FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Do you have questions? Browse our list of regular inquiries. If you can't find an answer here or by searching our website, please email us and we will do our best to answer in a timely fashion.

• Q: When is The RE Store open?
• Q: Where is The RE Store?
• Q: Where does The RE Store get all of this great stuff?
• Q: What materials does The RE Store accept?
• Q: How do I donate my building materials to The RE Store?
• Q: Does The RE Store pay for materials?
• Q: Will The RE Store come to my job site, business location or storage space?
• Q: Is everyone at The RE Store a volunteer?
• Q: The RE Store is so great. How do I support The RE Store?
• Q: How do I get my hands on some of the really prime items like French doors?
• Q: Do The RE Store's Field Services cost money?
• Q: Is this a Habitat for Humanity project?
• Q: Why is The RE Store a non-profit organization?

Visit our Frequently Asked Questions about Deconstruction page.

Q: When is The RE Store open?

A: Monday - Saturday from 9 A.M. to 6 P.M. and on Sundays from 10 A.M. - 5 P.M.
Removal services are available Monday - Friday.
The RE Store is closed on national holidays and International Buy Nothing Day (the day after Thanksgiving).
Drop-off donations are welcomed until 1 hour BEFORE closing.

Q: Where is The RE Store?

A: We have two retail locations to serve you and our Field Service crews are mobile throughout the greater Puget Sound region.
The Seattle store is located in Ballard, at 1440 N.W. 52nd Street. Visit our Seattle store page for a map.
The Bellingham store is located in the Fountain District at the corner of Broadway, Meridian, and Girard Streets. Visit our Bellingham store page for a map.

Q: Where does The RE Store get all of this great stuff?

A: We are constantly fishing the waste streams of Washington State for used building materials. People like you can bring us materials or have us come pick them up on your job site, home remodel, business, storage unit, or grandpa's crazy junk-filled garage. We have a far-flung network of people who know the value of used building materials. We happily pick-up, salvage (remove ourselves), deconstruct (full dismantling), and accept drop-off donations from contractors, homeowners, businesses, demolition companies, property managers, realtors, etc.

Q: What materials does The RE Store accept?

A: It is easier to let you know what we DON'T accept by consulting our Things We Can't Take pages for Seattle or Bellingham. If we think we can sell an item in a timely manner, we will accept it.

Q: How do I donate my building materials to The RE Store?

A: Both of our stores accept materials 7 days a week. We accept a wide variety of building supplies, furniture for businesses and homes, and decorative items. We don't accept items that are broken, unsafe or deemed unsellable by our experienced staff. Visit our Donate Materials page to get the details and to see what you get in return.

Q: Does The RE Store pay for materials?

A: The RE Store has 2 options for people or businesses who are bringing us materials.

1. You may choose a tax receipt for materials donated to our non-profit 501(c)3 organization.
2. The RE Store offers in-store trade credit in exchange for materials. We give you between 10-25 percent of the price that we sell it for. The percentage depends on whether we pick them up or you bring them to one of our two stores.

The RE Store will occasionally pay for salvage rights to larger projects (For example: schools, churches, etc). Visit our Field Services for more information about pick ups, salvage, deconstruction, and bidding.

Q: Will The RE Store come to my job site, storage facility, house or business?

A: Absolutely. Our mobile crews pick-up and salvage (remove ourselves) building materials, business furniture and home decor. The Deconstruction team will demolish partial or entire structures at a competitive rate, based on your needs.

Q: Is everyone at The RE Store a volunteer?

A: While we love to have volunteers help us with our operation, we actually employ over 25 people year-round and up to 15 more seasonally. Visit our Volunteers & Interns page for more information about getting involved.

Q: The RE Store is so great. How can we support The RE Store?

A: There are a variety of ways that you can help us succeed in our mission to reduce waste.

• Come and buy stuff at our two retail stores.
• Contract our Removal Services in your remodel or demolition project.
• Donate money to our non-profit organization.
• Volunteer to help out with a workshop, event, in the stores, or in your own creative way.

Q: How do I get my hands on the really prime items like French doors?

A: Come early, come often, and keep checking back. You can also sign up for the Salvage Times monthly email newsletter in the right side bar for notifications on current highlighted materials, sales, workshops, events, and more.

Q: Do The RE Store's Removal Services cost money?

A: The RE Store will preview or bid your project for free. When in doubt, call us! Our Pick Up Services are free, as long as it is worth our while to come to you. Our Salvage Services are free as well, as long as it is worth our time and effort. Our Deconstruction Services will provide a free bid for projects of all sizes, detailing the fees for labor, disposal. In addition, we provide an estimate of the tax receipt that the client would receive from reusable materials donated to our non-profit organization.

Q: Is this a Habitat for Humanity project?

A: No. The RE Store started in Bellingham in 1993, as a program of RE Sources for Sustainable Communities. That same year, in Austin, Texas, Habitat for Humanity opened their first "ReStore". They now have "ReStores" all over the country. We have partnered with local chapters of HfH throughout our history. We are both non-profit organizations. Their mission is housing for low income families. Our mission is waste reduction and inspiring a culture of reuse.

Q: Why is The RE Store a non-profit organization?

A: We are a mission-driven organization, focusing on reducing waste and inspiring people to reuse. Like other non-profit organizations, The RE Store’s business model is aimed at achieving our mission, rather than a big bottom line.  We invest our profits into furthering our mission, rather than lining the pockets of big-wigs.  Our revenue from sales in our two stores and our Field Services keeps us going and growing. We continue to develop programs like our Deconstruction Services, our Green Jobs Training Program, educational / inspirational events like our hands-on workshops, our Recycled Art and Fashion Program and other great community events.

We do all of this because 25 percent of the waste stream comes from the construction and demolition industry. The U.S. demolishes close to 200,000 buildings each year and generates a mountain of trash that would be 30 feet tall, 30 feet wide, and 5,000 miles long EACH YEAR*. We are doing all that we can to save some of that mountain for reuse. In the process, we save people money on their projects, create jobs, inspire a culture of reuse and provide style that can't always be purchased at a new retail building supply store.
*Statistics cited from Deconstruction Institute