Junk removal vs dumpster calculator
Junk removal charges by the volume they take away and includes the labour. A container charges for the box and you supply the labour. The break-even is a volume, and it moves with how you value your own time.
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This calculator needs JavaScript. The reference table below covers the same ground.
Is junk removal or a dumpster cheaper for my job? container total = rental + overage + your hours × what your time is worth. junk removal total = the volume price they quoted. Compare the two directly, and count the stairs.
The formula
container total = rental + overage + your hours × what your time is worth. junk removal total = the volume price they quoted. Compare the two directly, and count the stairs.
Worked example
Eight cubic yards of furniture from a second-floor apartment: a 10 yard container at $350 plus roughly 10 hours of your labour carrying it downstairs, against a junk removal crew who price the volume and do the carrying. Below about 6 to 8 cubic yards, and any time stairs are involved, junk removal usually wins. Above about 15 cubic yards a container wins clearly.
Assumptions
- Junk removal pricing is by volume in their truck and varies by market; use a quote you have actually been given
- The comparison assumes you can legally place a container. If you cannot — no driveway, no permit, a downtown apartment — junk removal is not cheaper, it is the only option
- Neither option takes hazardous material, so that part of the job is separate either way
Reference table
| Volume | Container likely better | Junk removal likely better |
|---|---|---|
| Under 6 yd³ | — | ✓ |
| 6–15 yd³ | Depends on stairs and your time | Depends on stairs and your time |
| Over 15 yd³ | ✓ | — |