| Load | Fraction of truck | Starting band | Your rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum charge (single item, small pile) | up to 1/8 | $100-200 | $ |
| Small load | up to 1/4 | $150-300 | $ |
| Half load | up to 1/2 | $396-600 | $ |
| Full load | full truck or trailer | $600-1,099 (independents near $800 for a full 7x14 trailer) | $ |
| Heavy debris (shingles, drywall, concrete, dirt) | by weight | disposal estimate x 2-3, plus labor |
Market anchors: most homeowners spend $150-350/job, roughly $1.50 per cubic foot; operators consider $250-400 per load reasonable in an average-income area. Sanity-check by calling three competitors as a customer and slotting yourself where your service justifies. Truck bed reference: a full-size bed holds roughly 2-3 cubic yards heaped.
| Item | Typical pattern | Your facility's rate |
|---|---|---|
| Mattress / box spring | $10-35 per piece | $ |
| Tires (passenger sizes) | a few dollars to $20 each | $ |
| CRT TVs | per inch of screen or flat fee ($1 per diagonal inch in one example) | $ |
| Refrigerant appliances | extra at most facilities; some waive for small counts | $ |
| Gate minimum per load | ~$12-35 | $ |
| Your facility's per-ton rate | national average $62.28/ton (2024) | $ |
"So this is about half my trailer. That's my half-load rate, three hundred fifty. The mattress is thirty extra at the transfer station, so disposal is a separate line at forty, and with the two tires we're looking at four hundred forty total, and I can take it today or Thursday morning. The trailer gets swept before I leave. Want me to send that as a text so you have it in writing?"
The whole quote: volume number, disposal pass-through named as its own line, surcharges by count, total, two scheduling options, written record. If the pile is bigger in person than the photos suggested, say so immediately and re-quote in the same breath. Photograph every pile before loading. Deposits on big jobs: anything over about $600, or estate-scale, card deposit when the date is booked. Payment at completion, on the spot; invoice only for commercial regulars.