Updated November 2026 US, UK, Canada and Australia Free calculator
Junk removal has one cost that most other side hustles do not: you pay to get rid of what you collect. Dump and tip fees are charged by weight, they vary hugely from town to town, and they come straight out of your price. Beginners who quote by eye and forget the weighbridge often finish a hard day with almost nothing left.
For a small load, about a quarter of a truck, charge $180–$290 in the US, £165–£250 in the UK, C$190–C$340 in Canada and A$260–A$460 in Australia. The calculator prices by volume and then takes disposal fees off, so you can see what a load really pays before you agree to it.
Set the job details to get a price to quote, then check what that price leaves you per hour once driving, supplies and tax are counted.
cubic yards
One cubic yard is about the size of a washing machine. A full junk truck holds about 16; a pickup bed about 2.One cubic yard is about the size of a washing machine. A transit tipper holds about 6; a Luton van about 14.One cubic yard is about the size of a washing machine. A full junk truck holds about 16; a pickup bed about 2.One cubic metre is about the size of a box trailer filled level. A small tipper holds 4 to 6.
We only publish going rates for the US, UK, Canada and Australia. Enter the price you plan to charge and the calculator shows what it pays you per hour, and the lowest price you should accept.
Charge about
$230
per load, disposal included, for 4 cubic yards
Budget$180Typical$230Premium$290
$
per load, disposal included, in your own currency
What you really keep
$71an hour in your pocket at the typical price
Adjust the numbers above to match your job.
The price is built as a base fee plus a rate for the size of the job, then adjusted for the options you pick. Time is an estimate for one person working alone; change it if you know your own pace.
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Price list
Junk Removal prices by job size
Job
United States (USD)
United Kingdom (GBP)
Canada (CAD)
Australia (AUD)
A few items
$125–$165about 1.5 cubic yards
£85–£110about 1 cubic yard
$135–$190about 1.5 cubic yards
$160–$230about 1 cubic metre
Small load
$180–$290quarter truck, 4 cubic yards
£165–£250about 4 cubic yards
$190–$340quarter truck, 4 cubic yards
$260–$460about 3 cubic metres
Half load
$270–$490half truck, 8 cubic yards
£240–£400about 7 cubic yards
$280–$580half truck, 8 cubic yards
$410–$800about 6 cubic metres
Full load
$440–$890full truck, 16 cubic yards
£420–£730full Luton van, 14 cubic yards
$450–$1,060full truck, 16 cubic yards
$710–$1,490about 12 cubic metres
Hourly rate
$40–$90what working pros bill
£30–£60what working pros bill
$45–$95what working pros bill
$60–$120what working pros bill
Minimum charge
$100smallest job worth the trip
£70smallest job worth the trip
$110smallest job worth the trip
$150smallest job worth the trip
Prices are per load, disposal included in local currency, from a fair budget price to an established operator in a higher-cost area.
United States: Pricing is by the fraction of a truck filled, in eighths or quarters. National franchises charge noticeably more than independents, which leaves room for a solo operator to undercut them and still earn well.
United Kingdom: Called rubbish removal or waste clearance. You must be registered as a waste carrier before you carry anyone else's waste for money, and give a waste transfer note for each job. Tipping at a licensed transfer station is charged by weight and is your biggest cost. London prices run 20 to 30 percent higher.
Canada: Priced by truck volume, the same way as in the US. Franchise prices for a full load reach about $1,100, while independents commonly charge $450 to $700.
Australia: Called rubbish removal and priced per cubic metre. Landfill levies make tip fees in the big cities some of the highest anywhere, so Sydney prices of $70 to $150 a cubic metre are normal. Know your local gate rate before you quote.
Method
Ways to price junk removal
01By volume
The standard everywhere. You price by how much of the truck or van the load fills: an eighth, a quarter, a half, a full load. It is quick to quote on site and easy for the customer to understand. The calculator works this way.
02Per item
A set price for single bulky things such as a sofa, a mattress or a fridge. Useful for small jobs and for advertising. Keep a minimum charge so one armchair still covers your fuel and the dump run.
03Volume plus weight surcharge
A volume price for ordinary household junk, with an extra charge for heavy material such as rubble, soil, tiles or wet carpet. Since the dump charges you by weight, this is the only safe way to price dense loads.
04Hourly plus disposal
Labour by the hour with tip fees passed on at cost. Fair for hoarder clear-outs and jobs where sorting and carrying take far longer than loading. Show the customer the weighbridge ticket.
Price factors
What changes the price
01Volume
How much space the load takes is the starting point for every quote. Learn to judge it in fractions of your own vehicle. Loose, bulky items can be stacked tighter than they look, so a pile that seems like half a truck often loads as a third.
02Weight
The dump charges you by the tonne, not by the cubic yard. A truck of old furniture and a truck of broken concrete take the same space and cost wildly different amounts to tip. Dense loads need a surcharge of half as much again or more.
03Your local dump fees
Gate rates differ by a factor of five between regions, and many sites have a minimum charge per visit. Call your nearest transfer stations, write down their rates for mixed waste, green waste and rubble, and build your prices on those numbers.
04Access and carrying
Junk on the driveway loads in minutes. The same junk in a third-floor flat or the far end of a garden takes an hour of carrying. Add about a quarter for stairs, long carries or anything that has to be broken down first.
05Problem items
Mattresses, fridges, tyres, paint, TVs and gas bottles cost extra to dispose of or need a separate drop-off. Charge a set surcharge for each, and refuse anything hazardous you are not licensed to carry.
