Last updated February 2025
Americans throw out 4.9 pounds of trash per person every day, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. That doesn’t include all the stuff we promise ourselves to get rid of, but instead cram into overflowing closets, drawers, garages, and spare bedrooms. That’s probably why the junk hauling business is booming. Like the name suggests, these companies send a truck to your residence and take away unwanted, even unsalvageable items, from furniture, clothing, and appliances to swing sets, broken tools, and storm debris.
Checkbook has multiple articles on decluttering and getting rid of stuff you no longer want or need, from books to electronics to sporting goods to toys. But, sometimes, it’s most efficient to hire a company to do a clear out.
“Junk removal services can be an amazing resource and are a time saver,” said Lucy Milligan Wahl of LMW Edits, a professional organizing company in San Francisco. “If you want stuff gone, you can get a hauler tomorrow, if not today.”
How Junk Hauling Works
Junk haulers remove almost anything you don’t want. Typically, they come to your home, eyeball your stuff, give you a price, pack your stuff into the truck, and then take it away.
Haulers price jobs two ways. Some calculate by volume—how much truck space your stuff fills—plus labor and disposal fees. Others charge using a combination of volume and labor: You pay a flat fee for truck space, plus an hourly price for the labor to move items to the truck (this includes any time you spend procrastinating about what really must go).
Depending on where you live and the amount of stuff you want to scuttle, expect to pay anywhere from $100 to $700 per job.
You can of course do this work yourself, but DIY might not save much money. You’d have to rent a truck (or bug a friend to borrow one) and pay disposal fees.
Finding a Junk Hauler
You can locate a stuff-removing genie by talking to professionals who regularly move a lot of items in and out of homes: organizers, interior designers, real estate agents, and contractors.
Once you have narrowed your choices to three or four outfits, call each one. Look for haulers who answer questions in a professional manner. Ask each junker you are considering to come to your home to give you an estimate; most should do this for free. Other questions to ask include:
- Do you charge by volume, per item, hourly, or a combination? Are disposal fees included?
- Are there extra fees to prep items for removal (disassemble furniture or other large items, bag items, carpet removal)?
- Do you have the proper equipment and tools to move heavy items or disassemble large ones?
- Are you fully licensed and insured, including liability and workmen’s compensation? Will you send me proof of that coverage?
- What do you do with the stuff? Where does it go?
- How do you handle computers, TVs, and other electronics? These products contain a nightmarish mix of toxic materials and should be recycled responsibly.
- Do you partner with local recycling centers, nonprofits, or compost centers? Do you have the paperwork to prove it? Can you provide a receipt from that partner for my donated goods?
- Which items will you not take? Most junk haulers are not licensed to dispose of hazardous materials such as wet paint, weed killer, batteries and household cleaners; click here for info on disposing of those types of items.
How to Prepare
Clear the area so workers can get to your unwanted stuff easily. Systematically color tag what stays and what goes so there are no mistakes (or regrets). To take it one step further, label items for recycle, donation, or trash.
“If you can move everything into one room, it makes the removal process faster, smoother, and sometimes cheaper,” Milligan Wahl said.
Remember that junk haulers do not help make decisions about what stays and what goes. Their job is to haul, not organize.
One caveat: As you sort through your trash, review old papers. Any personal health information, financial documents tied to active accounts, or anything with your social security number should be shredded, whether you do that at home or take it to a commercial shredder. Some municipalities, banks, and credit unions offer free shredding events, too.
Where Does Your Stuff Go?
When stuff is hauled away, its fate is based on the hauler and/or city and county regulations, said Stacy Savage, founder and CEO of Zero Waste Strategies, a waste reduction protocol consulting firm. Some services bypass recycling and go directly to a disposal center or worse, illegally dump junk on the side of the road.
The best haulers make every effort to keep items out of landfills. They will either categorize your things as they load them into their truck or take them to a central warehouse to sort what can be donated or recycled. Some may even find buyers for items that can be refurbished or mined for their components.
If eco-friendly practices are important to you, ask the company about its diversion rate (what percentage is recycled or donated). Look for 70 to 90 percent, then ask how the hauler achieves that percentage and to back up its claim.
For electronics and batteries, query outfits you are considering if they will drop off items at recycling centers certified by R2 or e-Stewards.
Other Ways to Get Rid of Your Stuff
If you don’t want to pay a junk hauler, there are other ways to get rid of unwanted things.
Trash it. Fill your trash and recycling bins weekly until all your junk is gone or stuff everything into a vehicle and take it to your local disposal facility. Some municipalities have designated “large or oversize pickup” days when special crews will pick up items that won’t fit in trash cans.
Donate it. Local nonprofits will take most usable items off (books, clothes, furniture) your hands. Some require goods to be brought to donation centers, while others will schedule pickups. If you choose the latter, ask if the recipient will enter your home (many will not) or if all items must be left outside on the driveaway, curb or porch.
Recycle it. If your community offers weekly or bimonthly home recycling, put accepted materials into your recycle bin for pickup. Some disposal centers allow local residents to sort their recyclables into designated dumpsters for free.
Sell it. You can hawk your unwanted stuff online via Facebook Marketplace, eBay, Craigslist, Nextdoor, or Poshmark (mainly clothing). Just be prepared to either ship items the items you sell or arrange for a pickup in a safe location. You can also hold a garage sale or hire an estate-sale company; for more about the latter, see our coverage of estate sales.
Give it away: Numerous peer-to-peer “buy nothing” or “free” groups are just a mouse click away. Click here for advice on using Buy Nothing groups and Freecycle.org.