The short answer
Most single-item jobs in San Francisco land between $100 and about $186. A typical few-items pickup (say a couch, a mattress and a dresser) is usually $300–$500. A full apartment or garage cleanout is priced by the truckload, from $241 for a quarter-truck to $732 for a full 16-cubic-yard truck, with bigger homes running multiple trucks at the same flat per-truck rate. The exact number always comes from a photo or video up front.
The two ways junk removal is priced in SF
Best for a known list — a couch, a fridge, a Peloton. Each item has a set price (tables below). Send a photo, get the total, done.
Best for cleanouts and mixed loads. You pay for the fraction of our 16-cubic-yard truck the load fills — from 1/4 to full.
Whichever way it's priced, you're quoted before booking. No hourly clock, no hill fee, no "we'll see at the dump."
Truck-load pricing (for cleanouts & mixed loads)
Our truck holds 16 cubic yards (about 107 standard bags). You pick the fill fraction; the price scales with it.
| How full | Approx. volume | Roughly | Flat price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/4 truck | 4 cu yd (~27 bags) | One room / small garage | $241 |
| 3/8 truck | 6 cu yd (~40 bags) | Studio | $338 |
| 1/2 truck | 8 cu yd (~53 bags) | 1-bed apartment | $431 |
| 5/8 truck | 10 cu yd (~67 bags) | Large 1-bed | $513 |
| 3/4 truck | 12 cu yd (~80 bags) | 2-bed apartment | $587 |
| 7/8 truck | 14 cu yd (~93 bags) | Large 2-bed | $661 |
| Full truck | 16 cu yd (~107 bags) | 2–3 bed furnished | $732 |
$100 minimum. Carry, stair and hill staging, COI/freight elevator, donation, and disposal are included. Bigger homes use multiple trucks at the same flat per-truck rate.
What drives the price in San Francisco
- Size & weight of the item — a loveseat ($119) is less than a full sofa ($126) is less than a 4-piece sectional ($228). A mini-fridge ($115) is less than a full refrigerator ($164).
- Refrigerant appliances — fridges, freezers and ACs carry a small premium because the coolant must be handled to EPA and California standards before the metal is recycled.
- TVs & electronics — California bans e-waste from the landfill, so TVs, monitors and computers are priced to cover certified recycling.
- Mattresses — priced to cover California's mattress recycling, not dumping.
- Quantity — the more you put in one pickup, the lower the effective cost per piece, because the truck trip is shared.
- What it is NOT priced on: the floor you're on, the number of stairs, the grade of the hill, or whether the building wants a Certificate of Insurance. Those are all included.
San Francisco price list — sofas & seating
| Item | Flat price |
|---|---|
| Sofa / couch | $126 |
| Loveseat | $119 |
| Recliner | $98 |
| Sleeper sofa | $149 |
| Sectional — 2 piece | $141 |
| Sectional — 3 piece | $185 |
| Sectional — 4 piece | $228 |
| Armchair | $77 |
| Futon | $111 |
| Office chair | $61 |
Tables & bedroom
| Item | Flat price |
|---|---|
| Coffee table | $67 |
| Dining table — small | $103 |
| Dining table — large | $163 |
| Twin mattress | $82 |
| Queen mattress | $103 |
| King mattress | $114 |
| Box spring | $92 |
| Dresser | $126 |
| Bed frame | $68 |
| Bunk bed | $123 |
Appliances
| Item | Flat price |
|---|---|
| Refrigerator | $164 |
| Refrigerator — large | $183 |
| Mini fridge | $115 |
| Washer | $133 |
| Dryer | $128 |
| Dishwasher | $109 |
| Chest freezer | $146 |
| Water heater | $131 |
| Window AC | $87 |
We handle basic disconnection; a plumber cuts any gas line. Refrigerant is handled to EPA and California standards and the metal is recycled.
Electronics & fitness
| Item | Flat price |
|---|---|
| TV — small (under 32") | $62 |
| TV — medium (32–55") | $68 |
| TV — large / CRT / projection | $73 |
| Monitor | $58 |
| Desktop computer | $62 |
| Treadmill | $115 |
| Peloton | $80 |
| Elliptical | $97 |
| Home gym | $241 |
Electronics go to a certified e-waste recycler, including the leaded glass in old CRT and projection sets.
Specialty & heavy items
The awkward, heavy stuff most haulers either won't touch or charge a premium for — the same flat, photo-quoted prices.
| Item | Flat price |
|---|---|
| Upright piano | $364 |
| Grand piano — baby grand / 6ft+ | $438 / $513 |
| Pool table | $603 |
| Hot tub | $390 |
| Hot tub — 6-8 person | $501 |
| Safe — small | $100 |
| Bathtub — cast iron | $185 |
| Toilet | $64 |
| Set of tires | $87 |
Pianos, pool tables and hot tubs are broken down on site as needed and may quote individually from your photos — the prices above are the standard starting rates.
