The short answer
Garage cleanouts are priced by truck fill or by item. A corner of old stuff is often a 1/4 truck ($241). A packed one-car garage is often a 3/8 truck ($338) or a 1/2 truck ($431). A full two-car garage can be a 3/4 truck ($587) or a full truck ($732). If it is a handful of identifiable things, like a snow blower, a mower and tires, item prices are usually cheaper.
Cleveland garages: two different animals
The detached city garage. In the pre-war core, from Ohio City to Slavic Village to Collinwood, the garage is usually detached, at the back of a narrow lot, sometimes off an alley. Access is down a narrow driveway shared with the house. Many are one-car and full of things that did not fit in the basement.
The attached suburban garage. In Strongsville, North Royalton, Mentor, Westlake and Avon, homes are newer (Avon's ZIP median is 2001) and garages are bigger and attached. They fill up with sports gear, old furniture and boxes from the last move.
The Snow Belt outbuilding. Out in Geauga County, around Chardon, Chesterland and Bainbridge, properties often have acreage and a barn or pole building as well as the garage. That's usually a multi-tier job.
All of them get cleared on the same calendar: spring thaw, roughly April to June, after the snow blower is done for the season.
Tier guide
| Garage | Typical tier | Flat price |
|---|---|---|
| One corner or a few shelves | 1/4 truck (~4 cu yd) | $241 |
| One-car detached, packed | 3/8 truck (~6 cu yd) | $338 |
| One-car, floor to rafters | 1/2 truck (~8 cu yd) | $431 |
| Two-car, half full | 5/8 truck (~10 cu yd) | $513 |
| Two-car, mostly full | 3/4 truck (~12 cu yd) | $587 |
| Two-car, no room for a car in years | Full truck (~16 cu yd) | $732 |
These are typical; your quote depends on what is there. A photo from the door is usually enough.
Common garage items
| Item | Flat price |
|---|---|
| Snow Blower | $71 |
| Lawn Mower | $65 |
| Riding Mower / Lawn Tractor | $152 |
| Tires (set of 4) | $87 |
| Tire (Single) | $22 |
| Rolling Tool Chest / Workbench | $100 |
| Metal Shelving | $71 |
| Bicycle | $37 |
| Propane Grill | $123 |
| Freezer (Chest) | $146 |
| Paint (1-Gallon Can) | $30 |
| Kayak / Canoe / Paddleboard | $71 |
Item totals that beat a tier
- Dead snow blower + old mower: $71 + $65 = $136.
- Snow tires you no longer need + a spare: $87 + $22 = $109.
- Old garage freezer + metal shelving + grill: $146 + $71 + $123 = $340.
- Kids grew up: two bicycles + portable basketball hoop: $37 + $37 + $115 = $189.
- Paint shelf: four 1-gallon cans: $30 + $30 + $30 + $30 = $120.
Three garages, priced
Collinwood detached one-car, off the alley
A 1940s garage with a workbench, two sets of old tires and a decade of boxes. The boxes alone are a 3/8 truck at $338. Add the workbench and both tire sets as items: $338 + $100 + $87 + $87 = $612. Compare that with a 3/4 truck at $587, which would likely hold the whole lot. That's why it pays to send photos of everything at once.
Strongsville two-car, after the kids moved out
A riding mower, a trampoline, two bicycles and a garage full of sports gear and boxes. Usually a 3/4 truck, $587, or a full truck, $732, if the rafters are full too.
Bainbridge garage and pole barn
The garage is a full truck. The barn holds an old riding mower, a wood swing set taken down years ago and a pile of lumber. $732 + $152 + $182 + $41 = $1,107.
What the City will and will not take
City of Cleveland bulk week takes up to three items per home in the first full week of the month. Tires: up to four a week, off the rim. No construction or renovation debris. Electronics are drop-off only.
So the snow blower can go out in bulk week, but the box of old drywall offcuts cannot, and neither can the old TV on the workbench. For a full garage, the three-item cap is the real limit.
The suburbs are stricter about garage staples. Euclid does not collect tires at the curb. Shaker Heights excludes tires, e-waste and construction debris from bulk. Lakewood takes tires for $3 each, residents only, and wants construction debris in 50-pound bundles with lumber cut to 4 feet.
Before the crew arrives
- Clear the approach. City garages are often at the end of a narrow shared driveway. Move the car out, and in winter shovel the apron and salt the alley side.
- Unlock and open. Old overhead doors stick in the cold. If yours needs a second person to lift, say so when you book.
- Set aside what stays. One corner, clearly marked.
- Flag the fuel. Mention any gas cans, or mowers and blowers that still have fuel in them, so they can be handled properly.
Paint, chemicals and booking
Paint is accepted: $30 per 1-gallon can, $52 per 5-gallon bucket. Other garage chemicals, like motor oil, gasoline, pesticides and pool chemicals, are not standard and are handled case by case. Ask before you book, and keep them separate from the rest of the pile.
Take a photo from the garage door, and one from inside if it is deep. Upload to the instant quote. Pick a 2-hour arrival window, any day 8am to midnight; book by 4 PM for same-day. The crew loads from the garage, the driveway or the alley. Vetted, insured local haulers, and we recycle whatever we can.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a garage cleanout in Cleveland?
By truck fill: 1/4 truck $241, 3/8 truck $338, 1/2 truck $431, 3/4 truck $587, full truck $732. A few items can be priced individually.
How much is snow blower removal?
$71. With a lawn mower it is $71 + $65 = $136.
Do you take old tires?
Yes. A single tire is $22 and a set of four is $87.
Do you take paint?
Yes. A 1-gallon can is $30 and a 5-gallon bucket $52. Other chemicals are case by case.
Can you load from a detached garage off the alley?
Yes. The crew carries from the garage to the truck.
Do you clear barns and outbuildings out in Geauga County?
Yes. Barns, sheds and pole buildings are priced the same way as a garage, by truck fill or by item. A small disassembled storage shed itself is $186.