A compiled reference of 23 verified statistics on what it costs to haul junk away. It covers what a junk removal job costs, what the big franchises charge, per-item prices and add-ons, what an eviction cleanout involves, the rules for property a tenant leaves behind, and the disposal fees under every price. Every figure names its source (pricing guides from Housecall Pro, Move.org, and Taskrabbit, franchise price boards, TransUnion eviction data, Princeton's Eviction Lab, California statutes, EREF landfill fee research, IBISWorld, the EPA, and the Mattress Recycling Council) and was independently checked before publishing.
Key statistics
6 highlights from this report
Key statistics
Key takeaways
Junk removal pricing has a simple shape. You pay for space in a truck, the labor to fill it, and the landfill fee to empty it. Each of those costs is rising, and an eviction cleanout stacks all of them on top of an already expensive legal process.
The average junk removal load costs $230. The full range runs $100 to $800.
A full truckload of junk costs $600 to $800 to haul away.
The average eviction cost a property manager $3,500 in TransUnion's 2014 data.
Landlords file 3.6 million eviction cases in an average year.
Landfill tipping fees jumped 10% in 2024, to $62.28 per ton.
More than 50,000 mattresses are thrown away in the US every day.
How we built this report
Every figure was compiled in August 2026 from named public sources and verified against the original before publishing.
- Compiled from primary sources
National pricing guides, franchise price boards, credit bureau eviction data, court-record research, state statutes, and waste industry reports.
- Only explicitly stated figures
We include only numbers a named source states directly, and attribute each one inline where it appears.
- Disagreements shown, not averaged
Where sources give different numbers, we show both rather than blending them into a false single figure.
- Independent review
Written by one co-founder, reviewed by the other before publishing.
A note on reading these numbers. National ranges are a starting point, not a quote; local prices move with fuel, labor, and landfill fees. The TransUnion eviction figures date to 2014, so treat those dollar amounts as a floor. The California rules apply only in California; other states set different waiting periods and thresholds. Confirm any figure against the named source before relying on it.
Junk removal and cleanout costs, by the numbers
All 23 figures, grouped by theme. Each one names its source and was independently verified.
What a junk removal job costs
Three pricing guides publish national numbers, and they roughly agree. According to Housecall Pro (housecallpro.com), whose guide aggregates data from leading home service marketplaces, most jobs fall between $70 and $570. Move.org (move.org) puts the average load at $230. Taskrabbit (taskrabbit.com) prices by the hour instead. We show each source's numbers separately.
Statistic 1
Most junk removal jobs fall between $70 and $570. A standard pickup runs $150 to $350.
Housecall Pro, junk removal pricing guide (2026)
Statistic 2
The minimum charge for a small pickup is $70 to $150. A full truckload often costs $600 to $800.
Housecall Pro, junk removal pricing guide (2026)
Statistic 3
Full-service junk removal runs $100 to $800 per load. The national average is $230 per load.
Move.org, pricing analysis (April 2024)
Statistic 4
Junk removal help on Taskrabbit starts at an average of $42 per hour nationwide. City averages run from $22 per hour in the SF Bay Area to $54 per hour in Chicago.
Taskrabbit, completed-job cost data (2026)
Statistic 5
The average junk removal invoice on Taskrabbit is $138 in Chicago, $130 in New York City, and $42 in the SF Bay Area.
Taskrabbit, completed-job cost data (2026)
What this means: The price is really a truck-space price. A few items cost close to the minimum charge, and a packed house costs a full truckload or more. For a landlord, the cheapest load is the one that never piles up. Our move-out cleaning cost statistics report covers the cleaning half of the same job.
What the big franchises charge
The two biggest national franchises do not publish price lists, but Move.org (move.org) collected quotes from both in April 2024, and the numbers sit close together. LoadUp (goloadup.com) works differently: it lists exact item prices online, upfront.
Statistic 6
College Hunks Hauling Junk quoted $590 for a full truck and $370 for a half truck in April 2024.
College Hunks pricing, as collected by Move.org (April 2024)
Statistic 7
1-800-GOT-JUNK quoted $600 for a full truck and $400 for a half truck. A sofa was $180 there versus $160 at College Hunks. A refrigerator was $110 at both.
