor traffic.
Homes built during Lake Wales' 1920s land-boom era, or anywhere near its historic downtown, tend to carry the same older-construction hallmarks common across Central Florida's historic districts — original wood siding and trim, plaster walls in some cases, and period fixtures and hardware often worth pulling for salvage rather than demolishing outright. A renovation debris load from a property this age tends to run more varied than a comparable newer-home remodel, and it's worth flagging anything worth setting aside when you call.
The City of Lake Wales maintains a dedicated Right of Way (ROW) Permit process, and its own Code of Ordinances includes a Chapter 17 governing solid waste. As with the other incorporated cities in our service area, a container kept entirely on your own driveway or private property generally doesn't trigger a permit requirement — it's placement on a public street that does.
Most single-room renovations on an older Lake Wales property fit a 15 or 20 yard container. A larger whole-home renovation, or a project involving real structural work on a land-boom-era building, more often calls for a 20 or 30 yard. Whatever the scope, our pricing stays flat-rate throughout.
| Size | Dimensions | Capacity | Weight included | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Yard Dumpster | 14 ft long × 7.5 ft wide × 3.5 ft high | 50–70 bags | 1–2 tons | Small cleanouts, roofing shingles, tight driveways. |
| 15 Yard Dumpster | 16 ft long × 7.5 ft wide × 4.5 ft high | 80–100 bags | 2–3 tons | Flooring removal, bathroom or kitchen updates. |
| 20 Yard Dumpster | 22 ft long × 7.5 ft wide × 4.5 ft high | 110–130 bags | 3–4 tons | Medium remodels, roofing jobs, light construction. |
| 30 Yard Dumpster | 22 ft long × 7.5 ft wide × 6 ft high | 170–190 bags | 4–5 tons | Whole-home cleanouts, large renovation projects. |
| 40 Yard Dumpster | 22 ft long × 7.5 ft wide × 8 ft high | 230–250 bags | 5–6 tons | Large construction jobs, commercial/industrial projects. |
Call (863) 457-3737 and describe your project and its proximity to Lake Wales' historic downtown or Bok Tower Gardens. We'll size the container, flag anything worth confirming with the city's ROW Permit process ahead of time, and get you a flat-rate quote.
Talk to a real person
Call and describe the job. Flat-rate pricing, a sized container, and a delivery time on the same call.
Mon–Sat 7:00am – 7:00pm
From this guide
Yes — the Singing Tower at Bok Tower Gardens was dedicated by President Calvin Coolidge on February 1, 1929. The site was later designated a National Historic Landmark on April 19, 1993.
The city is named for Lake Wailes, spelled with an 'i' — the city's own name simplified the spelling to 'Wales' while the lake retains the original spelling.
Most single-room renovations fit a 15 or 20 yard; larger whole-home renovations or structural work often call for a 20 or 30 yard.
The City of Lake Wales maintains its own dedicated Right of Way (ROW) Permit process, along with a Chapter 17 solid waste ordinance in its own Code of Ordinances.
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