How much does an estate cleanout cost?

Pricing factors

The biggest driver is volume: how many trucks the cleanout fills. Other factors:

• Home size — 2-bedroom condo vs. 4-bedroom single-family
• Accumulation level — well-organized vs. decades of layered storage
• Access — basement stairs, second-floor walkup, narrow doorways
• Special items — pianos, hot tubs, gun safes, appliances needing refrigerant recovery
• Multi-day requirements — larger jobs spread over consecutive days

Typical pricing brackets

• Partial cleanout (specific rooms): $300–$600
• Small home (1-bedroom condo, small townhouse): $400–$900
• Typical 2–3 bedroom home: $800–$1,500
• Larger home (3+ bedrooms with full basement and garage): $1,500–$3,000
• Very large home or higher accumulation: $2,500–$5,000+
• Hoarding-volume estate: $3,000–$8,000+

What’s included

• Labor (full crew, no homeowner lifting)
• Truck(s) and fuel
• Transfer station disposal fees
• Donation routing to Hesed House, Furniture Bank, Habitat ReStore
• Scrap metal recycling
• Illinois e-waste recycling
• Refrigerant recovery on cooling appliances ($25–$40 surcharge each)
• Final sweep

Who pays

Usually the estate, the executor (reimbursed), or family members coordinating. Sometimes split between heirs. Real estate agents handling listings sometimes coordinate and bill back through escrow at closing. See Who Pays for Estate Cleanout?

Getting a firm price

For estates, we quote at on-site walkthrough. Photo or phone estimates are ranges only — the walkthrough produces the firm number. Walkthrough is free and typically scheduled within a few days of your call.