Bags, boxes, debris & storage units
| Item | Flat price |
|---|---|
| Single trash bag | $35 |
| 10 bags | $132 |
| 20 bags | $259 |
| Loose pile — small | $82 |
| Loose pile — large | $208 |
| Construction debris (per cubic yard) | $120 |
| Storage unit 5×10 | $397 |
| Storage unit 10×10 | $587 |
| Storage unit 10×20 | $1174 |
Once you're past a handful of bags, the truck-load price above is almost always cheaper than counting bags one by one.
Cost by type of job
| Job | Typical SF cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Single item (chair, TV, small table) | $100 | The minimum — most single small items list below it |
| Couch or mattress | $100–$149 | Loveseat to sleeper sofa / twin to king |
| Large appliance | $109–$183 | Dishwasher to large fridge |
| A few items together | $300–$500 | e.g. couch + mattress + dresser |
| One-room / garage cleanout | $241–$431 | 1/4–1/2 truck |
| Apartment cleanout | $431–$732 | 1/2 to full truck |
| Estate / whole-home cleanout | $732+ (multi-truck) | Same flat rate per truck |
How flat-rate removal compares in SF
| Option | Cost | Speed | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recology bulky pickup | Free (limited) | By appointment | Only a couple of free bulky items a year; you wrestle each piece down to the curb; won't enter a building or a no-elevator flat |
| Haul it yourself | Truck rental + transfer-station fee + your day | Slow | You carry it down the hill and the stairs and pay SF disposal fees; nothing donated |
| JunkRabbit flat rate | Photo-quoted, $100 min | Same day if there's room | None — we carry it out, handle the COI, and donate or recycle |
Recology's free pickup is genuinely the cheapest route for a single sturdy item you can drag to the curb and wait on. For anything inside a building, anything heavy, anything down a no-elevator Victorian or a steep hill, or more than a piece or two, flat-rate removal is faster and — once you count rental, transfer-station fees and your own time — often not far off on price.
Why Recology can't do most SF jobs
San Francisco's curbside bulky program runs through Recology, and a residential account gets only a couple of free bulky-item pickups a year — by appointment, dragged to the curb yourself, a few items at a time. Mattresses and electronics have their own recycling rules, refrigerant appliances can't go curbside, and the annual cap is gone after one move. It's fine for the occasional sturdy item — but it can't empty a unit, it won't enter a building, and it can't handle a SoMa or Mission Bay tower that requires a Certificate of Insurance and a booked freight elevator. That's the gap flat-rate removal fills.
SF-specific cost factors (that we don't charge extra for)
- No-elevator Victorians — the four-floor carry and the narrow turn are included; there's no per-flight fee.
- Steep hills — staging the truck on a 20%-plus grade on Nob Hill or Russian Hill is part of the job, no hill surcharge.
- SoMa & Mission Bay towers — we provide the Certificate of Insurance the same day and book the freight elevator at no charge.
- Sectionals that don't fit — we split them into pieces to clear a tight stairwell or cabin, still one flat price.
How to get your exact price
A photo or short video of the item or the room. That's all we need.
An exact flat price back in seconds — per item or by truck fraction. No estimate visit.
Same-day is often available across the city, the hills, and the beaches.
Frequently asked: SF junk removal cost
How much does junk removal cost in San Francisco?
Most single items are $100–$186 (with a $100 minimum); cleanouts run $241 for a quarter-truck to $732 for a full truck. You get the exact flat price from a photo before booking.
How much to remove a couch in SF?
A standard couch is $126, a loveseat $119, a 3-piece sectional $185 — including the carry down the stairs and hill, and disposal or donation.
Do you charge by the hour?
No. It's a flat price per item or per truck fraction, quoted up front — the number you're told is the number you pay.
Any surcharge for a high floor or a steep hill?
No. The carry, stairs, hill staging, COI, and freight elevator are all included.
Get a price for a specific item
Frequently asked questions
How much does junk removal cost in San Francisco?
Most single-item pickups in San Francisco run between $100 and about $186, with a $100 minimum. Pricing is either flat per item (a couch is $126, a mattress $103, a refrigerator $164) or by how much of the truck you fill (1/4 truck $241, half $431, full truck $732). You get an exact flat price from a photo before booking — no hourly meter, no hill surcharge, and no surprise transfer-station fees.
How much does it cost to remove a couch in San Francisco?
A standard couch is a flat $126 in SF, a loveseat $119, and a 3-piece sectional $185. That price includes the carry down a no-elevator Victorian and the steep-hill staging, plus disposal or donation — there is no surcharge for a top floor, stairs, or a steep grade.
Do you charge by the hour or by volume?
Neither hourly nor by guesswork. You pay a flat price per item, or a flat price for the fraction of the truck your load fills. Both are quoted up front from a photo, so the number you are told is the number you pay.
Is there a minimum charge?
Yes — the minimum order in San Francisco is $100, which covers Recology's disposal minimum and the labor of an SF carry. A single small item is billed at the minimum; larger items and loads are priced from the tables below.
Is there a surcharge for stairs or hills?
No. The flat price includes the stair-carry in no-elevator Victorians, the staging on steep grades, and the Certificate of Insurance plus freight elevator that SoMa and Mission Bay towers require.