The load scale behind every estate quote
Here is the full published scale, so you can see where your property is likely to land:
| Load size |
Price before HST |
| Full load |
$700 |
| 7/8 load |
$625 |
| 3/4 load |
$550 |
| 5/8 load |
$475 |
| 1/2 load |
$400 |
| 3/8 load |
$325 |
| 1/4 load |
$250 |
| 1/8 load |
$175 |
| Small minimum load |
$150 |
A two-bedroom condo where the family has already taken the furniture it wants often drops from a full load to five eighths or three quarters. That is the difference between $700 and $475 to $550, which is why the order of the work matters (more on that below).
Our junk removal cost guide explains the scale in more detail, and the pricing page has every table in one place.
What changes the total
For an estate, volume is the price. A few things sit outside the load scale or change how long the visit takes:
- Renovation and construction debris is quoted separately. If the house also holds old drywall, flooring or cabinets from a half-finished project, that part is priced on its own, even when it is mixed in with household contents.
- Heavy material is priced by the cubic yard. Dirt, concrete, brick and asphalt from a backyard or garage are $350 for one cubic yard, rising to $650 for five, when the load is one material only. A mixed load adds $50, and a mix containing asphalt adds $75.
- Access adds crew time, not a separate fee. A third-floor walk-up, a narrow turning basement stair or a long carry from the back of the lot takes longer. It does not add a line to the bill.
- Condo buildings set the schedule. The service elevator and loading dock have to be booked with the property manager before we can be. Give us the window the building offers, and the crew plans around it.
What does not change the price: dismantling a bed frame or a wall unit to get it through a doorway, sweeping each room as it is emptied, and sorting the load on the way out.
How families bring the cost down
Most of the savings on an estate come before the crew arrives, and they all come from the same idea: anything that leaves the house another way is volume you do not pay to have hauled.
- Take keepsakes and documents out first. Photographs, papers, jewellery and anything a relative has asked for. Check drawers, coat pockets, the backs of closets and the pages of books. This protects what matters, and it also tells you what is left.
- Settle the donations and family pickups early. Charities and relatives usually need more notice than we do. Pieces that go to them shrink the load, and our crew still sets aside usable furniture for donation and pulls metal and electronics out for recycling from whatever remains.
- Use City curbside pickup for a few large pieces, if you have time. The City of Toronto's 2026 household waste collection schedule says items that will not fit in your garbage bin are oversized, and can be left 0.5 m (2 ft) away from the garbage bin on garbage day, with no garbage tags or appointment required. If the house is on City collection and someone can carry a mattress or a dresser to the curb before garbage day, that piece is gone at no charge. It only works one collection day at a time, so it rarely helps when the closing date is close.
- Book the crew before you finish sorting. Whole-house clearances take a crew off the schedule for most of a day, so those slots go first, especially in spring and early autumn. Booking the date early and sorting against it is cheaper than paying for a rushed second visit.
Crew or bin for an estate?
A roll-off bin can look cheaper on paper. On our Volume Based Pricing every bin size is $325 before HST and includes up to 1 metric tonne and up to 7 days on site. Delivery, extra days and weight above the allowance ($130 per tonne, prorated) are separate.
For an estate, though, the bin only covers the container. Somebody still has to empty every room, carry it down the stairs and across the driveway, break down the furniture that will not fit, and do the sorting. Families managing a parent's house from Ottawa or Calgary are rarely in a position to give it a week of lifting. A bin also needs a driveway with room for the truck to set it down, which many older semis do not have.
A bin makes sense when there are people on site to load it over several days, for example when the estate clearance runs alongside a renovation before the sale. Otherwise, a crew in one visit is usually the cheaper total once your own time is counted. If you want to compare sizes and weight options, the bin rental page has them.
What the price includes
On an estate or move-out cleanout, the load price covers:
- One visit with a larger crew. A furnished house with a basement and garage usually takes most of a day. A one-bedroom apartment is usually one to two hours.
- Working without you there. A key with a neighbour, realtor or lockbox, and a written room-by-room list of what stays, is enough for the crew to finish the job.
- Carrying from wherever it sits, including the attic, the cold cellar and the shed.
- Sorting. Usable furniture set aside for donation, metal and electronics separated for recycling.
- A swept floor in each room as it is emptied, so the property is ready to show or hand over.
If the cleanout is racing a closing date, our guide to clearing a property before closing has a three-week working timeline.
What cannot go on the truck
Some things are excluded from every load, because they need a municipal hazardous waste depot instead: paint, solvents and other liquid chemicals, motor oil, fuel, propane tanks, car and marine batteries, medical waste, and ammunition or flares. Older houses often have a shelf of these in the garage or basement, so set them aside before the visit.
If you suspect asbestos, for example vermiculite insulation in the attic, old pipe wrap or certain floor tiles in a pre-1990 house, leave it in place and have it tested. We do not remove asbestos or suspected asbestos material.
How to get an accurate price
The quickest way to an accurate number is photos: one or two of each room, the basement, the garage and any shed, plus the address and the date the property needs to be empty. Tell us what is staying, and whether anyone will be on site. We come back with a price for the whole job, and the crew confirms it on site before loading.
Need an Estate Cleared in Toronto? Junk Alert Is Ready to Help
Send the photos and the closing or handover date, and we will tell you what the cleanout costs and whether the date is bookable before you plan around it.
See our estate cleanout service, compare everything on the pricing page, call us at (647) 456-6665, or contact us today to book. We work across Toronto and the GTA, Monday to Saturday from 7am.
