1-800-GOT-JUNK alternatives in Pittsburgh

The short answer

Alternatives to 1-800-GOT-JUNK in Pittsburgh fall into four groups: other national franchises, the City of Pittsburgh's own bulk program and paid collection, doing it yourself, and flat-price services that publish item prices and quote from a photo. JunkRabbit is in the last group, with prices such as $126 for a sofa, $103 for a queen mattress and $241 for a quarter truck, carried out from any floor with no stairs fee.

How 1-800-GOT-JUNK works here

It helps to know how the best-known name operates locally before comparing. 1-800-GOT-JUNK has two hubs serving the Pittsburgh area: one in Cranberry Township, covering the north and Butler County side, and one listed as Pittsburgh City, based in McKees Rocks, covering the City and the west. Its local pages list hours of 6am to 9pm daily. Its pricing is volume-based, which the company describes as based on how much space your junk takes up in the truck, and it offers free in-person estimates. That is a well-established model, and many people are comfortable with it. If you prefer to know a price before anyone comes to the house, or want a published price per item, it is worth looking at other options too. The right choice depends on your job, your schedule and how you like to get a price.

Other franchise options

Several other national brands operate around Pittsburgh. College HUNKS Hauling Junk and Moving has a location in Green Tree, near the junction of the Parkway West and the South Hills, and says it serves over 100 neighborhoods across Allegheny, Butler, Beaver and Washington counties. Junk King Pittsburgh advertises service to more than 80 surrounding communities, from Greensburg and Monroeville to Washington and Bethel Park, with pricing based on the space you use. The Junkluggers of Pittsburgh lists towns from Aliquippa and Cranberry to McKeesport and Murrysville, and prices by volume after an on-site estimate, with a commitment that you will not pay more than the written estimate. Most of these models rely on someone seeing the load before giving a final price. That suits some jobs well. If you want the price before booking, without a visit, a flat-price service is the alternative.

The City's own options

If you live inside the City of Pittsburgh, the cheapest alternative to any hauler is the City itself. Bulky items such as sofas, recliners, tables, dressers, mattresses and box springs go out with your regular trash, limited to two items per week, set out no earlier than 6 p.m. the night before and no later than 6 a.m. on collection day. For more than two items, the City offers a paid collection at $173 for the first hour and $54 for each additional hour, arranged by phone and paid by check or money order. The City does not collect TVs, computers, freon appliances, construction waste, tires or hazardous items. In the suburbs, each of Allegheny County's 130 municipalities runs its own trash contract. For one or two accepted items on an easy street, the City is hard to beat. For anything else, compare the options below.

The flat-price alternative

JunkRabbit works differently from volume-based estimates. Every common item has a published flat price, and larger loads use truck-fill tiers. You pick items online or upload a photo, and you see the total before booking. The price includes carrying items out from anywhere in the home, from any floor, plus loading and disposal. There is no stairs fee, no walk-up fee and no same-day surcharge, and it only changes if you approve the change. In a city where so many jobs involve basements, narrow rowhouse stairs and houses reached by public steps, knowing that the stairs are already in the price is useful. JunkRabbit uses vetted, insured local haulers and emails a certificate of insurance within 1 hour if your building needs one. Hours are 7 days a week from 8am to midnight, with same-day pickup when you book by 4 PM and a 2-hour arrival window you choose.

Flat prices to compare

A sofa and a fridge are $126 + $164 = $290. A mattress set, a washer and a TV are $143 + $133 + $68 = $344. These include carry-out from any floor and disposal, with a $100 order minimum.

How to choose

Choose based on how you want to get a price and what the job looks like. If you are comfortable with an in-person estimate and a volume-based price, any of the established franchises is a reasonable choice, and it is worth asking each one how stairs, heavy items and disposal are handled. If you have one or two accepted items inside the City, use the free bulk pickup. If you want to see a published price before anyone visits, or you are booking from out of town for an estate, a flat-price service fits better. Whoever you choose, ask the same questions: Are you insured? What is the total in writing? Are stairs and disposal included? How are TVs and freon appliances handled? Clear answers to those make any option easier to trust. JunkRabbit's prices are the same in the City, the North Hills, the South Hills, the East End suburbs and the Mon Valley.

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