Move.org pricing survey (April 2024)
Statistic 8
A 1-800-GOT-JUNK truck holds roughly two tons of junk. Prices step up in one-eighth-truck increments from a minimum charge, and a full load fills 200 to 400 cubic feet.
1-800-GOT-JUNK, pricing documentation (2026)
Statistic 9
LoadUp lists exact prices online: $65 for a couch and $35 for a queen mattress in its sample Atlanta pricing, plus a one-time $59 area service fee.
LoadUp, published pricing (2026)
What this means: The two franchises quoted almost the same price for a full truck, which tells you the market rate is real. The split that matters is volume pricing versus item pricing. A cleanout with a few big items can be far cheaper priced per item; a packed garage is cheaper by the truckload. Check both on every big job.
Per-item prices and add-ons
Single items and complications carry their own prices. According to Housecall Pro (housecallpro.com), the surcharges below stack on top of the base price, and they are how a simple quote grows.
Statistic 10
Removing an appliance costs $60 to $180 per item. A mattress costs $75 to $150. A hot tub costs $300 to $800 or more.
Housecall Pro, junk removal pricing guide (2026)
Statistic 11
Stairs and extra labor add $50 to $150 or more. Heavy debris adds $100 to $300 or more. Same-day pickup adds $50 to $150 or more.
Housecall Pro, junk removal pricing guide (2026)
Statistic 12
Renting a dumpster instead costs $300 to $600 per week, with a national average of $400 per week. The labor is yours.
Move.org, pricing analysis (April 2024)
What this means: Per-item surcharges are why eviction and estate cleanouts get expensive fast. A unit with a fridge, a washer, two mattresses, and a couch carries hundreds of dollars in item fees before the truck fills up. A dumpster is cheaper only if you have a crew to fill it.
Eviction cleanouts
An eviction cleanout is a junk removal job attached to a legal process, and the legal process is the expensive part. According to TransUnion (transunion.com), the credit bureau behind the SmartMove screening product, total eviction expenses averaged $3,500 in its data. Princeton University's Eviction Lab (evictionlab.org) counts how often this happens.
Statistic 13
Total eviction-related expenses for property managers averaged $3,500, counting maintenance fees, lost rent, court costs, filing costs, and judgment costs. They can reach as high as $10,000.
TransUnion SmartMove data (Q2 2014)
Statistic 14
The average eviction judgment was $1,917 in Q2 2014, down 2.3% from $1,963 a year earlier.
TransUnion SmartMove data (Q2 2014)
Statistic 15
Landlords filed an average of 3.6 million eviction cases per year between 2000 and 2018. The estimate is built from more than 99 million court records plus 30,000 county-level annual reports.
Eviction Lab, Princeton University (2022 data release)
Statistic 16
In 2018, nearly 6 out of 100 renting households were threatened with eviction at least once. The filing rate was 7.8% of renting households, down from 8.4% in 2000.
Eviction Lab, Princeton University (2022 data release)
What this means: The cleanout is one line on a much bigger bill, and the TransUnion figures are from 2014, so today's bill is higher. Millions of these events happen every year, which is why eviction cleanouts are a standing service line for haulers. The damage side of the same story is in our tenant damage statistics report.
The rules before the dumpster
You cannot always haul it away the day the tenant leaves. States set waiting periods for property left behind. California's rules are the best-known example; the numbers below come from the state's civil code, and other states differ.
Statistic 17
In California, a landlord must give a former tenant at least 15 days to claim property left behind, or at least 18 days if the notice is mailed.
Cal. Civ. Code 1983
Statistic 18
If the landlord reasonably believes the property left behind is worth less than $700 in total, they may keep or dispose of it. At $700 or more, it must be sold at a public sale by competitive bidding.
Cal. Civ. Code 1988
What this means: The $700 line makes documentation the first step of every cleanout. A crew that photographs everything before touching anything gives the landlord proof of what was there and what it was worth, on exactly the question the statute turns on. This is not legal advice; check your own state's rules.
The disposal fees under every price
Junk removal prices track disposal costs, and disposal keeps getting more expensive. The Environmental Research and Education Foundation, EREF (erefdn.org), measures what landfills charge per ton. IBISWorld (ibisworld.com) sizes the industry that pays those fees.
Statistic 19
The average US landfill tipping fee rose 10% in 2024, to $62.28 per ton, the largest increase since 2022. The data covers 351 landfills. Private landfills charge about 34% more than public ones.
