How Do Junk Removal Services Charge?

If you have old stuff laying around you’d like to get out of the house but you don’t know how to get rid of it, you need a junk removal professional. But, like every business, junk removal companies charge for their services. If you’d like to know exactly how they determine what they’re going to charge you to remove your items, read on.

There are a number of different ways junk removal companies charge:

Volume-based pricing: Most professional junk removal companies like Junk Platoon and it’s franchise competitors like 1-800-Got-Junk charge based by volume. In other words, they determine how much you’ll be charged by estimating how much room your items will take up in their trucks. While some companies charge by the cubic yard, most companies that use trucks to haul your items away rather than dumpsters estimate the volume of junk using fractions of their truck’s capacity. For example, they might charge you for one quarter of a load or seven eights of a load rather than converting those fractions to cubic yards. As a consumer, it’s natural to think you want the company to bring the biggest possible truck so they can fit more stuff in. While that’s partly true, what impacts your rate more than the size of the truck is how tightly the company packs your items into the truck.

In the Oklahoma City area in 2023, you can expect to pay anywhere from $550-650 for a full truckload or $350-450 for a half truckload of junk.

Item-based pricing: Some companies charge per item they remove. For example: appliances, furniture, electronics, etc. Item pricing is most common for items that are difficult to dispose of, such as hazardous materials as well as items that require a lot of labor like decks, sheds, and pools. Most companies that price based on volume also have a single item price they charge it you only have one item to be removed.

Hourly rate: Still other junk removal services charge by how much time the job takes them to compete. While this type of pricing is more common for smaller jobs or for jobs that require more time and labor, even companies that primarily charge by volume can add additional labor charges for particularly laborious removals. Volume-based charges usually include a set amount of labor that corresponds to the volume of items being loaded. For example, a half truck typically includes 1 hour of labor, while a full truckload includes 2 hours and a quarter load includes just 30 minutes. Any time required beyond the included amounts will result in additional labor charges.

Flat fee: Some junk removal services charge a flat fee for their services, regardless of the amount of junk being removed. This type of pricing is more common for small jobs or for jobs that are not complex. Most volume-based companies also charge a flat fee (as described above) for a single item as well.

Distance fee: If you live outside of the removal company’s usual service area, there could be additional fees added to your bill to help them cover the extra travel time and fuel required to make the trip. In the Oklahoma City area, most junk removal companies service the entire metro including Guthrie, Yukon, Norman, Choctaw and the points in between. If you’re outside this area, you’ll likely have to pay extra fees and/or call multiple companies to find one that will travel to you.

Another factor that influences the price of a junk removal service is where the items are located on your property. If you live on the fourth floor of a building, companies will likely charge you additional fees for the additional time and effort it will take them to take things up and down the stairs or elevator. By the same token, if the items you want removed are in a shed that is a long way from where the junk removal crew will be able to park their truck, it will likely cost you extra as well.

Getting an estimate from junk removal companies is important. The more quotes you receive, the better. It’s important to get three to five quotes before you make your decision. It’s also important to give each company the details of the junk that you want removed. This will help them quote you an accurate price. Once you’ve received several quotes, you can choose the one that best fits your needs and budget. Some companies may offer discounts on their services so it’s worth checking with each one.

Many companies offer free, on site quotes with no obligation for you to use them. By taking advantage of this service, you will know exactly what it will cost you to get the items you want removed before you commit to anything.

When you get estimates over the phone, it’s unlikely that price you actually end up paying will be what you were told beforehand. It’s not that companies are trying to take advantage of you, it’s just that when they are trying to estimate how much space your items will take up in their truck and they only have your description of the items or pictures to figure this out from, they will inevitably hedge their quote so they make it appealing to you and make sure they don’t lose money on the job. This often translates into giving you a range of prices that starts with a low amount they know you will like and a higher amount they are comfortable the job won’t exceed. Then, when they get on site and can actually assess the items themselves, they refine the price and end up with a price that’s higher than they minimum price they gave you (and hoped to pay) but still below what the maximum price they gave you on the phone.

In conclusion, junk removal services charge based on several factors including the amount and type of junk you’d like removed, the difficulty of getting the items to their truck or trailer and the distance of your home or business from their normal operating area. We recommend getting a free, on site quote rather than depending on an estimate provided over the phone or through text messages to ensure you get the best value for your money.