Most junk removal cost guides start with the national numbers. The average job starts at about $250. A half truckload runs $200 to $400, and a full truck $600 to $800. What those guides rarely say is how little of that is the dump. If you own a pickup and have a free Saturday, taking it to the landfill yourself will almost always cost less.

Plenty of people assume a dumpster is the budget option. You rent the bin and fill it yourself, so there's no crew to pay. For a big renovation that can be true. For clearing out a garage, a basement or a parent's house in a day, it usually isn't.