Restaurant Equipment Removal
Commercial kitchen cleanouts coordinated around your contractors and your schedule.
Restaurant cleanouts have a specific set of challenges: commercial equipment is heavy, often gas-connected, and the timelines are tight because an empty restaurant is a restaurant losing money every day. Junk Nurse handles restaurant equipment removal in Aurora and the Fox Valley with flexible scheduling, including early morning before service or overnight between closes, and the crew to move heavy commercial kitchen equipment without damaging floors or doorframes.
What We Remove
Real Jobs. Real Results.
These are actual photos from Junk Nurse jobs in Aurora and the Fox Valley.
How It Works
Simple. Transparent. No surprises.
Assess
We walk the kitchen with you, identify what needs contractor disconnection before it can move, and build a removal sequence that works around your other contractors and your operating schedule.
Coordinate
Gas disconnection, refrigerant recovery, hood teardown: all happen before we arrive. We sync our schedule with your licensed contractors so no one is waiting on anyone else.
Remove
Commercial equipment is heavy, awkward, and expensive to damage. We have the crew size and the handling experience to move it without floor damage, wall scrapes, or doorframe problems.
Clear
Space left clean. Metal routed to scrap recycling. Signed job summary ready if your landlord or health department needs it.
Why commercial kitchen removal is more complicated
Most junk removal companies can haul a residential refrigerator. A commercial kitchen cleanout is a different category entirely.
Getting it right means doing it in the right order. Gas-connected equipment cannot legally be moved until a licensed plumber disconnects it. Commercial refrigeration requires a certified refrigerant recovery technician before any unit can be moved. Hood systems require an HVAC or fire suppression contractor first. Junk Nurse does not skip steps, and we do not move equipment that is not cleared for removal.
The coordination sequence
Gas lines, refrigerant, hood systems, and grease traps all require licensed contractors to handle before we can legally or safely move the equipment. We build our schedule around theirs.
Ranges, ovens, fryers, griddles, and steam equipment must have gas lines disconnected by a licensed plumber before we touch them. If you need a plumber referral in the Fox Valley, we can point you toward contractors we have worked with.
Walk-in coolers, reach-in units, bar refrigeration, and undercounter refrigerators all contain regulated refrigerants. Federal law requires a certified technician to recover them before any unit is moved. This is arranged by the property owner or operator, not by Junk Nurse. If you need a referral in the Fox Valley, we can point you toward certified contractors we have coordinated with.
Hood systems are structural: bolted to ceiling framing, connected to exhaust runs through the roof, and often integrated with fire suppression. Your HVAC or fire suppression contractor disconnects and removes the hood and exhaust components first. We haul the debris after.
Grease trap pumping and removal is a separate licensed service we do not perform. If the grease trap is part of your cleanout, you need a licensed grease trap contractor for that piece. We coordinate our arrival around their schedule.
Scheduling around your operation
A closed restaurant loses money every day it stays closed. We build our schedule around yours.
Once utilities are coordinated, we typically mobilize within 24 to 48 hours. Full kitchen cleanouts run one to two days depending on volume and access.
Staying open while clearing for renovation. We work early morning, overnight, or between service periods. We have started commercial kitchen removals at 2am and finished before 6am prep.
Replacing one piece of equipment and need the old one out first. We confirm gas disconnection status on the call, then come for just that item.
If the layout allows it, we clear one section while another stays in operation. Requires more coordination but works for the right spaces.
Equipment we've removed
A sample of what comes out of commercial kitchens and restaurants across the Fox Valley.
What it costs
Pricing depends on the volume of equipment, access conditions, and how many contractor disconnections are involved.
We quote on-site after a walkthrough, or give a preliminary range from photos and a call. The price we quote is the price you pay. We do not adjust at the door.
Certificate of insurance and a signed job summary listing what was removed and when. Let us know before the job and we will have it ready.
Common scenarios
Full removal. Everything goes. We coordinate with your landlord's timeline and leave the space broom-clean. Scrapping, recycling, and documentation handled.
The dining room stays open while the kitchen is redesigned. Old equipment out, new equipment in. We handle the outbound side and work around your installation contractors.
Old walk-in cooler being replaced. New unit arrives Tuesday. Once refrigerant recovery is handled by a certified tech, we haul the old unit so the installation crew has a clear space.
Lease is up and you are responsible for leaving the space empty. We handle the full clearing, including anything left by previous tenants.
Damaged commercial equipment needs to come out before restoration begins. We can often mobilize same-day or next-day for damage situations.
Common Questions
Can you work during off-hours to avoid disrupting service?
Yes. Early morning before the prep crew arrives, overnight between closes, or between service periods. We have started commercial kitchen removals at 2am and finished before 6am. Tell us your schedule and we will fit into it.
Who handles the gas line disconnection?
A licensed plumber must disconnect gas lines before we remove any gas-connected equipment. This is a legal requirement. If you already have a plumber scheduled, tell us the timing and we will build around it. If you need a referral in the Fox Valley, we can point you toward contractors we have coordinated with.
Do you handle commercial refrigerant recovery?
No. Section 608 of the federal Clean Air Act requires a certified technician to recover refrigerants before any commercial refrigeration unit is moved. That is arranged by you, not by us. We can point you toward certified contractors in the Fox Valley we have coordinated with, but the refrigerant recovery step happens before we arrive.
How long does a full restaurant cleanout take?
A full commercial kitchen cleanout typically runs one to two days depending on the volume of equipment, access conditions, and how many contractor disconnections are involved. Dining room clearing alone is usually a few hours.
Can you remove just one or two pieces of equipment?
Yes. Single-item commercial pickup is available. A stand-alone commercial refrigerator (once refrigerant is recovered), a prep table, a fryer that is already gas-disconnected: we can come for just that. We confirm the disconnection status on the call before booking.
What documentation can you provide after the job?
We can provide a certificate of insurance and a signed job summary listing what was removed and when. Let us know before the job and we will have it ready.
What happens to the equipment after removal?
Stainless steel equipment, commercial refrigeration, and metal components go to scrap recycling. Working equipment in usable condition may be donated or resold where practical. We do not landfill what has recyclable value.
Can you do a partial removal while the restaurant is still open?
If the layout allows it, yes. We have cleared sections of commercial kitchens while other sections stayed in operation. It requires more coordination but it is doable. Call us and we will walk through what works for your specific space.
We Serve Kane & DuPage County
Junk Nurse provides restaurant equipment removal throughout the Fox Valley and surrounding area.
Need Restaurant Equipment Removal?
Free quote. Firm price before we start. Mon–Sat, 7am–7pm.
(630) 294-1340 Real people helping real people.