DuPage Junk Guide

How Much Does a Full House Cleanout Cost? — Complete Pricing Guide

How Much Does a Full House Cleanout Cost? — Complete Pricing Guide
A full house cleanout typically costs $500 to $3,500, with most three-bedroom homes landing between $1,200 and $2,500. Pricing is set by volume — how much of the truck the contents fill — not by the hour. A single truckload averages $400 to $800. Heavily packed, estate, or hoarding-condition homes commonly reach $2,500 to $6,000 because of extra labor and higher disposal tonnage. Full-service crews do all lifting, carrying, loading, and disposal, and sweep the space when finished. Exact price is confirmed on a free on-site walkthrough before work begins.

A full house cleanout usually runs $500 to $3,500, with three-bedroom homes averaging $1,200 to $2,500. Our local junk removal crew prices by truckload volume, does all the lifting and hauling, and confirms the number on-site before anything moves.

Home size / load volumeTypical cost range
Studio or 1-bedroom (partial truckload)$400 – $900
2-bedroom home or apartment (½ to ¾ truck)$700 – $1,500
3-bedroom home (1 to 1½ trucks)$1,200 – $2,500
4-bedroom or larger home (2+ trucks)$2,000 – $3,500+
Estate cleanout with garage, attic and basement$1,800 – $4,000
Hoarding-condition or heavily packed home$2,500 – $6,000
Single truckload add-on (return trip)$400 – $800
Appliance or mattress disposal surcharge (each)$25 – $100

Full house cleanout cost by home size and load volume (typical market ranges)

Full house cleanout pricing is set by truckload volume, not by the hour

Junk removal companies price full house cleanouts by the share of the truck the contents occupy. A standard junk removal truck holds roughly 15 to 18 cubic yards, equal to about six to eight pickup truck loads. A quarter-truck load typically costs $175 to $300, a half load $300 to $550, and a full load $400 to $800. Volume pricing protects the customer on slow, awkward jobs — a narrow staircase or a packed attic takes longer but does not change the cubic yards being hauled. Labor, loading, transport, and dump fees are included in the quoted volume price at most full-service companies.

Full house cleanout quotes rise with heavy materials and per-ton disposal fees

Weight drives the second half of the price. Transfer stations and landfills bill by the ton, commonly $40 to $120 per ton in most U.S. markets, so a house full of solid-wood furniture, tile, plaster, books, or exercise equipment costs more to clear than the same volume of clothing and cardboard. Mattresses, box springs, refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, and CRT televisions carry separate handling fees of roughly $25 to $100 each because they require specialty recycling. Paint, solvents, fuel, pesticides, and propane tanks are household hazardous waste and go to a county HHW facility rather than a standard truck.

Full house cleanout crews handle attics, basements, garages, and stair carries

A full-service cleanout is done-for-you: the crew walks the home, wraps and carries every item out, loads the truck, and sweeps the floor before leaving. That includes second-floor bedrooms, pull-down attics, crawl-space storage, detached garages, sheds, and back-yard piles. Two- to four-person crews are standard for whole-home work. Stair carries, long driveway walks, and tight hallways are figured into the on-site estimate rather than billed as surprise add-ons. Customers who want a lower number can set aside items to keep before the crew arrives — the truck only fills with what is pointed at.

Full house cleanout timelines run four hours to two days for most homes

A one- or two-bedroom cleanout is usually finished in three to five hours with a two-person crew. A furnished three-bedroom home typically takes a full day and one to two truck trips. Four-bedroom homes, estates with decades of accumulation, and hoarding-condition properties often need two days and multiple loads. Same-day service is frequently available for smaller loads when a truck is open, and scheduling two to five days out is common for whole-home jobs that need a larger crew. Real-estate closings, probate deadlines, and eviction dates are the usual drivers of a hard finish date.

Full house cleanout estimates are confirmed on a free on-site walkthrough

Phone and photo estimates are ballparks. Volume is difficult to judge from a doorway photo, so reputable companies give a range over the phone and lock the price on-site after seeing every room, the attic, the garage, and the access path. The confirmed number is given before a single item is loaded, and it is the number invoiced. Homeowners handling a probate sale, a downsizing move, or a rental turnover benefit from booking the walkthrough early, because scheduling the truck around a closing date is easier than squeezing a two-truck cleanout into the final 48 hours.

Full house cleanout discussions on Reddit center on volume disputes and hidden fees

Threads in r/junkremoval regularly warn that a phone quote given without a walkthrough tends to climb once the crew sees the basement — the common advice is to insist on a written, on-site number before loading starts. Homeowners in r/EstateSales raise a second concern: paying full haul price for furniture that still had resale value. The spec answer to both is straightforward. Volume pricing is verifiable — ask the crew to show the truck fill line at the quoted mark. And separating donation-grade furniture, appliances, and housewares before the truck arrives reduces cubic yards billed; many crews will drop usable goods at a local charity on the same run.

Local full house cleanout specifics

Local cleanout pricing tracks two things that change from county to county: the tipping fee at the nearest transfer station and how far the truck has to drive to reach it. Where disposal runs on the higher end of the $40 to $120 per ton range, whole-home quotes sit toward the upper half of the ranges above. Homes on narrow residential streets, in older neighborhoods with alley-only access, or in complexes with loading-dock hours and HOA rules on dumpster placement add crew time and are figured into the on-site estimate. Municipal bulk pickup exists in many areas but is usually limited to a few items per collection with curbside placement required — that limit is why owners clearing an entire house hire a full-service crew instead. Household hazardous waste, tires, and electronics are handled at designated county drop-off sites; those items are separated at the home rather than loaded with general debris. Metal appliances, scrap, and cardboard are diverted to recyclers where local facilities accept them.

Related questions

How much does it cost to clean out a hoarder house?

Hoarding-condition cleanouts typically run $2,500 to $6,000 and sometimes higher, because of multiple truckloads, added crew hours, protective gear, and heavier disposal tonnage.

How much does an estate cleanout cost?

Estate cleanouts commonly cost $1,800 to $4,000 for a fully furnished home with garage, attic, and basement contents included, priced by total truckload volume.

Is it cheaper to rent a dumpster or hire junk removal?

A roll-off dumpster rental runs about $300 to $600 per week plus overage and weight fees, but all loading is DIY. Junk removal costs more per load and includes the labor, carry-out, and disposal.

How much does it cost to remove furniture from a house?

Single furniture items generally run $75 to $200 each, while a room of furniture priced as a partial truckload typically falls between $250 and $550.

How long does a full house cleanout take?

Most three-bedroom homes are cleared in one full day with a two- to four-person crew; larger or heavily packed homes take two days and multiple truck trips.