ReStore Shopping Guide — Summerville, SC
Yes — building materials are what separate a ReStore from a thrift store. The Dorchester Habitat ReStore at 101 Greyback Road stocks cabinets and countertops, doors and windows, plumbing, electrical and lighting, new carpet and new tile, hardware, and architectural salvage alongside furniture and appliances, Monday through Saturday, 9am–7pm. Proceeds go toward building and repairing homes in Dorchester County.
Updated September 2026 · Dorchester County, SC
Key facts
- Where: 101 Greyback Road, Summerville, SC 29483
- Hours: Monday – Saturday, 9am – 7pm (closed Sunday)
- What makes it different: real renovation materials, not just secondhand furniture
- Free donation pickup: for Dorchester County residents, for items too large to fit in your vehicle
- Where the money goes: proceeds go toward building and repairing homes for families in Dorchester County
If you have only ever thought of us as a place to find a dresser, you are missing the half of the store that a contractor walks in for. People come to Summerville’s ReStore to finish a laundry room, replace a set of interior doors, or find the one cabinet that matches the eight they already have.
Here is what is actually on the floor, how the inventory works, and how to shop it when you have a real project and a real deadline.
What a ReStore Stocks That a Thrift Store Doesn’t: Cabinets, Doors, Fixtures, and Salvage
A Habitat ReStore is a nonprofit home-improvement store and donation center. That second half of the description is what changes the shopping trip: alongside the furniture and décor you would expect from a resale shop, a ReStore carries the hard goods a renovation actually needs.
At our Summerville store, the categories we accept — and so the categories that turn up on the floor — include:
- Cabinets and countertops
- Doors and windows (plus storm windows)
- Kitchen and bath fixtures
- Plumbing
- Electrical and lighting
- New carpet and new tile
- Hardware
- Architectural items and usable items from deconstruction and demolition
- Appliances and functioning HVAC and AC
- Gently used furniture and home décor
- And a wider mix than most people expect: books, DVDs and CDs, clothing — even automobiles, boats and RVs
Two caveats belong right next to that list. First, it is a list of what we accept, not a promise of what is in the building today — inventory is donated and every category is subject to availability, so what is on the floor this week is whatever has come through the door lately. Second, every Habitat ReStore is independently owned and operated by a local Habitat affiliate. A national article about “what ReStores carry” is illustrative only; our accepted-items list is the one that governs here, in our 20,000-square-foot showroom in Summerville.
A few practical notes on how that list shows up in the aisles:
- Appliances and HVAC have to be functioning when they are donated, which is why what you see is meant to work — but always ask, and always plan to test.
- Carpet and tile are “new.” We take new carpet and new tile, so the flooring on the floor tends to be surplus and closeout rather than pulled-up used material.
- Lumber has a size rule. We cannot accept lumber shorter than 4 feet, so the wood inventory skews toward usable lengths rather than offcuts.
- Salvage is a category we take. “Architectural items” and “usable items from deconstruction and demolition” are on our accepted list, which is why older, one-off pieces turn up here that a big-box store would never carry. What is actually in stock on any given day varies.
How the Inventory Works: Donated, One-of-a-Kind, and Changing Daily
This is the single biggest difference between shopping here and shopping a big-box store, and understanding it will save you a wasted trip.
The floor is stocked by donations, not by purchase orders. What is here arrived because a neighbor, a builder, or a business gave it to us. That has three practical consequences for a shopper:
- The floor changes constantly. What is here Tuesday morning may be gone Tuesday afternoon. Do not assume there are more of it waiting somewhere — ask.
- Much of it is one-of-a-kind. If you find a cabinet run, a door, or a light fixture you love, treat the decision as now rather than after you go home and measure.
- We do not publish a live inventory. We do not list what is currently on the floor online, so the only reliable way to know what is here is to come look. Our eBay store carries select unique items, but it is not the building-materials floor in Summerville.
Because inventory is donated rather than ordered, regular visits beat one big trip. Shoppers who find the best material are the ones who stop in every week or two while a project is still in the planning stage, rather than showing up once with a shopping list on demo day.
One more thing worth knowing before you plan a trip: the store runs standing weekly discounts — 15% off every day for military members and veterans, 15% off Tuesdays for senior citizens, 15% off Thursdays for public service officers, and 15% off Saturdays for teachers and education employees. And our own store page notes that ReStore shopping is tax-free. If you qualify for one of those days, it is worth timing your visit around it.
Shopping It for a Real Project: Measuring, Timing, and What Not to Count On
Here is the honest version of shopping salvage and surplus for an actual renovation.
