Best Junk Removal Services & Helpful Resources

FAQs

• Introduction

  If you’re doing a deep clean, moving, or find yourself with large household items you can’t get rid of easily, hiring a junk removal service is probably your best option. For a fee, these services come to your home, pick up the junk, and dispose of it in an environmentally friendly way (if possible).

  
  

  Some people view junk removal as expensive. However, if you factor in the time required to take the items to the junkyard yourself, plus hiring a truck if you don’t have one, the cost is usually worth it. Additionally, you can use junk removal to handle delicate matters, such as emptying a deceased individual's home or helping a person with a hoarding problem.

• How did the business of junk removal start?

  It’s unclear who created the first junk removal company. Originally, junk removal was often performed by one person with a truck who worked evenings or weekends. However, the industry has become professionalized in recent years.  Today, junk removal companies send out uniformed employees in branded trucks who sweep up when they’re done.
  

• What do you need to start a junk removal business?

  To start a junk removal business, you should:
  

  • Conduct market research about local demand and current competitors
  • Learn what you can and can't take to the dump
  • Purchase a large truck
  • Decide whether to hire workers
  • Establish your pricing, website, legal business entity, booking process, and advertising efforts

• Do you need a license to start a junk removal business?

  Depending on the state you live and operate in, you may need a license for your junk removal business. You’ll also need to obtain a tax identification number and decide if you want to set up your business as an LLC, partnership, or sole proprietorship.
  

• How much do you tip a junk removal company?

  It’s up to you how much you tip a junk removal company. If the employees went above and beyond to carry the items out carefully, you might want to tip them as much as 20%. Otherwise, a standard tip is 10%.
  

• What do junk removal businesses do with the things they haul away?

  Junk removal businesses typically try to sort through the junk in the most environmentally friendly way possible. This means they allow employees to take items home, donate whatever they can, recycle what they can, sell anything they can, and take the rest to the garbage dump.

• How much does it cost to remove junk from a house?

  The cost of junk removal depends on how much junk there is and what type of junk it is. Some junk removal services charge by weight while others charge according to space taken up in their truck. The national average to remove a truckload of junk is $234, but it ranges from $100-$800.
  

• How can you prepare for junk removal? 

  To prepare for junk removal, follow these steps:
  

  • Sort through all the areas and rooms you want to go through before you hire anyone. You don’t want to realize later that you missed a significant portion of your junk.
  • Put everything into one easily accessible area, such as your yard.
  • Be sure to check every piece of junk and ask yourself if you can resell it or donate it. With smaller items, consider just throwing them in your household garbage. Remember that you’re charged for everything taken, so a junk removal company should only take items that are inconvenient for you to remove on your own.
  • Call several companies to get quotes so you can compare pricing.
  • Most junk removal companies don't accept hazardous waste. If you have potentially hazardous materials, mention this when you reach out for a quote.

• How is junk removal priced?

  Junk removal is typically priced by weight or space taken up. Depending on what type of junk you have, one pricing option may be significantly more affordable for you. Try to find junk removal companies with each pricing model to see which quotes you a lower cost. Prices can vary by state, depending on local dumping costs.
  

• Do junk removal companies take cars and other large items?

  Every junk removal company has its own rules. However, most junk removal companies only take items that fit in their vehicles. Generally, this means that large pieces of furniture, mattresses, tires, and similar items can be hauled away. However, most junk removal companies don’t have the ability to take cars.
  

• What is a fly-by-night haule

  A fly-by-night hauler is an overnight trucking service. If you want junk removal services at night, you can try to book a fly-by-night hauler. People may choose to book at night if they don’t want their neighbors to see all their junk or work unusual hours.
  

• If junk removal companies will not dispose of chemicals or things deemed hazardous waste- how can you get rid of them?

  The protocol for getting rid of hazardous waste varies by city and state. If you're unsure of how to proceed, you can contact your city’s waste management department. There are also companies for hire that specialize in disposing of hazardous waste.
  

• How to know if you should rent a dumpster or hire a junk removal company?

  Renting a dumpster may be a viable alternative if you don’t mind filling a dumpster yourself or you need a multiday solution (such as when renovating). Hiring a junk removal company is better for smaller piles of junk, if you can’t handle physical labor, and if you value convenience.
  

• Is junk removal good or bad for the environment?

  Most junk removal companies do what they can to keep your junk out of the landfill. Taking your items to the landfill is an added cost to the company, so they can increase profits by avoiding the landfill as much as possible. The dump may be avoided by giving junk to employees, donating it, or selling it.