06What you can resell or recycle
Scrap metal pays you instead of costing you, and good furniture and appliances can be sold or donated. Sorting the load can cut your dump bill by a third, which is why experienced operators often earn more per load than the price suggests.
Worked examples
Real quotes, step by step
United States
Garage clear-out, quarter truck
Old shelving, boxes, a broken mower and a mattress from a ground-level garage. About 4 cubic yards.
Quarter loads are the bread and butter of this trade. Pull the mower out for the scrap yard and your dump fee drops while your price stays the same.
Base price, 4 cubic yards
$226
Mattress disposal fee
+ $30
Quote, rounded
$260
Going range
$210–$320
Time, with 15 min driving
2 hours
Supplies and fuel
− $50
Set aside 25% for tax and overheads
− $53
You keep
$79 an hour
United Kingdom
Flat clearance from the second floor
A sofa, bed, wardrobe and bags of household rubbish from a second-floor flat with no lift. About 7 cubic yards.
Stairs add real time, and tipping a load this size is a serious cost. Weigh a few loads early on so you know what your waste actually costs per cubic yard.
Base price, 7 cubic yards
£312
Stairs or a long carry
× 1.25
Mattress disposal fee
+ £25
Quote, rounded
£420
Going range
£330–£520
Time, with 15 min driving
3.25 hours
Supplies and fuel
− £133
Set aside 25% for tax and overheads
− £72
You keep
£66 an hour
Australia
Bathroom renovation rubble
Old tiles, plasterboard and a smashed vanity from a bathroom strip-out. About 2 cubic metres, all heavy.
Small in volume, very heavy on the weighbridge. Without the heavy-load surcharge, this job would cost you money to do.
Base price, 2 cubic metres
$260
Heavy: rubble, soil, tiles
× 1.5
Quote, rounded
$390
Going range
$320–$510
Time, with 15 min driving
2.25 hours
Supplies and fuel
− $227
Set aside 25% for tax and overheads
− $41
You keep
$54 an hour
Your costs
What it costs you to do the work
You need a vehicle that can carry a real load. Many people start with a pickup or van they already own and add a trailer. Disposal fees for each load are covered in the calculator.
Item
USA (USD)
UK (GBP)
Canada (CAD)
Australia (AUD)
Used tipping trailer or cage trailerOften cheaper to start with than a dedicated truck.
$1,500–$6,000
£1,000–£4,000
$2,000–$8,000
$2,000–$8,000
Straps, tarps, dolly, gloves and hand tools
$100–$300
£80–£250
$130–$400
$150–$450
Dump or tip fees, per ton or tonne of mixed wasteVaries more than any other cost. Check your local sites.
$40–$120
£130–£220
$80–$160
$150–$480
Fuel, per working day
$30–$80
£30–£70
$40–$100
$40–$110
Commercial vehicle and liability insurance, per yearPersonal car insurance does not cover hauling for money.
$1,500–$4,000
£800–£2,500
$1,800–$4,500
$1,500–$4,000
Avoid these
Pricing mistakes that cost beginners money
Quoting without knowing the dump fee
If you do not know what the load will cost to tip, you do not know your price. Work out your disposal cost per cubic yard or metre from real weighbridge tickets, and never quote below it plus your time.
Taking heavy loads at the normal rate
Rubble, soil, tiles, wet carpet and books weigh several times what furniture does. One underpriced heavy load can cancel the profit from three ordinary ones. Ask what the junk is before you give a number.
Skipping licences and paperwork
In the UK, carrying waste without registration is an offence, and in every country dumped waste traced back to you brings heavy fines. Register, use licensed disposal sites, and keep every receipt.
Sending everything to landfill
Metal, working appliances, usable furniture and clean cardboard can all be diverted for free or for cash. Operators who sort keep far more of every job.
Questions
Common questions about junk removal prices
How much should I charge for junk removal?
For a small load of about a quarter truck, charge $180–$290 in the US, £165–£250 in the UK, C$190–C$340 in Canada and A$260–A$460 in Australia, with disposal included. A full truck load runs roughly three times that.
How much should I charge for a full truck load?
Independent operators in the US commonly charge $400 to $800 for a full 16 cubic yard truck, and franchises up to about $1,000. In Canada the range is about $450 to $1,100. In the UK a full Luton van load is typically £450 to £700.
How do I work out dump fees into my price?
Weigh your first few loads and divide the tip bill by the volume to get your cost per cubic yard or metre. Add that to what you need for your time, fuel and vehicle. Recheck it whenever your disposal site changes its rates.
Should I charge extra for mattresses and fridges?
Yes. Most disposal sites charge a separate fee for them, so pass it on as a set surcharge per item. The same goes for tyres, TVs and anything else your site prices separately.
What is a fair hourly rate for junk removal?
For labour-only or hourly jobs, operators bill about $40–$90 an hour in the US, £30–£60 in the UK, C$45–C$95 in Canada and A$60–A$120 in Australia, with disposal fees added on top.
Do I need a licence to haul junk?
In the UK you must register as a waste carrier. In the US, Canada and Australia the rules are set by state, province or council and may include a business licence, a waste transport permit or commercial vehicle registration. Check before your first paid job.
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Where these numbers come from
The rates on this page were set in November 2026 from the published price guides below, then checked so that the calculator, the price list and the examples all agree. How we work out prices.