Donation Guidelines

We appreciate your interest in donating to the Habitat for Humanity Detroit ReStore. Our mission is achieved through the generosity and cooperation of many people like you. ReStore accepts donations of building materials, furniture and appliances. All donated items must be in good, saleable condition. We do our best to assess the acceptability of donations when they are called in, but our drivers have the final discretion, at the time of pick up. If the driver feels that a donation will not be saleable, he is obligated to reject it.

Please understand that if we pick up donations that are not saleable, it hurts the organization. Pick ups take time, effort, gas and precious space on our trucks. If we bring an item to the ReStore and end up throwing it out, that disposal costs us money and takes away from our mission. Some items may be in excellent condition, but we have learned, through experience, that there is no demand for them, and we end up throwing them out.

Donations must be easily accessible, preferably in the garage; on the driveway; on the porch; or on the ground floor. If the driver feels there is a risk of damage to the home or business during removal of a donated item, or there is risk of personal injury, he is obligated to leave the item. The driver will not remove doors or railings or perform any disassembly of a donated item.

Following are specific guidelines:

1. Paint. Paint containers must be full, one or five gallon cans and less than three years old. We do not accept pints or quarts, rusty containers, or containers with missing labels. We do not accept epoxy, or commercial or industrial paint.
2. Lights and Fans must be in good working order and have all their parts. Ceiling fans should have the blades removed and taped together.
3. Toilets, sinks and tubs must be complete with no chips, cracks or bad stains. Cast iron tubs must be easily accessible to be taken to the truck.
4. Carpet. Used carpet is acceptable, but must be clean; stain free, and in room size pieces. Carpet should be rolled up and tied or taped prior to pick up. Pads must be like new.
5. Shingles must be in full bundles, in their original wrapping. No loose pieces.
6. Cabinets must be carefully removed, and have all doors, drawers and backs.
7. Doors. We accept doors 24-36 inches wide and 80-84 inches high. Doors must be damage free and have no badly peeling paint. Bi-fold doors are accepted only if they are in excellent condition.
8. Door walls. We only accept double pane door walls, with the frame and both doors in good condition, 60 inches by 80 inches. Sets must be complete and have no rot. We do not accept odd size doors or frames.
9. Windows must be complete with sashes and frame. Wood frames must have no rot, and we do not accept most aluminum frame windows.
10. Blinds/Shades must have the veins detached and taped to the rod. Strings and cords should be wrapped around the blind and taped.
11. Lumber must be in pieces 6 feet or longer and be free of nails or screws. We do not accept wood scraps.
12. Bricks and Blocks must be palletized and able to be loaded by a fork lift truck or pallet jack.
13. Lawn & Garden Equipment must include all parts and be in good working order.
14. Heating & cooling equipment, window air conditioners and hot water heaters must be less than 10 years old and in good working condition.
15. Appliances must be less than 15 years old; include all parts; be clean and in good working order:
    a. Refrigerators/freezers. We prefer they be plugged in, with a tray of ice in the freezer at the time of pick up. Refrigerators must be free of strong odors, mold, or mildew, or the driver will not accept it.
    b. Stoves/ovens. We accept only conventional stoves in good operating condition, including all parts, and with all controls operating. We do not accept built-in ovens or microwaves.
    c. Washers and Dryers must be clean and rust free. All controls must be in working condition.
    d. Dishwashers must be less than 10 years old. We prefer units that have electronic controls over mechanical controls.
    e. Trash compactors are not accepted.
16. Furniture must be free of rips, stains or pet hair. Bedding must be clean and stain free. We do not accept water beds.
17. Office furniture. We accept only conventional or home office furniture. We do not accept office dividers or cubicles.

THE ReStore DRIVER MAKES THE FINAL DETERMINATION AS TO THE ACCEPTABILITY OF A DONATION.