How to pick a junk hauler in Pittsburgh

The short answer

Pick a hauler that is insured and can prove it, gives you a total price in writing before the job, explains whether stairs and disposal are included, handles TVs and freon appliances the way state and federal rules require, and tells you where the load goes. In Pittsburgh, also ask how they handle steps, basements and narrow streets. JunkRabbit's answers: vetted, insured local haulers; a flat price shown before booking, such as $126 for a sofa; no stairs fee; a certificate of insurance emailed within 1 hour.

1. Are you insured, and can you send proof?

This is the first question for a reason. Junk removal involves heavy items, narrow staircases and other people's property, and in Pittsburgh, where many houses sit on hillsides and stairs are steep, the chance of a scraped wall or a dropped dresser is real. If an uninsured crew damages your home or someone gets hurt on your steps, the cost can land on you. A legitimate hauler will confirm insurance without hesitation and send a certificate of insurance if you or your building asks. Downtown towers, Strip District lofts and many apartment buildings around Oakland and Shadyside require a COI naming the building before any vendor can use the freight elevator or loading dock. Ask how long that takes. JunkRabbit emails a COI within 1 hour of booking. A hauler who cannot produce one quickly may cost you the day you booked.

2. What is the total, in writing, before you start?

The most common complaint about junk removal is a final bill that does not match what you expected. The fix is to get the total for your items in writing before the job, and to know what would change it. Ask how the price is calculated: per item, by truck volume, or by the hour. Each method has trade-offs. Volume pricing depends on how full the truck looks on the day. Hourly pricing depends on how long the work takes, and in a house with a narrow basement stair or a flight of city steps, the clock runs slowly. Per-item flat pricing is the easiest to check because every piece has a published price. However the hauler prices, make sure the number you agree to includes labor, loading and disposal, and ask what happens if they think the load is bigger than expected. A good answer is: nothing changes unless you approve it.

3. Do you charge extra for stairs or a long carry?

In most cities this is a minor question. In Pittsburgh it can be the biggest part of the job. The City has 800 sets of public stairways, and homes on the South Side Slopes, Mt. Washington, Troy Hill, Polish Hill, Beechview and Carrick can sit well above or below the street. Rowhouses in Lawrenceville, Bloomfield and the North Side have narrow interior stairs and basements almost everywhere. Ask any hauler whether stairs, floors, basements, attics and outside steps are included, and whether there is a fee for a long carry from the truck to the door. Some charge for it, some do not. Get the answer before booking, not on the stairs. With JunkRabbit there is no stairs fee and no walk-up fee; the crew carries items out from anywhere in the home, from any floor. Mention outside steps in your photo request so the crew arrives prepared.

4. How do you handle TVs and freon appliances?

These two categories show whether a hauler is doing things properly. Pennsylvania's Covered Device Recycling Act bans TVs, computers and similar electronics from the curb, and they cannot go to landfills, so they must go to an electronics recycler. That has a real cost; the City's own e-waste page lists a charge of $1 per pound at one recycler for TVs and CRT monitors. Refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners and dehumidifiers hold refrigerant that federal rules require to be recovered before disposal, which is why the City curb refuses them and Mt. Lebanon's hauler wants a sticker certifying removal. A hauler who offers to take a basement full of TVs and old freezers for a suspiciously low price should be able to explain where they go. JunkRabbit's flat prices cover these items: a 42 to 65 inch TV is $68, a standard fridge $164 and a chest freezer $146.

5 to 7. Where does it go, when can you come, and how do I book?

Ask where the load goes. A good hauler can explain that usable items may be donated when charities accept them, metal and electronics are recycled, and the rest goes to a proper disposal facility. If someone cannot tell you, consider that dumped junk can be traced back to the person who hired the hauler. Ask about timing. Can they come today? Do they offer an arrival window, or will you wait all day? JunkRabbit works 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. Ask how booking works. Can you get a price from a photo or by picking items online, without waiting for someone to visit for an estimate? That matters when you are clearing an estate from out of town or fitting a pickup between work and a closing.

Red flags and a benchmark

Watch for cash-only offers with no business name, no proof of insurance, no written price and no answer about disposal. Use the published flat prices above as a benchmark when comparing quotes: a sofa, a mattress set and a TV are $126 + $143 + $68 = $337, carried out from any floor, with a $100 order minimum and no sales tax line on hauling in Pennsylvania.

Frequently asked questions