How Much Does a Garage Cleanout Cost?

Garage cleanouts in Aurora typically run $150 to $600+ depending on garage size and contents. Single-stall garages are quickest. Two- and three-car garages with accumulated scrap, appliances, tires, and yard equipment push higher. Junk Nurse handles all of it — including the hazmat sorting that catches most homeowners off-guard.

Typical garage cleanout pricing

• Single-stall garage, light contents: $150–$300
• Single-stall garage, packed: $250–$450
• Two-car garage, moderate contents: $250–$500
• Two-car garage, packed: $400–$700
• Three-car garage: $500–$900+
• Garage plus appliances (old fridge, freezer, washer): add $100–$300
• Garage plus riding mower / yard equipment: add $100–$300

What’s typically in an Aurora garage

Twenty years of accumulation in a typical garage:

• Old riding lawn mower, push mower, snowblower
• Bikes (the kids’ old ones, your old ones)
• Workshop tools and equipment that no longer works
• Old garage refrigerator (the “beer fridge”)
• Stand-alone deep freezer
• Yard tools and broken garden equipment
• Tires (old or extras)
• Empty cardboard boxes from years of online orders
• Holiday decorations (Christmas trees, inflatables)
• Pool and patio furniture stored for winter
• Camping gear, sports equipment
• Paint cans, fuel containers (hazmat)
• Car parts and automotive supplies
• Old kids’ toys, strollers, bikes
• Defunct exercise equipment
• Scrap lumber and old building materials
• Broken appliances waiting for someone to deal with them

What affects garage cleanout pricing

1. Volume (always the biggest factor)

A garage where you can still park a car is different from a garage where you haven’t seen the floor in five years. Volume drives the price.

2. Heavy items

Riding mowers, snowblowers, freezers, washers/dryers all add to the load. With volume pricing these are built in; some companies surcharge for them.

3. Appliances and scrap metal

Garage refrigerators are Section 608 regulated. Scrap metal has resale value that offsets disposal cost. We sort accordingly.

4. Hazmat presence

Old paint cans, fuel containers, propane tanks, pool chemicals, antifreeze. We can’t take these in standard pickup — we’ll separate and you handle through Kane County hazmat events. The sorting time is built into the quote.

5. Access

Driveway-accessible garages are the easiest pickup we do. Detached garages or backyard structures require more carrying.

6. Disposal routing

Mixed garage contents go through several streams: scrap metal (for appliances and mower), e-recyclers (for old TVs and electronics), C&D recycling (for scrap lumber and building materials), donation (for usable items), disposal (for everything else).

The hazmat sort — what catches people

This is the biggest surprise in garage cleanouts. Items we CAN’T take in standard pickup:

• Paint cans (latex and oil-based)
• Solvents, paint thinner, mineral spirits
• Gasoline, kerosene, fuel containers
• Pool chemicals (chlorine, acid, etc.)
• Pesticides and herbicides
• Antifreeze (used or fresh)
• Propane tanks (especially if not empty)
• Aerosol cans (some, depending on content)
• Motor oil and oil filters (banned from landfill)
• Lead-acid batteries (banned, but we pull and route to recycling)

What to do with hazmat:

• Kane County household hazardous waste collection events (1–2 per year, free)
• Auto parts stores (motor oil, antifreeze, batteries)
• PaintCare drop-off locations (paint specifically)
• Propane tank exchange (Blue Rhino, AmeriGas)

If your garage has hazmat, plan ahead. We’ll separate it during the cleanout but you’ll need to dispose of it through proper channels.

Common garage cleanout scenarios

“I want to park in my garage again”

Most common call. The garage filled up over years and now there’s no room for the car. Typical job: $300–$600 for a 2-car garage. 2–4 hours.

“Selling the house and the buyer wants the garage clear”

Time-sensitive. Often combined with basement cleanout. We can usually fit you in same-day or next-day.

“Dad passed and the garage has 40 years of stuff”

Estate cleanouts of garages are common. We work with families on what to keep vs. clear. Often emotionally heavy — we move at the right pace.

“Moving and the garage is full of stuff we don’t want”

Pre-move clearing. We handle the garage so you don’t have to move things you don’t want.

“Spring cleanup”

Annual garage refresh. Easier and cheaper than letting it build up for years.

How to prepare for a garage cleanout

1. Walk through and identify keepers. Move anything you want to keep to a corner or label it clearly.
2. Separate the hazmat. Group paint cans, fuel containers, and chemicals in one area — we’ll know not to load those, and you can plan for Kane County hazmat day.
3. Make a path. Clear access from inside the garage to the driveway so our crew can move efficiently.
4. Tell us about big items. Riding mower, motorcycle, kayak — let us know in advance so we plan the load.

Combined garage + basement jobs

Very common: clearing both at once saves on per-piece cost via volume pricing. A combined garage + basement cleanout is typically $500–$1,200 depending on volume — meaningfully cheaper than two separate pickups.

For more on pricing, see our junk removal cost authority guide.