Garage Clean Out Business: How to Quote, Sort and Profit

Garage clean outs are some of the best jobs in junk removal. They are bigger than a single couch, the customer is usually home and happy to see you, and a lot of what comes out of a garage can be donated or scrapped instead of dumped. Whether you run a garage clean out business on its own or as part of a junk removal company, here is how to do it well.

Why garage clean outs pay

• Bigger tickets. A typical garage clean out is a half load to two full loads, $300 to $1,200
• Less competition on price. Customers care more about being careful and fast than about $50
• More resale and scrap. Tools, bikes, metal shelving and old appliances go to scrap yards and donation centers
• Great reviews. An empty garage is the most satisfying before and after photo in the business

What customers actually want

Most customers do not want everything gone. They want help deciding. The three common types:

1. Full clear out. Moving, selling the house, or an estate. Everything goes
2. Clear and keep. "Take the junk, leave the tools and the holiday boxes." This needs a quick walk through with the customer
3. Clear and organize. They want shelves, bins and a floor they can park on. Some companies offer this as an add-on; others refer it to an organizer

Ask which one it is on the first call. It changes the price and the time.

How to quote a garage clean out

Ask for photos of the whole garage: from the door, from the back wall, and of any loft or shelving. Then size it:

• One-car garage, light clutter: about a half load
• One-car garage, packed: about a full load
• Two-car garage, light clutter: half to three quarter load
• Two-car garage, packed to the ceiling: two full loads or more

Quote a range ("one to one and a half loads, $550 to $800") and confirm on site. For two loads or more, many owners take 10 to 15 percent off the second load. Add time for sorting if the customer wants to keep things: a "clear and keep" job can take twice as long as a full clear out.

Use your load ladder from junk removal pricing per load and add these common extras:

• Sorting time: $50 to $100 per hour of sorting with the customer
• Sweep out: $40 to $80
• Shelf or workbench removal: $50 to $150
• Paint and chemicals: many companies do not take them; say so up front
• Old fridge or freezer: refrigerant recovery fee, $25 to $60

Plan the job

• Bring three piles: donate, scrap, dump. Tarp a section of the driveway for each
• Bring the right tools: dollies, a pry bar, a reciprocating saw for shelving, a broom and a shop vac
• Load heavy first: appliances and metal at the front of the trailer, light bulky items on top
• Check before tossing: boxes in garages hide photos, documents and cash. Hand anything personal to the customer

Sort to cut your costs

A garage is full of things the dump would charge you for and someone else would take:

• Scrap metal: bikes, grills, lawn mowers (drained), metal shelves, water heaters, tools
• Donation: working tools, sports gear, furniture, unopened household goods
• Recycling: cardboard, electronics at an e-waste drop off
• Hazardous: paint, oil, pool chemicals. Most counties have a free drop off day for homeowners; tell the customer

Good sorting can cut the dump weight of a garage by 30 to 50 percent. Read junk removal dump fees for how disposal costs stack up.

A sample job

A packed two-car garage in a suburban home. Photos show old furniture, a broken treadmill, metal shelving, boxes, two bikes and a chest freezer. You quote one and a half to two loads, $800 to $1,000, with a $40 freezer fee. On site it is a load and three quarters: $925 plus $40. Two people work for about three and a half hours. You donate a dresser and the bikes, scrap the shelving and freezer, and dump about 1.8 tons. Your direct costs land around $400. The customer pays by card before you leave, and gets a review request an hour later while they park in their garage for the first time in years.

Fill the schedule

• Spring and fall are peak garage seasons. Post on your site and Google profile in March and September
• Realtors need garages cleared before listing photos
• Estate sale companies leave garages full of what did not sell
• A garage clean out page on your website, with prices and photos, catches the "garage clean out near me" search. See the junk removal website checklist

Get paid on the spot

Garage clean outs are bigger tickets, so getting paid before you leave matters more. Send the invoice from the driveway with the final load size and extras, and let the customer pay by card on their phone. With the JunkPilot invoicing, the payment and the review request go out from the same place.