Scope it in the driveway, before you say a number
Garages fill in layers: the stuff you can see, the stuff behind it, the shelves, the rafters. Rate the fill honestly.
| Garage | Light | Medium | Heavy |
|---|---|---|---|
| One car | 6 cu yd | 12 | 20 |
| Two car | 10 | 20 | 35 |
Light: a few bikes, boxes, a workbench, floor visible. Medium: paths between piles, shelves full. Heavy: you cannot walk in, or there is a second layer on the rafters. If the customer will not open a door, price it heavy.
Worked example: medium two-car garage
20 cubic yards. 15-yard bed, so two loads. Two-person crew. Household material at 175 pounds a yard, so about 3,500 pounds. Some paint cans and a fridge.
| Loading: 20 yd × 0.15 hr | 3.0 hrs |
| Drive and dump: 2 loads × 0.75 hr | 1.5 hrs |
| Sorting metal, donations, hazardous: 2 loads × 0.5 hr | 1.0 hr |
| Total job hours | 5.5 |
|---|---|
| Crew: 5.5 × $66.54 | $366 |
| Truck: 5.5 × $26.46 | $146 |
| Disposal: max(2 × $35, 1.75 t × $65) | $114 |
| Overhead: 5.5 × $22.86 | $126 |
| Fridge surcharge | $30 |
| Total cost | $782 |
| Quote at 30% margin | $1,117 → $1,100–$1,300 range |
Give the range, not the number. The low end is as scoped; the high end covers the rafters. A customer who hears "$1,100 to $1,300 depending on what is above the joists" accepts a $1,250 invoice. A customer who heard "$1,100" and gets $1,250 leaves a review.
Things in garages that change the price
- Paint, chemicals, propane, batteries. Most transfer stations refuse them. Either exclude them in writing or charge for a hazardous-waste drop.
- Concrete, tile, dirt, bricks. Common in garages, and 2,000+ pounds a yard. Price by weight, separately.
- Appliances and tires. Surcharge each.
- Cars, boats, hot tubs. Exclude unless you have a plan.
The one-car garage minimum
A light one-car garage is 6 yards, one load, about 2.5 hours. That prices around $450 to $550 on these rates. Do not let "it's just a small garage" push you under your minimum cleanout charge, which for most crews should be $250 or more.
Speed it up without cutting the price
- Stage the truck at the door. Every ten feet of carry across a driveway is a few seconds per trip, times two hundred trips.
- Sort into three piles as you go: trash, metal, donate. Sorting at the dump costs an hour; sorting while loading costs nothing.
- Ask the customer to tag keepers before you arrive. Blue tape on anything that stays. It prevents the "wait, not that" stop-and-start that turns three hours into five.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a garage cleanout take?
A light one-car garage is two to three hours for a two-person crew, one load. A medium two-car garage is five to six hours and two loads. Heavy garages with rafters full can run a full day and three loads.
How much does a garage cleanout cost?
On typical small-crew costs, a light one-car garage prices around $450 to $550 and a medium two-car garage around $1,100 to $1,300, plus surcharges for appliances, tires and hazardous items. Your number depends on your crew cost, your dump fees and the drive.
Should I charge by the load or by the hour?
Quote by the job, as a range, but build the number from hours and loads. Customers want a total; you need the hours underneath it to know whether the total is profitable.