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Junk removal pricing calculator: what to charge per load

The short answer

Price a load by how much truck space it takes, plus the crew’s time, the dump fee and your overhead and profit. Thumbtack’s national figures put a typical job at $138 to $308, with half a pickup at $97 to $201 and a full pickup at $132 to $273. Check your own dump fees first, since they change the math by area.

Truck space sells, but dump fees and stairs decide your margin. Enter your numbers to see what a load needs to bring in.

What to charge

$266.67

$66.67 per cubic yard. About 0.7 hours on site.

Labor, with drive time: $56.67
Dump fee and truck costs for the job: $90.00
Overhead: $53.33
Profit: $66.67
Brought in per hour the crew is tied up: $188.24

How it works

Price = (labor + supplies) ÷ (1 − overhead share − profit share). Dividing, rather than adding a percent, makes sure overhead and profit are the shares of the price you wanted.

Worked example: 4 cubic yards, two people, using made-up numbers
Line	Amount
Labor, with drive time (2 at $20 an hour)	$56.67
Dump fee and truck costs for the job	$90.00
Overhead (20% of the price)	$53.33
Profit (25% of the price)	$66.67
Price	$266.67

What customers see

Thumbtack’s national ranges, updated October 13, 2026
Load	Range
Half a pickup	$97 to $201
One pickup	$132 to $273
Two pickups	$190 to $393
Three pickups	$249 to $514
Four or more	$377 to $779

Source: Thumbtack’s junk removal costs (opens in a new tab). It says pricing follows the space the junk takes in the truck, along with fuel, labor, weight, dump fees and any hazardous waste handling.

Protect yourself on heavy loads

A full truck of shingles weighs far more than a full truck of furniture, and many landfills charge by weight. Keep a surcharge or a weight limit in your terms, and write it on your estimate.

Common questions

How much should I charge for junk removal?

Cover your crew’s time, the drive, the dump fee, overhead and profit. Thumbtack’s national figures show a typical job at $138 to $308. Your local dump fees can move this a lot.

How do junk removal companies price jobs?

Usually by the space the load takes in the truck. Weight, stairs, fuel, dump fees and hazardous items can add to it.

How big is a pickup load?

Thumbtack says a standard truck bed is 60 cubic feet, which is about 2.2 cubic yards. Measure your own truck to set your load sizes.

Should I charge extra for stairs?

It’s fair, because it slows you down. Thumbtack’s figures show a small difference: $188 with no stairs and $197 with them.

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