Hoarding cleanup and estate cleanout cost
What the published rates actually cover, what a job costs at each property size, and the two variables that move the price far more than square footage does.
Hoarding cleanup is published at $1 to $2 per square foot, or $1,000 to $4,000 for a typical job. Companies that price by time rather than area charge $25 to $100 per hour.
Both figures assume a job that is large but ordinary. The moment a property involves biohazard, pest infestation or structural damage, it stops being a cleaning job and the published rates stop describing it.
Source: HomeGuide, Hoarding Cleanup Cost, published September 2024
Published cost by property size
| Property size | Average total cost |
|---|---|
| 500 sq ft | $500 to $1,000 |
| 800 sq ft | $800 to $1,600 |
| 1,000 sq ft | $1,000 to $2,000 |
| 1,500 sq ft | $1,500 to $3,000 |
| 2,000 sq ft | $2,000 to $4,000 |
| 2,500 sq ft | $2,500 to $5,000 |
| 3,000 sq ft | $3,000 to $6,000 |
Note the shape of this table: every row is exactly $1 to $2 per square foot. It is a floor-area calculation, not a condition-adjusted estimate.
Source: HomeGuide, Hoarding Cleanup Cost, published September 2024
Why the table above is only a starting point
That table prices floor area and nothing else. Two variables move the real number much further than size does.
The first is severity. Companies work from a five-level clutter and hoarding scale, and the difference between level 2 and level 4 changes the crew size, the protective equipment, the disposal classification and the number of days. Our severity guide sets the published level descriptions out in full.
The second is volume of contents relative to area. A sparsely furnished 3,000 square foot house and a 1,000 square foot apartment packed floor to ceiling can produce the same number of truckloads, and disposal is charged by volume and weight rather than by the floor plan.
What tends to be billed separately
- Disposal and landfill fees, which scale with volume and weight rather than with floor area.
- Biohazard handling and disposal where there is animal or human waste, which carries its own licensing and paperwork.
- Pest treatment, which is normally a separate contractor entirely.
- Mould remediation, which is also separate and may require containment before cleaning starts.
- Deep cleaning or odour treatment after the contents are removed.
- Repairs to anything found underneath, which is common where clutter has been in place for years.
Getting a number you can rely on
Nobody can quote this accurately from a phone call, and a company that offers to is guessing. Expect a walkthrough, and expect the estimate to be a range rather than a fixed price if the property is at the higher severity levels.
If you cannot get into the property yourself, say so when you request quotes. It is a common situation with inherited properties and it changes how a company approaches the first visit.