Junk Removal Service Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

• 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.