What St. Louis residents actually pay for junk removal

The short answer

Most St. Louis junk removal jobs fall into a few shapes. One big piece is its list price: a sofa is $126, a fridge $164. Two pieces add up: sofa and fridge are $126 + $164 = $290. A room or a garage often fits a quarter truck at $241 or a half truck at $431. A whole-house or estate cleanout is often a full truck at $732, and sometimes more than one.

Why a single number is misleading

"Average junk removal cost" blends a one-chair pickup with a four-bedroom estate. It is more useful to know what your kind of job costs. And in St. Louis, the shape of the job depends heavily on the house:

• City brick flats in Bevo Mill, Dutchtown, Tower Grove South and Carondelet: smaller units, but narrow stairs and deep basements.
• Inner-ring suburbs like Kirkwood, Webster Groves and Maplewood: older single-family homes with attics, basements and garages full of decades of storage.
• Postwar North County: Florissant alone built around 18,000 houses between 1947 and 1980, many now in their first-owner estate stage.
• West County subdivisions: big garages, move-outs, HOA rules on curb piles.

The baseline: what City residents already pay

Before any pickup, City of St. Louis households are already paying for some junk removal. The solid-waste fee is $14 per month per unit, billed quarterly on the water bill, and it covers monthly bulky pickup: up to three items, nothing over 100 lbs, 6 ft long or 2 ft in diameter, set out in the alley or at the curb by 6:00 am on the Monday of your collection week. BOAT-E collects batteries, oil, appliances, tires and electronics monthly. Residents can also self-haul to the North or South transfer station on weekdays, up to 12 loads a year.

So for a City household, the real question is what it costs to handle the things those routes do not cover: the sofa over 6 feet, the solid-wood dresser over 100 lbs, the fourth and fifth items, anything still in the basement, and anything needed out this week. County and Metro East households have their own municipal or district service, which varies, so their baseline depends on their town.

Single items: what people pay

Single small items that list below $100 — a twin mattress at $82, a TV at $62 — are billed at the $100 order minimum. Adding a second item is usually the better move.

Room-sized jobs

• CWE apartment move-out: queen set, frame, dresser and a sofa — $143 + $68 + $126 + $126 = $463.
• Bevo Mill flat, back bedroom: full mattress, box spring, dresser and nightstand — $94 + $92 + $126 + $57 = $369. Pricing the mattress and box spring as a $143 set instead: $143 + $126 + $57 = $326.
• Webster Groves basement laundry: washer, dryer and dehumidifier — $133 + $128 + $77 = $338.
• Kitchen remodel in Maplewood: fridge, range and dishwasher — $164 + $134 + $109 = $407.

Pile and cleanout jobs

A one-car garage of boxes, old tools and a broken mower often fits a quarter truck. A full St. Louis basement — boxes, shelving, an old couch, a decade of paint cans — is often a half truck. An estate in Oakville or Florissant, house plus basement plus garage, can take one or more full trucks: two full loads are $732 + $732 = $1464.

Jobs by part of town

Here is how typical jobs add up across the metro, using the same list everywhere.

• South City, Dutchtown four-family: a tenant's sofa, recliner and two bags left on the third floor — $126 + $98 + $35 + $35 = $294.
• North County, Florissant ranch: the basement chest freezer and an old upright piano — $146 + $364 = $510.
• West County, Chesterfield garage: a riding mower, a propane grill and a half truck of boxes — $152 + $123 + $431 = $706.
• Clayton condo: a sectional (3-piece) and a 65-inch TV, with a COI emailed to the building — $185 + $73 = $258.
• Metro East, O'Fallon PCS move: a trampoline and a swing set from the yard — $116 + $143 = $259.

None of those numbers change with the floor, the alley, the time of day or the side of the river.

How other local pricing models compare

Different companies price differently, and that affects what you end up paying. Some operators in St. Louis price by truck volume. 1-800-GOT-JUNK? St. Louis describes volume-based pricing for two or more items. With a volume range, where you land depends on how the load is judged.

Our model is a flat published price per item, or a truck-fill tier for piles, shown before you book. The price only changes if you approve. Carry-out from any floor, disposal and loading are included; there is no stairs fee and no same-day surcharge.

What does not change the price here

• Stairs. A third-floor flat costs the same as a ground-floor ranch.
• Basements. Carried up at no extra charge.
• Alley vs street. No difference.
• Time of day. 8am to midnight, seven days, same price.
• Same-day. Book by 4 PM, no surcharge.
• Side of the river. The same list applies in the City, the County and the Metro East, with no sales tax added.

Take a photo of the pile or pick your items at the instant quote page. You see the flat price before you book and choose a two-hour arrival window. For the full catalog, see the St. Louis price list.

Frequently asked questions