Quick Answer: Junk Nurse’s minimum charge is $89 for a single item or small load. This covers our cost to send a crew to your house, do the pickup, and route the item to disposal or donation. No charge if you decline after seeing the quote.
Why minimum charges exist
Any junk removal job — even for a single sofa — requires:
- A crew of 2 people for 30–60 minutes
- Truck time and fuel
- Disposal or donation routing time
- Insurance overhead
- Customer service and scheduling time
The base cost of doing a residential pickup is around $75–$100 regardless of how small the item is. Companies have to charge at least that much to cover costs.
Junk Nurse minimum: $89
That’s our floor for a single-item pickup — one mattress, one sofa, one refrigerator, one washer or dryer. Quick in and out, typical 30–45 minute job for a 2-person crew.
When does it make sense to combine items?
If you have multiple items, our volume pricing kicks in — meaning the per-item cost drops compared to single pickups. A few examples:
- One sofa alone: $89–$150 (minimum to single-item)
- One sofa plus mattress + box spring: $150–$225 (less than two separate pickups would be)
- One bedroom set (mattress, box spring, dresser, bed frame, nightstand): $200–$325
If you have stuff piling up, batch it into one pickup rather than calling us for each item.
Have one item to get rid of? Call (630) 294-1340 — minimum charge $89, same-day available in Aurora most weekdays.
Other companies’ minimums
- 1-800-Got-Junk: typically $100–$150 minimum, varies by market
- College Hunks Hauling Junk: typically $125–$175 minimum
- Local independents: $50–$150 range
$89 puts Junk Nurse on the lower end while still maintaining full insurance, compliance, and service quality.
What’s NOT subject to minimum charge?
- Hot tubs, pianos, and similar specialty items are priced separately (typically $150+)
- Whole-house cleanouts are on-site quoted
- Commercial jobs have separate minimums
What if I don’t want to pay the minimum?
Alternatives for a single small item:
- Aurora bulk pickup — free but scheduled weeks out
- Drop-off at a transfer station — if you have a truck and time
- Donate or sell — if the item qualifies
- Combine with other items later — wait until you have more, get better per-item pricing
For one item that needs to go now, $89 is usually the most efficient option.
Quote visits are free
If you’re not sure whether to proceed, we’ll give you a quote (photo or on-site) for free. No trip charge, no commitment. If the price doesn’t work for you, say no — we’ll thank you for considering us and move on.
For more on pricing, see our junk removal cost authority guide.
Related reading:
Schedule a single-item pickup. Call (630) 294-1340 or request a free quote. Mon–Sat, 7am–7pm.