Junk removal in Nanaimo starts at a $125 minimum pickup, and a full 15 cubic yard trailer load is $850. Most jobs land somewhere between, and the estimate is free before anything is loaded.
Those two numbers are the short answer. The rest of this guide is the long one: what each load size costs in 2026, what the price already includes, why weight sometimes matters more than space, and every extra charge we could think of, explained before you book rather than discovered on the invoice.
The 2026 load prices
Pricing is by volume. You pay for the space your items take up in our 15 cubic yard trailer, not for the time the job takes.
- Minimum pickup, $125. A single item or a small pile.
- Quarter load, $300. A couch and a few boxes, or one small room's worth.
- Half load, $500. A packed garage bay or a one room clearout.
- Three quarter load, $675. A serious garage or basement.
- Full load, $850. The whole 15 yard trailer.
Every load includes the lifting, the hauling, disposal fees, taxes and the first hour of labour. Additional labour past that first hour is $100 per hour, per load. The full breakdown lives on our pricing page, along with a load calculator.
Is pricing by volume or by weight?
Volume sets the price for ordinary household junk. Dense material plays by a second rule: soil, concrete, tile and dense construction debris can reach the trailer's safe weight capacity before the box looks anywhere near full.
When that happens, weight related charges can apply or the job can take a second load. We flag it in the estimate whenever the material is visible, and raise it with you on the day if it only becomes clear once we start loading.
Real examples from real jobs
- A queen mattress runs about $135 and a king about $150, with a box spring added to the same pickup about $75 more. Details on the mattress removal page.
- A couch usually starts at the $125 minimum, with large sectionals climbing toward a quarter load.
- A garage cleanout typically lands between a half load at $500 and a full load at $850, depending on how many years are stacked in there.
- A hot tub typically runs $500 to $675 removed and hauled, with roughly $100 per seat as a rule of thumb. See hot tub removal.
- An upright piano typically runs $500 to $600 depending on its size, weight, the crew the job needs and the access. See piano removal.
- A whole estate or hoarding cleanout is usually more than one trailer load, priced load by load at the same rates.
What can add to the price
We would rather list these here than surprise anyone with them.
- Extra labour. The first hour is included per load. Long carries, several floors, or items that need taking apart can run past it, at $100 per hour.
- Specialty disposal. Mattresses and box springs, tires, propane tanks and appliances that need special handling each carry their own charges, because the facilities that take them charge us.
- Weight. Dense loads can carry a weight surcharge or need a second trip, as above.
- Access. A tight site that slows the crew down is a labour question, and we talk it through at the estimate.
- Hazardous or contaminated jobs. These are a separate service with hazard labour on top of normal load pricing, a four hour minimum at $150 to $250 per hour by severity. Details on the hazardous cleanouts page.
Do jobs outside Nanaimo cost more?
Ladysmith, Qualicum Beach and Parksville ride on the same load rates with no separate travel fee, though a fuel surcharge can still apply. Duncan and Port Alberni run on scheduled routes and can carry a travel or fuel surcharge. The Comox Valley is half load and larger only, whichever of our services it is. Every town is spelled out on the service areas page.
How to get a number for your pile
Click the Get a free estimate button below and tell us about the pile through the request form. The estimate always comes first, and the final charge follows the volume and material actually loaded. If the number does not work for you, we leave and there is no charge.
Same-day or next-day service may be available depending on our schedule, your location and the size and scope of the job. We are open 7 days a week, 6am to 8pm.