Volume pricing only works if you and the customer agree on what a "half load" is. Here is a practical way to size jobs, on the phone or from a photo, so the price you quote is the price you charge.
What a full load is
Most junk trucks and dump trailers hold 12 to 18 cubic yards. A common reference is 15 cubic yards: a bed about 12 feet long and 6 feet wide, stacked about 5.5 feet high. Write down the real size of your truck or trailer. Every price you give depends on it.
A few comparisons customers understand:
- A pickup truck bed is about 2 to 3 cubic yards, roughly a quarter of a junk truck
- A washer or a dryer is about a third of a cubic yard
- A three seat sofa is 1.5 to 2 cubic yards
- A queen mattress and box spring is about 1.5 cubic yards
- A refrigerator is about 1 to 1.5 cubic yards
- A 30 gallon contractor bag is about a sixth of a cubic yard
What fits in each load
- Minimum (1/8 load, about 2 yards): one or two items, like a recliner and a box of junk
- Quarter load (about 4 yards): a sofa and a loveseat, or a mattress set, a dresser and some boxes
- Half load (about 7 to 8 yards): a full bedroom set, or a one-car garage with light clutter, or a small kitchen remodel's cabinets
- Three quarter load (about 11 yards): a living room and a bedroom, or a garage packed waist high
- Full load (about 15 yards): a two-car garage packed full, a small apartment, or an estate's basement
Put a version of this list on your website. Customers will size their own job before they call, and a lot of them will get it right.
How to estimate on the phone
Ask four questions, in this order:
- What are the big items? Sofas, mattresses, appliances, dressers. These set the floor
- How many boxes or bags, about? Ten boxes is about a yard and a half
- Where is it? Curb, garage, inside on the ground floor, upstairs, in the backyard
- Anything heavy? Concrete, tile, a piano, a safe, a hot tub
Add up the big items with the list above, add the boxes, and round up to the next quarter. Then quote a range that spans two sizes: "That sounds like a quarter to a half load, so $175 to $300. We confirm on site before we load." The range protects you from the hidden treadmill in the back of the garage.
Photos help, but you still confirm
Ask customers to text a photo of the pile with something for scale, like a door or a car. A photo catches the things people forget to mention: the second couch, the box spring behind the door, the pile under the tarp. It also tells you how far you will carry.
Even with a photo, quote a range and confirm on site. Do not promise a single number from a picture.
Price per load: keep the ladder simple
The cleanest structure is a price for the first quarter plus a fixed amount for each quarter after. For example:
- First quarter: $175
- Each extra quarter: $125
- So: quarter $175, half $300, three quarter $425, full $550
It is easy to say on the phone, easy to show on your site, and easy for the receptionist and the calculator to quote. The JunkPilot estimate calculator uses exactly this setup with your own two numbers, and the free junk removal cost calculator shows it at typical US rates.
Two loads or more
For jobs bigger than one truck (estate cleanouts, hoarder homes, large garages), price the second load a bit lower than the first, because you are already there and set up. Many owners take 10 to 15 percent off the second load. Our guide to the garage clean out business covers how to quote multi-load cleanouts.
On site: agree before loading
When you arrive, look at the pile, show the customer the empty truck and point to the line the load will reach. "This all fits to about here, that is a half load, $300." Then load. If something new appears halfway through, stop and tell them the new size before it goes on.
Common pricing mistakes
- Rounding down to win the job. A quarter that turns into a half at the curb is an argument. Quote the range up front
- Forgetting the dump. Light bulky items fill the truck. Heavy items fill the scale. Price both. See junk removal dump fees
- Not charging for access. Three flights of stairs or a 100 foot carry through a condo hallway is real work. Price it as an add-on
- Hiding the price. "Call for a free estimate" sends customers to the company that shows a number
Frequently asked questions
How many cubic yards is a full junk removal truck?
Most hold 12 to 18 cubic yards. Many companies use 15 cubic yards as a full load.
How much is a half load of junk removal?
Typically $300 to $450 in most US markets, more in big metros or where dump fees are high.