Bring a tape measure and your real numbers
Come with measurements written down — not remembered. For the categories people buy here most often, “real numbers” means something specific:
- Cabinets: measure the cabinet box, not just the face frame, and know the wall run you are filling.
- Doors: know whether you need a slab (just the door) or a prehung unit (the door already mounted in a frame with hinges). They are not interchangeable, and the difference decides whether you need a carpenter.
- Windows: know your rough opening — the framed hole in the wall — not the glass size.
- Tile and flooring: measure the square footage, then buy extra. Industry guidance from the tile trade associations puts the standard waste allowance around 10% for a simple straight-set layout in a plain rectangular room, closer to 15% in a bathroom full of obstacles, and 20% or more for a diagonal or herringbone pattern. On a closeout lot, that math matters more than usual — see the next point.
Assume you cannot come back for more
Donated tile and flooring arrive as finite lots. There is no reordering a matching dye lot next month. Buy the whole lot, or buy enough that the waste allowance is already covered. The same logic applies to a cabinet run, a set of matching doors, or a box of matching hardware.
Don’t assume the policies
We do not publish hold, return, pricing, delivery, or loading policies online — and you should not assume ours match another Habitat ReStore in another county or state. Ask at the desk when you are in the store, before you commit to a big or heavy purchase, and plan your own transportation and help for anything large.
Shop the project, not the bargain
A great price on the wrong-size door is not a bargain. The shoppers who do best here are the ones who arrive knowing exactly what would work — and who are flexible about style, brand, and finish rather than about dimensions.
Two Things to Check Before You Buy Salvage: Old Fixtures and Pre-1978 Paint
Most of what is on the floor is straightforward. Two categories deserve a closer look, and we would rather tell you than have you find out later.
Salvaged plumbing fixtures and “lead-free”
Federal law sets a “lead-free” standard for plumbing that carries water people drink — a weighted average of no more than 0.25% lead across the wetted surfaces of a pipe, fitting or fixture, under Section 1417 of the Safe Drinking Water Act. Older salvaged faucets and valves may predate that standard or may simply lack the certification marks.
If you are buying a used fixture for drinking water, look on the fixture or its packaging for certification marks such as NSF/ANSI 372 (lead content) and NSF/ANSI 61 (what can leach into the water). If an older loose faucet carries no verifiable marking, pick one whose certification matches how you intend to use it — and check the applicable plumbing code, or ask a licensed plumber, before you install anything salvaged on a drinking-water line.
Pre-1978 painted doors, windows and trim
Vintage painted architectural pieces are some of the best finds in the store — and if a piece is likely pre-1978, treat the paint as if it contains lead. The EPA’s Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) rule governs disturbing lead paint in older housing, and it generally requires certified professionals when disturbing more than 6 square feet indoors or 20 square feet outdoors in pre-1978 properties. Before you sand, cut, or strip an old painted piece, read the EPA’s own guidance — the Lead-Safe Certified Guide to Renovate Right pamphlet at epa.gov — and get a certified pro if the job calls for one.
Our staff can tell you what an item is. We cannot give code, safety, or legal advice — for that, use the agency guidance above or a licensed professional.
Where the Money Goes — and What This Store Can’t Take
The money
Proceeds from sales go directly toward building and repairing homes for hardworking families in Dorchester County. That is our own wording, and it is deliberately the whole claim — we do not publish a percentage, and you should be skeptical of any resale store that does without opening its books.
The loop is closer than most shoppers realize. Future Habitat homeowners contribute 425 hours of sweat equity before the foundation of their own home is poured, and some of those hours are served right here at the ReStore. If you want the details of the homeownership program — the published requirements, the income guidelines, the no-interest mortgage — they live on the affiliate’s own homeownership page, not here.
There is also a waste story worth knowing. Construction and demolition debris is one of the largest waste streams in the country: the EPA estimated that 600 million tons of C&D debris were generated in the United States in 2018, more than twice the amount of municipal solid waste generated that year — and that 2018 estimate is still the most recent national figure the EPA publishes. Every cabinet, door and box of tile that leaves this building for a house instead of a landfill is a small subtraction from that number. We do not publish a diversion tonnage for this store, and we would rather say so than guess at one.
