How Much Does Junk Removal
Cost in San Francisco?

A straight answer, with real numbers. Junk removal in SF is priced two ways — a flat fee per item or a flat fee for how much of the truck you fill — with a $95 minimum. Both are quoted from a photo before you book, so there's no hourly meter, no hill surcharge, and no surprise transfer-station fee. Below is the full 2026 price list, what moves the number, and how it compares to Recology or hauling it yourself.

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$95 minimum Flat price from a photo No hourly meter No hill or stair surcharge Donation & recycling included

The short answer

Most single-item jobs in San Francisco land between $95 and about $250. 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 $295 for a quarter-truck to $895 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

1 · Flat price per item

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.

2 · By the truckload

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.

Always flat, always up front

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 fullApprox. volumeRoughlyFlat price
1/4 truck4 cu yd (~27 bags)One room / small garage$295
3/8 truck6 cu yd (~40 bags)Studio$415
1/2 truck8 cu yd (~53 bags)1-bed apartment$525
5/8 truck10 cu yd (~67 bags)Large 1-bed$625
3/4 truck12 cu yd (~80 bags)2-bed apartment$720
7/8 truck14 cu yd (~93 bags)Large 2-bed$810
Full truck16 cu yd (~107 bags)2–3 bed furnished$895

$95 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

San Francisco price list — sofas & seating

ItemFlat price
Sofa / couch$170
Loveseat$128
Recliner$132
Sleeper sofa$200
Sectional — 2 piece$190
Sectional — 3 piece$249
Sectional — 4 piece$307
Armchair$104
Futon$139
Office chair$82

Tables & bedroom

ItemFlat price
Coffee table$84
Dining table — small$138
Dining table — large$174
Twin mattress$111
Queen mattress$139
King mattress$154
Box spring$124
Dresser$169
Bed frame$92
Bunk bed$165

Appliances

ItemFlat price
Refrigerator$221
Refrigerator — large$246
Mini fridge$155
Washer$179
Dryer$172
Dishwasher$147
Chest freezer$196
Water heater$176
Window AC$107

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

ItemFlat price
TV — small (under 32")$84
TV — medium (32–55")$91
TV — large / CRT / projection$98
Monitor$78
Desktop computer$83
Treadmill$155
Peloton$108
Elliptical$131
Home gym$192

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.

ItemFlat price
Upright piano$390
Grand piano$590
Pool table$812
Hot tub$434
Safe — small$135
Bathtub — cast iron$249
Toilet$86
Set of tires$117

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

ItemFlat price
Single trash bag$47
10 bags$178
20 bags$348
Loose pile — small$110
Loose pile — large$280
Construction debris (per cubic yard)$162
Storage unit 5×10$378
Storage unit 10×10$591
Storage unit 10×20$829

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

JobTypical SF costNotes
Single item (chair, TV, small table)$95–$110At or near the $95 minimum
Couch or mattress$128–$200Loveseat to sleeper sofa / twin to king
Large appliance$147–$246Dishwasher to large fridge
A few items together$300–$500e.g. couch + mattress + dresser
One-room / garage cleanout$295–$5251/4–1/2 truck
Apartment cleanout$525–$8951/2 to full truck
Estate / whole-home cleanout$895+ (multi-truck)Same flat rate per truck

How flat-rate removal compares in SF

OptionCostSpeedThe catch
Recology bulky pickupFree (limited)By appointmentOnly 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 yourselfTruck rental + transfer-station fee + your daySlowYou carry it down the hill and the stairs and pay SF disposal fees; nothing donated
JunkRabbit flat ratePhoto-quoted, $95 minSame day if there's roomNone — 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)

How to get your exact price

1 · Snap a photo

A photo or short video of the item or the room. That's all we need.

2 · Get a flat quote

An exact flat price back in seconds — per item or by truck fraction. No estimate visit.

3 · Pick a time

Same-day is often available across the city, the hills, and the beaches.

Get your SF junk removal price

Free, no signup — exact flat quote from a photo

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Frequently asked: SF junk removal cost

How much does junk removal cost in San Francisco?

Most single items are $95–$250 (with a $95 minimum); cleanouts run $295 for a quarter-truck to $895 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 $170, a loveseat $128, a 3-piece sectional $249 — 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