Frequently asked questions

Published rates are $1 to $2 per square foot, or $1,000 to $4,000 for a typical job, with hourly pricing at $25 to $100. Those figures describe a large but ordinary job. Where a property involves biohazard, pest infestation or mould, the work becomes remediation rather than cleaning and the published rates stop describing it.

HomeGuide, Hoarding Cleanup Cost, published September 2024.

A five-level scale, from Level 1 (minor clutter, exits accessible, no odours) through to Level 5 (unsafe and potentially unlivable, extensive waste and feces, pervasive mould, multiple blocked exits, non-functional plumbing or electrical). The transition that matters most is between Level 3 and Level 4: below it you are buying labour and disposal, at and above it you are buying remediation from a licensed firm.

HomeGuide, Hoarding Cleanup Cost, published September 2024.

Because floor area only sets the floor. A sparsely furnished large house and a small apartment packed to the ceiling can produce the same number of truckloads, and disposal is charged by volume and weight. Condition matters even more: the severity level changes crew size, protective equipment, disposal classification and the number of days. Expect a walkthrough, and treat a firm phone quote as a number that will be revised.

Junk removal takes what you point at, priced by truckload, with no sorting. A cleanout takes the entire contents of a property, priced by area, hour or project, and often includes sorting and leaving the property clean. If contents need distributing to family or selling, a senior and specialty move manager is a third and different option.

Wills and trust documents, deeds and titles, insurance policies, tax records, safe deposit keys, savings bonds, military discharge papers, and anything holding personal data. These regularly turn up inside books, taped behind drawers, in freezers and in the pockets of unworn clothing. Photograph every room before anything moves, and ask beneficiaries in writing for specific items they want.

The decision-making rather than the lifting: working to a floor plan of the new home so what fits is a measurement rather than an argument, sorting contents with the person at a pace they can manage, and arranging sale, donation, distribution and disposal with a record of where things went. NASMM runs a referral network of roughly 1,000 such companies.

NASMM, About NASMM, checked 2026-07-29.

A biohazard or trauma remediation firm, not a general cleanout crew. Those conditions correspond to severity levels 4 and 5, and they bring licensing requirements for hazardous waste disposal, containment procedures and protective equipment that a general crew does not carry. Pest treatment and mould remediation are frequently separate contractors again.

HomeGuide, Hoarding Cleanup Cost, published September 2024.

Often not. Disposal and landfill fees scale with volume and weight rather than floor area, so they are commonly quoted separately. Ask specifically whether tipping fees are inside or outside the price, and whether disposal is charged by volume or by weight.

Yes. Requesting quotes is free and there is no obligation. Your details are only used to connect you with a company serving your area.