Answers to commonly asked questions from the experts on Thumbtack.
How much does it cost to haul off junk?
The average cost to haul away junk is $150, though this price can be expected to vary between around $75 and $375, depending on several factors.
The first factor is the quantity of junk removed. Most junk removal services charge by the truckload, and most residential projects only require filling up part of a truckload.
Another factor is the type of junk. E-waste like computers and TVs may cost more to dispose of, as will more hazardous materials like mercury, paint and used motor oil. It also may cost more to remove big items like beds and couches.
To prepare for junk removal, start by listing all the items you should get rid of. Organize your list by which items are appropriate for the junk collection team and which may have some resale value or could be donated.
Move through your house and hit problem spots like closets, attics and basements. Make a pile of items you plan to keep, give away, sell, donate and have the junk removers pick up. Finally, contact at least three junk removal companies for price quotes.
How can I get rid of junk fast?
To get rid of your junk fast, start by organizing and making a list of what you have. Sell what you can, and give away items that you value but you don’t want to friends and family.
If you don’t have the means to transport items or if you have too much junk to get rid of on your own, it’s time to hire a pro. A junk removal service can quickly and efficiently get rid of junk for you, including lifting heavy objects and making sure nothing is damaged.
You may want to tip your junk removal team if they did an exceptional job. For instance, if they show up on time, are courteous and professional, take extra care not to damage your possessions and home, and leave a clean site afterwards, you may feel like giving them a tip. A reasonable tip might be $20 per crew member.
It’s also nice to tip them on especially hot days, or when the weather is inclement. You can also provide food and drinks for them.
How do you throw away a couch?
You can get rid of a couch by hiring a junk removal pro who can get it safely out of your house and dispose of it. There are other options as well, including renting a trailer and hauling it to a proper disposal facility, or leaving it out for someone to pick up.
However, a junk removal service is the easiest option. This keeps you from having to lift a heavy object or risk scuffing up your walls. Furthermore, a licensed junk removal service can responsibly dispose of a couch, saving you from having to find a site.
Reviews for Santa Monica junk haulers
Michael S.
CA JunkHaulers were professional, did a thorough job, and showed up when and where they said they would.
We will look to work with them again on future junk and trash hauling jobs.
California Junk Haulers Inc
Virginia M.
This review is long & is also long overdue- but I’m hopeful that the “better late than never” phrase also applies to business reviews. :) It is a longer review as I have now worked with this company on 4 separate occasions over the last year & I have to say they have done an excellent, above & beyond job every single time. I’ll speak to more details about my experiences with their services in a sort of chronological fashion further down, but for those short on time or just scrolling through reviews quickly, let me go ahead & say that there isn’t one part of any one of my experiences working with them when they didn’t exceed my expectations on every aspect of the job they did. This applies to their many options of availability, the ease of booking future jobs, their final price & estimate, to flexibility & efficiency during the job - all the way through to now months & months later knowing & trusting their services were completed with integrity after my having checked & rechecked over time to make sure there weren’t any negative security &/or personal financial issues that have occurred from trusting them to haul off on at least one occasion, at least a box or two of what could only be described as a lot of paperwork that contained at least one person’s personal information/documents- who has to date not seen any evidence that the information was found, stolen or used in any way against them- which was a concern I know they had & some people having boxes of old papers etc. might also be wary of having done. They have been truly great to work with.
I’ll provide more specific information about my experiences with them for those that might be in need of anything similar or be in a similar situation.
First of all, the AVAILABILITY concern; all 3 times I used their services, the situation was pretty much the same in so far as I needed the service done within days & only had a fairly specific window if time I needed to have it done within. They were easy to work with & able to work out a day/time that worked for me, plus they were flexible on how long the job might take.
Second, the ESTIMATE; they have not ONCE charged me for more than the estimate they quoted me. Now keep in mind not once did I later, at the time of the job- require more people or a bigger haul vehicle than what I booked them for- which in my opinion if it does happen should change the final cost & should be more than the estimate - as you the customer are changing the job!
Third, PUNCTUALITY; they have arrived at least 10 minutes early to every job, & even waited the 10 min+ out in their truck to allow for me to finish my part up & go meet them outside to start working.
Fourth, the WORK & STAFF; they have always sent capable people, who were trustworthy, friendly, efficient who have all gone above & beyond in their own ways to be helpful & accommodating. The BEST example I can share about this was with the first job I hired them for; still having room in their vehicle after loading the truck with what all I had shown them to take away, & knowing & seeing I was still working to clear out a garage & side storage area of more things- they repeatedly came back up the driveway to offer to take items that they could see I was either putting in a trash pile or clearly would be thrown out when I got to that area. So if you are going to be kind of still working out what needs to go up to & on the day they come- they are willing in my experience (their time/schedule permitting of course) to continue to load up more junk to fill whatever size vehicle you have booked them for- for no additional fee. I’ve read where other junkhaulers tried to charge all kinds of money just to take one additional lamp or box more than what was told to them days or weeks in advance would need to go- even if it’s asked within the original timeframe they are booked for & even when there is additional space in the vehicle booked to haul things away in to add it to. Something to keep in mind if you are in a similar situation & in general when booking what size or number of trucks you will need to haul your stuff away in. My advice would be to over - not under - estimate your needs. If you are worried about possibly wasting money doing so- the final part of this review & other personal story I’ll share is about just that.
Fifth & finally, when it comes to ESTIMATES & FINAL COST; so the 2nd job I booked them for I was originally going to have some junk items a relative needed thrown out brought over to my garage to be hauled away with my own junk as well, so I booked with that in mind. However on the day of, the relative was unable to get those things over to me so I ended up having less to take away than I had told them about. They actually called me after my things were loaded up, to tell me they were only CHARGING ME FOR MUCH LESS THAN THE ORIGINAL ESTIMATE, even though (since they didn’t know until arriving that I didn’t need as much hauled away) they had still sent the original number of workers & vehicles I had asked for (to haul what I thought would be more away) to my house already! AND those additional workers didn’t just leave with their vehicle when they saw it was a smaller job- they helped the other team so it actually took LESS of MY time to complete the work & the company STILL only charged me as if I had booked the much smaller job it turned out to be. That kind of thing is virtually unheard of & instead you read review after review of companies trying to charge more than the estimate any chance they can get for any excuse they can find. If that’s your worry, has been your experience with junkhaulers in the past- or if you are simply nervous about hiring anyone to take away junk that might have some sort of information within it you are nervous about not personally seeing disposed of or getting in the wrong hands- THIS IS THE COMPANY FOR YOU. If none of that applies or it all applies & really what you want is an experience where you quickly & easily hire a company to do a job & want it done on time, with minimal additional effort on your part & for a fair price that both parties agreed upon & honor- THIS IS THE JUNK HAULING COMPANY FOR YOU. If you are unsure about the job you need doing and what is possible to do for how much money- and need an honest & friendly person in the junk hailing business to discuss your junk hauling concerns/needs with - THIS IS THE COMPANY FOR YOU. I’ve already recommended them to close family/friends for their possible Spring Cleaning/Moving/Redecorating/Garage Clearing Out needs- & have zero reservations about recommending them to you. Just be sure to treat them well, they are good guys- & please, after your positive experience with them DON’T be like me & instead review them sooner rather than later. If you don’t you might forget about doing it at all or only remember months later…like everything else in this review, I am speaking from my own experience :)
California Junk Haulers Inc
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