What we can’t take
We can only sell what we can safely and legally resell, so our donation list has a hard “no” side. We cannot accept:
Alcohol · Anything with mold · Automobile tires · Bicycle/motorcycle helmets · Baby items (car seats, cribs, strollers) · Children’s swing sets · Console TVs and stereos · Cut pieces of drywall · Elbow/knee pads · Entertainment cabinets · Firearms, ammunition, flares and explosives · Furniture that is ripped, stained, in need of extreme repair, or soiled · Garage doors or garage door openers · Hazardous materials · Homemade tapes/videos/CDs · Hot tubs · Items with strong odors · Live plants, animals, fish, birds · Lumber less than 4′ · Mattresses or box springs · Oil-based paints · Paint and partial cans of paint · Particle board furniture · Perfume/cologne · Pesticides · Pools and swimming pools (above or below ground) · Siding (we cannot take cut pieces) · Tires · Toxic materials (adhesives, varnishes, solvents, etc.) · Trampolines · Tube television sets larger than 19″ · Unframed mirrors or glass · Used ductwork · Waterbeds · Water heaters · Water softeners · Weapons.
The reasons behind the list are consistent: recalled or unsafe child items, hazardous and toxic materials, and damaged or soiled upholstery either cannot be resold safely and legally, or arrive with a disposal cost attached — and a nonprofit that has to pay to throw something away has spent resources on it instead of on the mission.
If you have something to donate
We accept donations during store hours, Monday through Saturday, 9am–7pm, at 101 Greyback Road. And in our own words: “We offer a free pick-up service for residents living in Dorchester County and for items too large to be transported in your vehicle.” Pickup is for Dorchester County residents and for large items — you can schedule one through the Schedule a Pickup link on our ReStore page.
A note on the tax side, kept general on purpose: donations of goods to a qualified charity are generally deductible only if you itemize, the deduction is based on the item’s fair market value rather than what you paid for it, and the donor — not the store — determines that value. We can give you a receipt describing what you donated; we cannot put a dollar figure on it or appraise anything. Noncash donations totaling more than $500 for the year generally involve IRS Form 8283. For what any of that means on your return, keep your receipt and talk to a tax professional, or read IRS Publication 526 and Publication 561.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you really buy building materials at a Habitat ReStore? Yes. Building materials are what distinguish a ReStore from a general thrift store. At our Summerville store the accepted-and-stocked categories include cabinets and countertops, doors and windows, plumbing, electrical and lighting, new carpet and new tile, hardware, architectural items, and usable items from deconstruction and demolition, along with appliances, furniture and home décor.
What are the Dorchester Habitat ReStore’s hours and address? 101 Greyback Road, Summerville, SC 29483, open Monday through Saturday, 9am–7pm, and closed Sunday. Those are also our donation drop-off hours.
Do you have a list of what’s in stock right now? No. Inventory is donated, one-of-a-kind, and changes daily, and we do not publish a live stock list. The only reliable way to know what is on the floor is to come see — which is why regular short visits work better than one big trip.
Is what’s on your floor the same as other Habitat ReStores? No, and that is worth repeating. Each ReStore is independently owned and operated by a local Habitat affiliate, so accepted items, hours and pickup areas are set store by store. Our accepted and not-accepted lists apply to Summerville; another affiliate’s list may look quite different.
Do you pick up donations? Yes, within limits: we offer a free pick-up service for residents living in Dorchester County and for items too large to be transported in your vehicle. We cannot promise pickup outside Dorchester County. Schedule through the Schedule a Pickup link on our ReStore page.
Is my donation tax deductible? We are part of a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and gifts of goods are generally deductible to the extent the law allows — but the specifics are yours and your tax preparer’s. Generally you must itemize, the deduction is based on fair market value, and you determine that value, not us. Keep the receipt we give you, and see IRS Publications 526 and 561 or ask a tax professional.
Where does the money from my purchase go? Proceeds from sales go directly toward building and repairing homes for hardworking families in Dorchester County.
Ready to Come See What’s on the Floor?
Inventory here is donated, and it turns over. Whatever is on the floor today is not necessarily what was here last month.
Come walk it — 101 Greyback Road in Summerville, Monday through Saturday, 9am to 7pm. Bring your measurements, bring a tape measure, and bring an open mind about brand and finish.
The same floor also turns up used furniture, appliances and home décor, so leave time to walk the whole store, not just the building materials.
- Shopping, donating, or scheduling a free Dorchester County pickup: everything starts on our ReStore page.
- Have something to give: see the donate page.
- Want to help in the store: volunteers keep this place running — start at the volunteer page. (Volunteer time is scheduled in advance; we are not able to take walk-on volunteers.)
- Questions about the store: reach us through our contact page.
In our own published words: proceeds from sales go directly toward building and repairing homes for hardworking families in Dorchester County.
This article is general information for shoppers and donors, not tax, legal, or building-code advice. Store facts — address, hours, and our accepted and not-accepted donation lists — were checked against dorchesterhabitat.org on September 10, 2026, and are subject to change; the EPA and IRS material was checked against epa.gov and irs.gov the same day. For questions about your own tax return, talk to a tax professional.