The short answer
A single sofa is $126 and a queen set $143. A room or a basement corner usually means a few items added together or a 1/4 truck at $241. Whole-house cleanouts are priced by truck: $431 for a half truck, $732 for a full one. Below are real totals for common Cleveland jobs at JunkRabbit's flat prices.
Why Cleveland jobs look the way they do
Several things shape what people here book:
- Old houses with basements. The city's median home was built in 1941. Basements, attics and detached garages hold decades of stuff.
- Doubles. 14.5% of the city's homes are two-unit buildings, so a lot of jobs are upstairs-unit move-outs down a narrow rear stair.
- A one-week-a-month City program. Bulk week takes three items in the first full week of the month, so anything outside that window, or over that count, gets booked.
- Renters and churn. Only 42% of the city's homes are owner-occupied. Case Western, Cleveland State and the hospital systems bring steady move-ins and move-outs.
- Suburbs with limits. Cleveland Heights says it doesn't take bulk from large move-outs or clean-outs, Shaker Heights caps bulk at three items by request, and Lakewood, Parma and Euclid all require soft items wrapped in plastic.
- Lake-effect winters. From mid-November to the lake freeze-up, a buried tree lawn pushes curbside jobs into pickups.
Single-item jobs
| Job | Flat price |
|---|---|
| Sofa from an upstairs double | $126 |
| Queen mattress + box spring set | $143 |
| Standard fridge from the basement | $164 |
| Upright piano from a Lakewood front room | $364 |
| Hot tub from a Westlake deck | $390 |
| Cast iron bathtub from a remodel | $185 |
Single items under $100, like a TV ($68) or an armchair ($77), are billed at the $100 minimum unless you add something. That's why most single-item calls turn into two-item orders: the armchair plus the ottoman next to it is $77 + $56 = $133.
Two- and three-item jobs
- Laundry swap from the basement: washer + dryer, $133 + $128 = $261.
- Living room refresh: sofa + loveseat, $126 + $119 = $245.
- Bedroom clear: queen set + metal frame + dresser, $143 + $68 + $126 = $337.
- Furnace day: furnace + tank water heater, $131 + $131 = $262.
- Garage spring clear: snow blower + lawn mower + set of four tires, $71 + $65 + $87 = $223.
- Parma basement after the thaw: chest freezer + dehumidifier + 10 bags, $146 + $77 + $132 = $355.
- Tremont bathroom gut: cast iron tub + toilet + vanity, $185 + $64 + $69 = $318.
- Grad student leaving University Circle: futon + desk + office chair, $111 + $83 + $61 = $255.
These small jobs are where the City's program and a pickup overlap most. If it's the first full week of the month, the items are on the ground floor and you can wrap the soft ones, bulk week handles up to three of them for free. What pushes Cleveland households to book is usually one of four things. The item is in the basement or the upstairs of a double. It's an appliance that still holds refrigerant. It's renovation debris, which the City excludes. Or the calendar is wrong. Suburbs add their own reasons: Lakewood's 6 pm to 6 am set-out window and minimum $100 fee for an improper set-out, Euclid's double-wrap-and-duct-tape rule, and Shaker Heights' by-request, three-item limit. Each of those turns a free job into a paid one, or into a month of waiting.
Room and pile jobs
When it is a pile and not a list, the truck tiers take over.
| Job | Tier | Flat price |
|---|---|---|
| Half a basement of boxes and old furniture | 1/4 truck | $241 |
| One-car detached garage, packed | 3/8 truck | $338 |
| Studio apartment move-out near University Circle | 1/2 truck | $431 |
| Two-bedroom upstairs-unit turnover | 3/4 truck | $587 |
| Whole-house estate in Cleveland Heights | Full truck | $732 |
These are examples of how much space a job like that tends to fill, not fixed packages. The actual tier depends on what you have. Send a photo and the quote tells you.
For a sense of scale: a 1/4 truck is about 4 cubic yards, the same as the per-visit cap at the City's Ridge Road Transfer Station. A full truck is about 16 cubic yards, or four of those trips.
Big cleanouts: more than one truck
A three-floor Shaker Heights or Cleveland Heights house with a full basement can take more than one truck. Tiers add up the same way as items. A full truck plus a half truck is $732 + $431 = $1,163. Two full trucks is $732 + $732 = $1,464. There are no volume discounts, and no surprise add-ons either.
Heavy specialty pieces are added on top at their own prices. Two full trucks from a Glenville estate plus the upright piano in the parlor: $732 + $732 + $364 = $1,828.
What is not in the price
Nothing extra for:
- Stairs, any number of floors.
- Same-day pickup, when you book by 4 PM.
- Disposal or dump fees.
- Sales tax: there is no tax line.
The price is shown before you book and only changes if you approve it. What does change a price is the item itself. A sofa that needs disassembly or cutting apart to clear a stair is $185 instead of $126, and that is shown up front when the photo makes it clear.
How to get your number
Take a photo of the pile or pick items on the instant quote. You see your price in minutes. Pick a 2-hour arrival window, 7 days a week, 8am to midnight.
A few photo tips that make the number exact: stand back far enough to show the whole pile; open closet doors; photograph the basement from the bottom of the stairs in both directions; and include one shot of the stairs themselves. If something is staying, say so.
For the item-by-item list, see the Cleveland price list.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average cost of junk removal in Cleveland?
At JunkRabbit, every item has its own flat price, such as $126 for a sofa, with a $100 order minimum.
How much is a full truckload?
A full truck, about 16 cubic yards, is $732.
How much does a basement laundry swap cost?
Washer $133 plus dryer $128, so $133 + $128 = $261.
Do you charge for stairs in a double?
No. There is no stairs fee on any floor.
Is there a minimum?
Yes, $100 per order.
Do prices change in winter or for same-day?
No. Prices are the same every month and there is no same-day surcharge. Book by 4 PM for same-day pickup.