How Much to Charge for Junk Removal in 2026 (Load Pricing Chart and Calculator)
By BRIX Editorial Team · Updated
Junk removal is priced by how much of the truck a job fills. Housecall Pro's 2026 guide puts a half truckload at $300–$500 and a full load at $600–$800, with minimum pickups from $70–$150. Build your own load prices from crew time, truck cost, dump fees and drive time, and add surcharges for mattresses, appliances and heavy debris.
Key takeaways
- Price by volume: a fraction of your truck (1/8, 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, full). Customers can picture it and you can see it.
- On our illustrative costs, a half load on a 15-cubic-yard truck comes to $394.73, and a full load to $682.80.
- Dump fees are about 46% of direct cost on the example job. Know your transfer station's rates before you set prices.
- With 30% overhead and 15% profit, the price is an 82% markup and a 45% margin. Don't swap them.
- Heavy material (concrete, dirt, shingles) fills weight limits before volume. Price it separately.
How do junk removal companies price a job?
Most junk haulers quote by the fraction of the truck the load takes up, after seeing the pile in person or in photos. Behind that price is a cost per job: crew hours to carry it out, truck hours, the dump fee for that volume, and fuel. The calculator below turns those into a load price with the same engine as our job pricing calculator.
- Labor hours incl. setup and drive
- 3.21 hrs
- Crew time on site
- 71 min
- Direct cost (labor, materials, equipment)
- $217.10
- Price per cu yd
- $52.63
- Gross margin
- 45.0%
- Markup on cost
- 81.8%
- Billed per labor hour
- $123/hr
Charge $394.73 per load. That covers $217.10 of direct cost, $118.42 of overhead and leaves $59.21 profit. A 82% markup on cost is a 45% margin, not the same number. Defaults are illustrative; replace them with your own times and costs.
Price = (crew hours × labor rate + cubic yards × dump fee + truck hours × truck cost) ÷ (1 − overhead % − profit %)
- Crew hours
- cubic yards ÷ yards one person loads per hour × (1 + extra time for stairs), plus quote-and-sweep time and paid drive time for each person
- Dump fee
- your transfer station's charge, converted to dollars per cubic yard (many stations charge by the ton)
- Truck cost
- fuel, payment, insurance and maintenance divided by the hours the truck works
The dump fee and truck cost are illustrative. Call your transfer station for its current rate and minimum, and ask whether mattresses, tires, electronics and appliances carry separate fees. Housecall Pro notes mattress disposal often runs $20–$50 per unit at transfer stations, which is why mattress surcharges exist.
Junk removal pricing chart by truck load
Volume pricing works because crew time, disposal and truck time all grow with the size of the pile, while the drive and walkthrough stay fixed. The chart runs the worked example across five load sizes on a 15-cubic-yard truck. HireAHelper describes a full junk truck as roughly 13–17 cubic yards, so check yours.
| Load | Calculated price | Per cubic yard | Housecall Pro | Fixr (Jan. 2025) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum, about 1/8 truck (2 cu yd) | $178.68 | $95.30 | $100–$250 (small load) | $75–$125 |
| 1/4 truck (3.75 cu yd) | $250.70 | $66.85 | $250–$450 (1/4 to 1/2) | $125–$175 |
| 1/2 truck (7.5 cu yd) | $394.73 | $52.63 | $300–$500 | $175–$375 |
| 3/4 truck (11.25 cu yd) | $538.77 | $47.89 | $450–$800+ (3/4 to full) | $375–$450 |
| Full truck (15 cu yd) | $682.80 | $45.52 | $600–$800 | $450–$650 |
Notice how the per-yard price drops from $95.30 on a minimum load to $45.52 on a full truck. That's the fixed cost of showing up. It's also why the minimum is the most important number on your price sheet: a single armchair (about one cubic yard) calculates to $145.08 on these inputs, so a $125 minimum sets the price.
Volume, item, hourly or weight pricing?
| Model | Best for | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| By truck fraction | Most residential cleanouts | Easy to quote on sight; customer sees the truck fill | Needs a firm minimum and a dense-material rule |
| Per item | One couch, one fridge, one hot tub | Simple online booking | Doesn't scale; customers add "one more thing" |
| Hourly plus disposal | Hoarder and estate cleanouts with sorting | Covers unpredictable labor | Harder to sell; quote a not-to-exceed |
| By weight or per ton | Concrete, dirt, roofing debris | Matches how dumps charge for heavy loads | Needs a scale ticket and a clear rate |
What customers typically pay for junk removal
Customers typically pay $70–$570 for junk removal in Housecall Pro's 2026 guide, and Thumbtack's October 2026 data puts the average job at $138–$308. 1-800-GOT-JUNK? reports its own 2025 averages at $396–$600 for a quarter to half truck and $600–$1,099 for half to full.
| Figure | Range | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum pickup | $70–$150 | Housecall Pro, 2026 |
| Full truckload | $600–$800 | Housecall Pro |
| Average job | $138–$308 (low $80, high $599) | Thumbtack, updated Oct. 13, 2026 |
| Stairs vs. no stairs (average) | $197 vs. $188 | Thumbtack |
| Minimum to 1/4 truck | $107–$396 | 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, 2025 averages, updated Oct. 16, 2026 |
| Sofa / mattress / refrigerator | $125 / $101 / $130 | 1-800-GOT-JUNK? |
| National average | $300 ($150–$600 typical) | Fixr, updated Jan. 31, 2025 |
City differences
Thumbtack publishes typical job ranges for 20 cities. A few examples: Phoenix $100–$238, Atlanta $100–$250, Denver $129–$269, Chicago $150–$329, Los Angeles $149–$460 and New York $199–$500. Wages and disposal fees both differ by city, so price from your own transfer station, not a national average.
