Dumpster rental for an estate cleanout

Who this is for

• Executors and family members clearing a house after a death
• Adult children moving a parent into assisted living
• Whole-house cleanouts before a sale
• Hoarder cleanouts, where volume runs far past what the rooms suggest
• Attorneys and estate-sale companies handling what is left

Emptying the house to move yourself? See the moving dumpster page. For one garage or basement, see home cleanout.

Sort first, then load

The most common regret we hear is a box of photographs found under a sofa at the landfill. Before the dumpster arrives, walk the house with four piles in mind:

• Keep. Documents, photos, jewelry, anything with a family claim on it. Check pockets, drawers, books and the freezer; estates hide cash and papers in odd places.
• Sell or donate. Furniture in good shape, dishes, tools, clothing, books. Charity pickups often need a week or two of notice, so book them first.
• Hazardous. Paint, chemicals, gasoline, propane, batteries, medications, and any fridge, freezer or window AC. Most counties run a hazardous waste drop-off, pharmacies take medications, and utilities often pick up old fridges.
• Dumpster. Everything else: worn furniture, mattresses, carpet, broken appliances without refrigerant, damaged goods.

Schedule the dumpster for after the keep and donate piles have left.

Sizes for an estate cleanout

A whole house cleanout dumpster is usually a 20 or a 30-yard, depending on how much furniture is still in the house.

Typical 7-day prices, not quotes; longer rentals and high-cost areas run more. Your exact price comes with the quote; see pricing for what is included.

• 20-yard: a two or three-bedroom house with a normal amount of furniture, after the donate pile is gone. Our usual starting point.
• 30-yard: a larger home, or beds and sofas in every room. The extra 2 feet of height takes bulky furniture easily.
• 40-yard, $525 to $950: hoarder cleanouts and decades of accumulation, with swaps.
• 15-yard, $350 to $600: a small condo or a house already mostly cleared.

Furniture takes more room than you think; between sizes, go up. All five are on the dumpster sizes page.

Hoarder cleanouts

A hoarder cleanout dumpster is a volume problem first. Rooms that look like a 20 are often a 40 with a swap, because the stacks go floor to ceiling and the paper underneath is dense and heavy. Tell us it is a hoarding situation: we quote a swap plan, flag the weight, and build in a 14 or 30-day rental, each swap priced before you start.

Keeping it longer than 7 days

Seven days is enough when a crew is loading. Estates are usually cleared by family on weekends, between work and probate paperwork, so pick the 14-day option up front and the price for it is in your quote; 30 days is available too. If you run over, extra days are added at the rate in your quote, typically $10 to $20 per day. Need longer than 30 days? Tell us in the quote request and we confirm it in writing before you book.

Booking from out of town

Many executors live in another state, and the whole process works remotely: you request the price with the property's address, a real person replies by text or email with one all-in number, and you say yes from wherever you are. Nobody needs to be at the house for delivery; a neighbor or realtor can put a cone on the spot. One invoice with the property address on it goes in the estate's records.

What goes in, and what cannot

Fine: furniture, mattresses (often a $25 to $75 per-item fee), carpet, clothing, books, dishes, boxes, washers and ranges (sometimes a fee), yard tools, old lumber.

Not allowed: paint, chemicals, fuel, propane, tires, batteries, fridges, freezers and AC units, medications, fluorescent tubes, electronics in many states, and suspected asbestos in an older home. The prohibited items list says where each goes instead.

Placement and permits

The box needs a flat spot about 22 feet long and 8 to 11 feet wide, about 60 feet of straight approach, and clear overhead. The driveway needs no permit in most places; the street usually needs a city permit, and we tell you what applies.

Older homes often have older driveways, so ask for boards under the rails. Surface damage at a spot you chose is generally your responsibility unless the hauler was negligent, per our booking policies. Check whether an HOA limits dumpster days.

How it works in three steps

1. Tell us the job. Address, "estate cleanout," how many rooms and how much furniture, when and for how long. About a minute on the quote form.
2. Get one exact price. We check our vetted haulers near the property and send one all-in number by text or email, mattress fees written down. We usually reply within 1-2 business hours.
3. Say yes and sort at your pace. Delivery in 1 to 3 business days or on your date. Text us for more time or a swap. When the house is empty, it is gone.

More on how it works.

A worked example

Two siblings are clearing their late father's three-bedroom house an hour from where either lives. An estate-sale company took the good furniture. What is left: two worn sofas, four mattresses, a recliner, carpet from two bedrooms, broken lawn equipment, and sixty boxes of papers. They can only work weekends.

Plan: a 30-yard on a 14-day rental, on the driveway on boards. Typical first-week price $450 to $800 depending on the ZIP, plus the second week at the rate in the quote, with 3 to 4 tons included. Four mattress fees are listed in the quote. The paper boxes are heavy, so we suggest spreading them across the floor of the box. Two weekends later the house is empty, they text us, and the box is gone before the listing photos.

Why families book through us

• Vetted, insured and bonded haulers. Every one of our haulers shows a current certificate of insurance and a bond before taking a job. No strangers from a classifieds site. How we vet haulers.
• One all-in price, in writing. Rental, allowance, item fees and the daily rate for extra days, all in the quote.
• One point of contact, from anywhere. Text or email us about an extension, a swap or a date change. One invoice for the estate file.

Find the property's metro on the locations page.