Junk removal
Junk Hauling Cost Calculator
Prices hauling, where the drive to the facility is a real part of the job.
Result
A planning estimate, not a quote. Access, the age of the equipment, what is found once it is opened up and local labour rates all move the real figure, sometimes a long way.
Get a Free Business AuditHow the calculation works
Hours times crew times rate, plus disposal and the call-out. Hauling differs from a dumpster in that the crew loads and takes it away in one visit, so labour is a larger share and the journey matters. The round trip to the transfer station is time that is not loading and not billable as such, and a rural job far from a facility carries that whether the load was large or small. That is why minimum charges exist and why a small load a long way out can cost what a larger one nearby does.
What moves the number
- Distance to the disposal facility, which is unbillable travel time.
- Tipping fee, which varies by facility and by material.
- Loading labour, driven by access and carry distance more than volume.
- Whether more than one facility is needed for different materials.
Where this one goes wrong
Separating the load can cost less than taking it all to one place. Clean metal usually has value rather than a fee, clean wood and yard waste often go cheaper than mixed waste, and construction and demolition debris can be considerably cheaper at a recycling facility than at a general transfer station. Sorting on the truck takes time and may save more than it costs. The thing to avoid is a mixed load containing one item that forces the whole load to the most expensive destination, which is how a job's disposal cost quietly doubles.
Before you quote
- Check whether separating recyclables lowers the total tipping cost.
- Price the round trip to the facility into the job.
- Keep one problem item from forcing the whole load to an expensive facility.
Questions
About this calculator
Why is there a minimum charge for a small load?
Because the crew, the truck and the round trip to the disposal facility cost the same whether the load is small or large. A quarter-truck job a long way from a transfer station can consume as much time as a full one nearby, which is what the minimum covers.
Does sorting the load save money?
Often. Clean metal may have scrap value, and clean wood, yard waste and construction debris frequently cost less at a recycling facility than mixed waste at a general transfer station. The saving has to beat the sorting time, and on a large load it usually does.
Is hauling cheaper than a dumpster?
For a small or medium one-off load, usually, because there is no rental period and no container on your driveway. For an ongoing job producing waste over days or weeks, a dumpster is normally cheaper because you load it yourself as you go.
The formula
total = hours x people x rate + parts + call-out, then sales tax
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How to use this calculator
- Hours on site (h). Enter your own figure; the page starts at 1.8 h.
- People needed. Enter your own figure; the page starts at 1.
- Labour rate charged ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $90.
- Parts and materials ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $0.
- Call-out or diagnostic fee ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $95.
- Sales tax (%). Leave at zero if you are quoting before tax.
The result updates as you type, so you can try a figure, see what it does to estimated total, and change it back. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere or saved.
A worked example
These are the figures the calculator opens with. Every number in the results column below is produced by the same calculation the page runs, so you can follow it through before putting your own figures in.
What goes in
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Hours on site | 1.8 h |
| People needed | 1 |
| Labour rate charged | $90 |
| Parts and materials | $0 |
| Call-out or diagnostic fee | $95 |
| Sales tax | 0% |
What comes out
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Estimated total main result | $257 |
| Labour | $162 |
| Before tax | $257 |
| Sales tax | $0 |
About $257: $162 of labour, $0 of parts and a $95 call-out.
How sensitive the answer is
Holding everything else steady and changing only labour rate charged, this is what happens to estimated total. It is worth knowing which of your inputs the answer actually hinges on, and which barely move it.
| Labour rate charged ($) | Estimated total |
|---|---|
| $45 | $176 |
| $68 | $217.40 |
| $90 example above | $257 |
| $135 | $338 |
| $180 | $419 |
Every other input is held at the example value while this one changes, which is not how a real job behaves. Treat it as a guide to which number matters most, not as five separate quotes.
What each figure means
- Hours on site (h)
- Measured in h, between 0 and 400, starting at 1.8 h.
- People needed
- A number, between 0 and 40, starting at 1.
- Labour rate charged ($)
- A money amount, starting at $90.
- Parts and materials ($)
- A money amount, starting at $0.
- Call-out or diagnostic fee ($)
- A money amount, starting at $95.
- Sales tax (%)
- Leave at zero if you are quoting before tax.
What the results tell you
| Result | What it is |
|---|---|
| Estimated total | The headline result. A money figure. |
| Labour | A money figure. |
| Before tax | A money figure. |
| Sales tax | A money figure. |
Estimating is the easy part
The jobs you never hear about cost more than the ones you mis-measure. BDEVY builds the marketing, systems and automation that bring them in.