Here’s a tough one we come across daily, what is the cost of junk removal. Most consumers in general (including us at Nitty Gritty) often want to get down to brass and knuckles—what is this going to cost? Afterall, we all have budgets to be aware of. For flat rate services, it is pretty easy to answer the question on the spot. “Oil change? $59. Carpet cleaning? $0.50 a square foot. HVAC spring tune-up? $40.” Quotes from a flat rate will generally be the same across the board.
Then there are variable services. These services can be difficult to quote over the phone because there are two or more factors that can influence the price. For example, wisdom teeth removal depends on the number of wisdom teeth, their orientation, the amount of anesthesia needed, and more. The cost of junk removal falls under this category. Junk removal can be broken down to three main variables needing to be considered: load size, accessibility, and disposal fees.
Load Size
How much do you need hauled away? Our trailer is capable of holding about 10.5 cubic yards of junk and an additional 3-4 in the truck bed if needed. This can hold quite a bit of debris. Your cost of junk removal is impacted by how much it fills up our dump trailer. Prices break down by ¼ load, ½ load, and full load. Again, there are variables, however. It wouldn’t be fair to charge the same for 7 king size mattresses (exaggeration) taking up all the space and a trailer completely filled with concrete debris from a renovation. One would take much longer to load than the other. Enter variable #2—accessibility.
Accessibility
The cost of junk removal is heavily influenced by accessibility. Picture an old washer and dryer set needing to be removed. The amount of work it takes to remove changes dramatically if the washer and dryer are located in the garage or curbside than if they are located in a basement that is only accessible via stairs inside the home and extra care needs to be taken to not ding doors or walls. The first might take 10 minutes to complete while the other an hour to ensure no damage is done to the home. Beyond the amount of junk there is and how long it takes to load, the last variable to consider are disposal fees.
Disposal Fees
Disposal fees are included in the cost of junk removal we quote you. The first of these fees are required by the local landfill. Currently, their dump fees for commercial entities are $35/ton (which are very reasonable for our area). Our dump trailer is capable of hauling in excess of five tons which equates to $175 fees imposed by the landfill. The second expense we consider is the price of gas. Driving a large truck, hauling a large trailer, filled with a large load through a stop-and-go community, you can imagine the amount of gas that takes. Of course, a full trailer does not always equate to 10,000lbs. Back the mattress vs. concrete debris, one takes up more space but weighs less while on the flip-side, one takes up less space, but weighs much, MUCH more.
Wrap It All Up
In conclusion, we do our best to provide quotes on the spot. A few general numbers we can tell you now is our minimum price to head out for a job is $95. For a full trailer you are probably looking at around $600 (again, this is an average). It helps greatly if you can send us some photos and a description of the junk. For an even more accurate estimate, we are happy to come out to provide a same-day estimate. One way or another, you will know the cost of junk removal as quickly as possible. For further questions, please call or text us at (435)359-4447 or email us at NittyGrittyJunkRemoval@gmail.com