Surcharges and single-item prices
- Mattresses and box springs. Housecall Pro lists mattress removal at $75–$150 per item. Many disposal sites charge per unit, so pass it through.
- Refrigerators, freezers and AC units. Housecall Pro lists appliance removal at $60–$180. Under the EPA's appliance disposal rules, the final disposer must make sure refrigerant is recovered, and a signed statement is needed when someone else recovered it. 1-800-GOT-JUNK? notes a refrigerant surcharge is common.
- Heavy debris. Housecall Pro lists heavy debris surcharges of $100–$300 or more because concrete, dirt and shingles hit truck and dump weight limits long before the truck looks full.
- Stairs and long carries. Housecall Pro puts extra labor and stairs at $50–$150 or more. The calculator's stairs option adds 50% to loading time instead.
- Hot tubs. Housecall Pro lists $300–$800 or more; most need cutting up, so quote them on site.
- Tires and electronics. Housecall Pro notes whole tires are banned from landfills in most states. Charge a per-tire fee that covers the recycler.
Minimums, fuel charges and same-day pricing
Your minimum should cover a trip with a near-empty truck. Housecall Pro suggests a flat fuel charge of $10–$25 per job based on drive time, a $50–$150 premium for same-day pickups and raising the minimum $25–$50 in peak months (March–June). Give a firm price on site before you lift anything, and write down what changes it: "If there's more than we saw in the photos, we'll re-quote before loading."
Junk removal pricing mistakes
- Using margin as a markup. Want 45% and add 45% to costs? The half load goes out at $314.80 instead of $394.73, a 31.0% margin. A 45% margin needs an 82% markup. See markup vs. margin and the markup and margin calculator.
- Pricing heavy loads by volume. A quarter truck of broken concrete can weigh more than a full truck of furniture. Quote dense material by weight or with a surcharge.
- Forgetting the dump run. The drive to the transfer station, the wait in line and the unload are paid crew and truck time. Add them to drive minutes.
- Quoting blind. Photos help, but basements and garages hide things. Quote a range by phone and firm it up on site.
- No truck cost. A box truck's payment, insurance and fuel belong in every load. Find yours with the gross profit per truck calculator.
How to present the price on site
- 1
Look at everything before quoting.
Open the garage, the basement and the shed. Ask what's staying.
- 2
Quote by load and name the fraction.
"This is about half a truck, so it's $395 all in, including disposal. If it's less, the price goes down."
- 3
Call out surcharges up front.
Mattresses, appliances with refrigerant, tires and paint each get their own line.
- 4
Get paid before you pull away.
Take payment on site and send the receipt by text. Ask for a review the same day.
Thinking of starting a hauling business? See how to start a junk removal business for trucks, insurance and disposal accounts.
Frequently asked questions
How much should I charge for a full truckload of junk?
Housecall Pro lists $600–$800 for a full truckload, and Fixr's older data gives $450–$650. On our illustrative costs, a full 15-cubic-yard load comes to $682.80; put your own dump fees and truck cost in the calculator.
What is a typical minimum charge for junk removal?
Housecall Pro puts minimum pickups at $70–$150 for a single bulky item or small load. Set yours to cover the drive, a short carry, the dump run and overhead, then raise it in peak months.
How much should I charge to remove a mattress?
Housecall Pro lists mattress removal at $75–$150 per item, and 1-800-GOT-JUNK? reports a $101 average. Many transfer stations charge per mattress, so check your local fee and pass it through as a line item.
How do I price junk removal by weight?
Use weight for dense loads like concrete, dirt and shingles, because dumps charge by the ton and trucks have weight limits. Quote your per-ton dump rate plus labor and truck time, or add a heavy debris surcharge; Housecall Pro lists $100–$300 or more.
Do I need to charge extra for refrigerators?
Usually yes. EPA rules make the final disposer responsible for refrigerant recovery from appliances, which costs money at the recycler. Housecall Pro lists appliance removal at $60–$180, and 1-800-GOT-JUNK? says a refrigerant surcharge is common.
Is junk removal cheaper than a dumpster?
Fixr's older data puts junk removal at $150–$600 and dumpster rental at $200–$550, so they overlap. Junk removal includes the labor and is faster; a dumpster wins when the customer wants to load it themselves over a week.
Related
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- Overhead Rate CalculatorCalculate your overhead rate as a % of revenue, % of direct labor and $ per billable hour. See what to count as overhead and how to price it into jobs.
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Sources
- Housecall Pro, Junk removal pricing (2026; last posted Oct. 2026) (checked October 24, 2026)
- Thumbtack, Junk removal cost (updated Oct. 13, 2026) (checked October 24, 2026)
- 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, Junk removal pricing (updated Oct. 16, 2026) (checked October 24, 2026)
- Fixr, Junk removal service cost (updated Jan. 31, 2025) (checked October 24, 2026)
- HireAHelper, How much does junk removal cost (truck sizes; updated Feb. 12, 2026) (checked October 24, 2026)
- EPA, Section 608: Appliance disposal (updated July 8, 2026) (checked October 24, 2026)