EREF 2024 tipping fee analysis, reported by Waste Advantage Magazine
Statistic 20
In 2023 the average tipping fee was $56.80 per ton, from data on 342 facilities. The Northeast was highest at $84.44 per ton. The Southeast was lowest at $43.18.
EREF, landfill tipping fee analysis (2023)
Statistic 21
US waste collection is an $83.1 billion industry with 19,980 businesses in 2026. The dumpster rental segment alone reached $654 million in 2025, growing 7.2% in a year.
IBISWorld, industry reports (2025-2026)
What this means: Every hauler's quote has a per-ton landfill fee inside it. A 1-800-GOT-JUNK truck holds about two tons, so at 2024's average fee, roughly $125 of a full-truck price is the landfill's cut before labor or fuel. When tipping fees jump 10%, quotes follow.
What gets hauled mostly gets buried
The EPA (epa.gov) tracks furniture in the national waste stream, and the Mattress Recycling Council (mattressrecyclingcouncil.org) tracks the single bulkiest item on the truck.
Statistic 22
Americans generated 12.1 million tons of furniture and furnishings waste in 2018, up from 2.2 million tons in 1960. 80.1% went to landfills and 19.5% was burned for energy recovery. Almost none was recycled.
US EPA, durable goods municipal solid waste data (2018)
Statistic 23
More than 50,000 mattresses are discarded in the US each day. More than 75% of a mattress can be recycled, and the Mattress Recycling Council has recycled over 17 million since 2015.
Mattress Recycling Council (2026)
What this means: Bulky items are the hardest part of the waste stream, and states are responding with recycling programs and disposal rules. Expect the per-item surcharges in group 3, especially for mattresses and appliances, to keep climbing as more of them arrive.
Cite this study
Academic or press use: copy a ready-made reference. RapidEye is the publisher.
Quick FAQ
How much does junk removal cost?
Most jobs fall between $70 and $570, and a standard pickup runs $150 to $350, per Housecall Pro's analysis of home service marketplace data. Move.org puts the national average at $230 per load, with full truckloads at $600 to $800.
How much does an eviction cleanout cost?
The cleanout is one piece of a bigger bill. Total eviction-related expenses averaged $3,500 and can reach $10,000, per TransUnion SmartMove data from 2014, so treat that as a floor today. The hauling itself prices like a large junk removal job: a full truckload runs $600 to $800, per Housecall Pro, plus per-item fees for appliances and mattresses.
Why is junk removal getting more expensive?
Disposal costs are rising. The average US landfill tipping fee jumped 10% in 2024, to $62.28 per ton, the largest increase since 2022, per EREF data reported by Waste Advantage Magazine. Haulers pay that fee on every ton they dump, on top of labor, fuel, and insurance.
Can a landlord just throw away what a tenant leaves behind?
Not always. In California, a landlord must give a former tenant at least 15 days to claim property left behind, or 18 days if the notice is mailed, per Cal. Civ. Code 1983. If the property is reasonably believed to be worth less than $700, the landlord may then dispose of it; at $700 or more, it must be sold at public sale, per Cal. Civ. Code 1988. Rules differ by state, so check yours.
Data sources
Every figure on this page traces to one of these named sources, each checked against the original before publishing.
Housecall ProJunk removal pricing guide, aggregated marketplace data (2026)housecallpro.com
Move.orgJunk removal pricing analysis and company quotes (April 2024)move.org
TaskrabbitJunk removal cost guide, completed-job datataskrabbit.com
1-800-GOT-JUNKFranchise pricing documentation1800gotjunk.com
LoadUpPublished item-based pricing (2026)goloadup.com
TransUnionSmartMove eviction cost data (Q2 2014)transunion.com
Eviction LabNational eviction filings database, Princeton University (2022 release)evictionlab.org
California Legislative InformationCivil Code sections 1983 and 1988leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
EREFAnnual landfill tipping fee analyses (2023; 2024 findings via trade press)erefdn.org
IBISWorldWaste collection and dumpster rental industry reports (2025-2026)ibisworld.com
US EPADurable goods municipal solid waste data (2018)epa.gov
Mattress Recycling CouncilNational mattress disposal and recycling figuresmattressrecyclingcouncil.org