What Pittsburgh residents actually pay for junk removal

The short answer

A single-item job in Pittsburgh costs that item's list price, such as a sofa at $126 or a side-by-side fridge at $183, with a $100 order minimum. A few pieces simply add up: a sofa, a queen set and a dresser are $126 + $143 + $126 = $395. Full cleanouts are priced by truck share, from $241 for a quarter truck to $732 for a full truck. The examples below are typical job types priced from the published list, not specific customers.

Why examples beat averages

An average junk removal price tells you almost nothing, because the jobs are so different. A single recliner and a three-bedroom estate in Penn Hills are both "junk removal." What actually helps is seeing jobs that look like yours, priced out item by item. Pittsburgh's housing makes that especially useful. The City's median home was built in 1942, basements are nearly universal in older neighborhoods, and the City has 800 sets of public stairways, so a lot of jobs involve carrying something up from a cellar or down a hillside. Those factors change how hard a job is, but they do not change the flat price; there is no stairs fee. The examples below use real catalog prices and show the addition, so you can swap in your own items. Each one assumes carry-out from wherever the items sit, loading and disposal, all included in the number shown.

Apartment and move-out jobs

An Oakland or Shadyside student move-out. A furnished room typically means a full mattress, a metal frame, a desk and an office chair. That is $94 + $68 + $83 + $61 = $306. Split between two roommates with matching rooms, it is the same per-item list doubled. Compare the City curb: those four items would take two weeks of bulk allowance, and a whole apartment would take far longer.

A South Side Flats one-bedroom. A sofa, a queen mattress and box spring set, a dresser and a 42 to 65 inch TV: $126 + $143 + $126 + $68 = $463. At that size, it is worth checking the truck tiers too; a half truck is $431 if the load also includes boxes and bags. Pick whichever comes out lower.

A Downtown or Strip District loft. A sectional sofa in three pieces and a 65-inch TV: $185 + $73 = $258, with the building's certificate of insurance emailed within 1 hour.

Basement and appliance jobs

The basement freon pair. An old standard fridge and a chest freezer in a Brookline or Carrick basement: $164 + $146 = $310. Neither one can go to the City curb, because both hold refrigerant.

The laundry swap. A washer and dryer replaced in a Bloomfield rowhouse basement: $133 + $128 = $261. The City would take them free at the curb, two items in one week, if you can get them up the stairs and out yourself.

The redd-up basement. A mixed basement of boxes, a dehumidifier, old shelving and a broken recliner usually prices better by truck share. A quarter truck is $241 and a half truck is $431. A packed full basement in an older house can reach a full truck at $732.

For all of these, the crew carries everything up the basement stairs. That is the part most people do not want to do themselves.

Garage and outdoor jobs

A Cranberry or Wexford relocation garage. A two-car garage before a corporate move often holds a lawn mower, a snow blower, a propane grill, two bicycles and a set of old tires. That is $65 + $71 + $123 + $37 + $37 + $87 = $420. If there are also boxes and bins, the half-truck tier at $431 may cover everything in one price.

A Bethel Park backyard. A hot tub that no longer runs and a swing set the kids outgrew: $390 + $143 = $533. A larger 6-8 person hot tub is $501 on its own.

A North Side rowhouse rehab. Ten sheets of drywall, two cast iron radiators and a cast iron tub: $370 + $246 + $185 = $801, where the drywall is 10 × $37 = $370 and the radiators are $123 + $123 = $246. The City curb takes no construction waste, so remodel debris always needs a separate route.

Estate and whole-house jobs

Estate cleanouts in Squirrel Hill, Penn Hills, Mt. Lebanon and Upper St. Clair are where truck tiers matter most. A long-held family home can have a full basement, an attic, three bedrooms of furniture and a garage. Counting individual items in a house like that is impractical, so the price is based on how much of the truck the contents fill. A modest house with most furniture already claimed by family might be a half truck at $431. A full house with a packed basement can be a full truck at $732, or two full trucks at $732 + $732 = $1,464. A heavy item such as an upright piano adds its own price of $364. You see the number before you book, from photos of each room, and it does not change unless you approve the change. Heirs who live out of town can book online and choose a 2-hour arrival window that suits whoever is letting the crew in.

How these compare with the City's paid tier

The City of Pittsburgh offers a paid bulk collection for more than two items, at $173 for the first hour and $54 for each additional hour, paid by check or money order after a phone call. For a large curbside pile that is already out of the house, it can be a sensible choice. The flat prices above work differently: they include carrying items from inside, from any floor, and you know the total before booking rather than after the clock stops. Inside the City, the free two-items-a-week curb pickup is still the right answer for one or two accepted items on an easy street. In the suburbs, your own municipality's hauler sets the rules. For everything else, add up your items from the price list or send a photo. JunkRabbit runs 7 days a week from 8am to midnight, with same-day pickup when you book by 4 PM.

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