Estate Cleanout Checklist: Clearing a Family Home Without the Overwhelm

Start here: most whole-home cleanouts need a 22 or 30 yard

If you are clearing an entire house, the 22 yard ($480 plus tax) or the 30 yard ($590 plus tax) is the right call. Furniture, mattresses, closets, the garage, and 30 years of boxes add up fast in volume long before they add up in weight. The smaller bins are better suited to one room, a garage, or a condo.

All of our prices are flat and include 3 days on site.

Size	Price (plus tax)	Weight included	Dimensions	Good for
10 yard	$350	1 ton	14'L x 7.5'W x 2.5'H	One room, a garage, a small apartment
17 yard	$420	2 tons	16'L x 7.5'W x 4'H	A few rooms, or garage plus attic
22 yard	$480	2 tons	18'L x 7.5'W x 5'H	Most whole-home estate cleanouts
30 yard	$590	3 tons	19'L x 7.5'W x 6'H	A full house with bulky furniture

Not sure? Call or text us and describe the house. Guessing one size too small costs you a second rental. Full details are on our sizes and pricing page.

The order that keeps you sane

The single biggest mistake families make is opening a random box and trying to decide everything at once. Work in passes instead. Each pass is easier than the one before it because there is less left.

1. Documents and valuables first. Before anything gets moved, walk the house for paperwork, deeds, titles, insurance policies, tax records, checkbooks, jewelry, photos, and anything with a serial number. Put it all in one labeled bin in one room. Do this pass alone or with one trusted person.
2. Keep. Each family member gets a room or a corner. If it is claimed, it leaves the house that week. Items with no claimant after that are not "keep" items.
3. Donate and sell. Furniture in good shape, kitchenware, tools, books, linens. Schedule the donation pickup before the dumpster arrives so donated items are not sitting in the way.
4. Toss. Everything left. This is the pass the dumpster is for, and by now the decisions are mostly made.

One rule that saves hours: nothing goes back into a box "to decide later." Later never comes on a cleanout.

Room order that works

• Garage, shed, and attic first. They are usually the fastest and least emotional, and they build momentum.
• Bedrooms and closets next.
• Kitchen and bathrooms after that. Clear the fridge and pantry into regular household trash, since food waste cannot go in the bin.
• Living areas and the personal office last, when you have your rhythm.

Pacing the 3 included days

Three days is enough for a determined family working a weekend, and it is not enough for a family flying in from out of state and grieving at the same time. Both are normal. Extra days are $25 per day, so if you know going in that this will take a week, plan for it and add the days rather than rushing the house.

A pace that holds up: day one is the sort passes, day two is the heavy loading, day three is the final sweep and the last odds and ends. If the driveway is full and you are still finding things, keep the bin.

We place the dumpster on the driveway or private property, exactly where you want it. Street placement usually is not allowed at a residence. Just keep the path clear on pickup day, since a blocked delivery or pickup can trigger a $150 trip fee, and nobody wants that on top of everything else.

What cannot go in

Old houses hide these in the garage and under the sink, so check before you load:

• Wet paint
• Batteries
• Hazardous chemicals and liquids
• Asbestos
• Food waste
• Flammable materials

TVs and tires are accepted with a $25 per item disposal fee, and estates tend to produce several of both. Concrete, dirt, brick, and block are a separate job at a heavy material rate and need prior approval, so tell us in advance if there is a patio or a pile of pavers involved.

Weight and the honest part about overage

Each size includes a weight allowance. If you go over, it is $120 per ton, prorated by the pound from the landfill's certified scale ticket, and we hand you that ticket. No estimates, no guessing.

Household contents rarely blow past the allowance. What does it is water-damaged carpet, a garage floor of old tile, or piles of books and paperwork. Any honest hauler will tell you the same thing: nobody can tell you what a house weighs by looking at it, so spread the dense material out rather than concentrating it in one bin.

When hiring it out is the kinder choice

A dumpster saves real money when you have the hands and the time. But if the person cleaning out the house is elderly, working alone, three states away, or on a probate deadline, DIY loading stops being a savings and starts being a problem. A second floor of furniture and a packed garage in Florida heat is a two-strong-people job at minimum.

If that is your situation, look at full-service junk removal, where the labor is included and nothing lands on you. If you are somewhere in between, families often do both: we take out the heavy furniture, and the family fills the bin with the rest at their own pace. Our home cleanout page walks through both paths.

Booking

Ali owns the company and drives the truck, so when you call, you are talking to the person who is actually showing up. Same-day delivery may be available depending on dumpster availability and your location. Payment is required before delivery.

When you are ready, call or text (773) 999-1001 or book online, and we will get a bin in the driveway so you can work at your own pace.