What a garage cleanout costs in St. Louis

The short answer

Garage cleanouts are priced by truck-fill tier or by item, whichever fits. A one-car garage with boxes, a broken mower and old shelving often fits a quarter truck, $241. A full two-car garage is commonly a half truck ($431) to 3/4 truck ($587). Specific heavy items are priced from the list: riding mower $152, set of four tires $87, propane grill $123, tool chest $100.

St. Louis garages come in a few types

• City alley garages. In older City neighborhoods like Lindenwood Park, Dogtown and St. Louis Hills, many garages sit on the alley behind the house. Easy truck access, often cramped inside.
• Postwar attached garages. Florissant, Affton, Mehlville and Oakville ranch homes, often with a basement door into the garage.
• West County subdivisions. Ballwin's post-1960 subdivisions and Chesterfield's 1980s-2000s ones, with two- and three-car garages and HOA rules on curb piles.
• Metro East subdivisions. O'Fallon IL and Edwardsville two-car garages, especially around Scott AFB PCS moves.

The type changes how the job is loaded, not what it costs. An alley garage in Dogtown means the truck backs up to the door in the alley and the job goes fast, but the space inside is tight and things are stacked high. A three-car Chesterfield garage has room to work but often holds twice the volume.

Garage cleanout prices

Common garage items, priced

A Kirkwood garage with a dead mower, a snow blower, two metal shelf units and four old tires is $65 + $71 + $71 + $71 + $87 = $365. That is just above a 3/8 truck at $338, so ask which way prices lower before you approve.

Items with rules attached

• Tires. Missouri law (RSMo 260.270) says scrap tires cannot go in a landfill unless cut, chipped or shredded. They go to tire processing. City residents can also use the monthly BOAT-E collection, which includes tires.
• Old fridges and freezers. The garage beer fridge is a major appliance, banned from Missouri landfills. Refrigerant has to be recovered first.
• Car batteries and motor oil. Lead-acid batteries and waste oil are banned from Missouri landfills too. Return batteries to a parts store, or ask us.
• Paint. Accepted, priced per can or bucket.
• Chemicals. Pesticides, pool chemicals and solvents are hazardous waste, not standard. Ask case by case.

Doing it yourself: what each route costs

In the City, the monthly bulky pickup takes up to three items, set out in the alley or at the curb by 6:00 am on the Monday of your collection week, none over 100 lbs or 6 ft. A garage usually holds far more than three items, and riding mowers, tool chests and chest freezers blow past the weight limit. BOAT-E covers tires, batteries, oil and appliances on its own monthly schedule.

City residents with a pickup can use the North or South transfer station, weekdays 8:00 to 4:00, up to 12 loads a year, each about a half-ton pickup's worth. A half-truck garage is around eight cubic yards, which is several of those loads. No household hazardous waste is accepted there, so the chemicals still need a separate plan.

In the County and the Metro East, your municipality or trash district sets the rules. Check before building a pile, because a curb pile that does not qualify will sit there.

HOA subdivisions and PCS moves

In Chesterfield, Ballwin, Wildwood and other West County HOA neighborhoods, a curb pile waiting for collection is a quick way to get a letter. A garage cleanout avoids it: the crew loads straight from the garage to the truck in the driveway, and nothing sits at the curb. The same applies to Metro East subdivisions in O'Fallon and Edwardsville.

O'Fallon is about five miles from Scott Air Force Base, and summer PCS moves often end with a garage full of things not worth shipping: the mower, a grill, kids' bikes, a chest freezer. That mix priced out is $65 + $123 + $37 + $37 + $146 = $408, which is close to a half truck at $431, so the quote will show whichever fits the load. Book once you know your pack-out date so the garage is clear before the final inspection.

How to size your garage before you ask

A rough way to judge the tier yourself:

• Quarter truck ($241): a corner of a one-car garage — a few boxes, an old mower, a shelf unit, some bags, roughly 4 cubic yards.
• Half truck ($431): one full wall of a two-car garage, or a one-car garage you cannot walk into.
• 3/4 truck ($587): a two-car garage with one bay full and the other half full.
• Full truck ($732): both bays full, floor to shoulder height.

Photos are more accurate than any rule of thumb. Take one from the door, one from each back corner, and one of anything heavy like a workbench or an old freezer, and the quote will reflect what is actually there. Detached City alley garages are often deeper than they look from the alley, so shoot the back wall too.

Seasonal timing

Spring and fall are the busy garage seasons in St. Louis. In spring, people clear winter clutter and storm debris; after the May 2025 tornado, garages from Clayton and Richmond Heights to North City filled with damaged contents and branches. In fall, people make room for the car before the cold. Summer heat makes long garage sessions miserable, so pick a morning window, and winter is fine for indoor work. If you are planning a weekend, book early. Same-day works when you book by 4 PM, and we are open 8am to midnight, seven days. Price it from a photo at the instant quote page.

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