Junk & Rubbish Removal in Edinburgh

Almost always by volume — the fraction of the truck or van your junk fills — plus surcharges for heavy materials (rubble, soil) and hard-to-dispose items (mattresses, fridges, tyres). Most companies have a minimum charge for a single-item pickup. Labour to carry items out is normally included; long carries, stairs and dismantling can add fees.

If you own or can borrow a suitable vehicle, self-hauling to a municipal transfer station is nearly always the cheapest option — many charge residents little or nothing for sorted household waste. Factor in vehicle hire, fuel, your time, and per-item fees for mattresses and fridges. For anything more than a car-boot load or two, a paid collection often wins on effort alone.

Not necessarily — if items are accessible (driveway, garage with code, curbside where legal), most companies collect unattended and send before/after photos with payment by card on file. For indoor clearances someone must be present to let the crew in and confirm what goes.

Yes — house clearances (post-tenancy, hoarding, bereavement) are a core service. Expect a site visit for quoting, a crew for a full day or more, and pricing by total volume plus any specialist items. Ask about their process for found valuables and documents, and whether they broom-sweep rooms after clearing; good firms do both as standard.

Yes — single-item pickup is the minimum-charge tier for most companies. Fridges and freezers cost extra because refrigerant must be removed at licensed facilities, and mattresses often carry a recycling fee. Check your local council or municipality first: many run cheap bulky-waste collections that beat private rates if you can wait a week or two.

Green waste (branches, hedge trimmings, grass) is usually accepted and often composted, but soil and turf are heavy-load items priced by weight like rubble. Some operators run cheaper green-waste-only rates because their disposal cost is lower — ask, rather than lumping garden waste into a general junk quote.

Most household clearances run £65-£495. Typical tiers: single item £40-£90, small van load £60-£140, half load £150-£280, full Luton van load £250-£460. Hourly two-person clearance work averages around £60-£80 per hour including disposal.

A 6-8 yard skip costs roughly £200-£340 per week plus a council permit (£15-£100+) if it sits on the road. Man-and-van clearance includes labour and only charges for the volume actually removed, so for part-loads or where you can't host a skip, it's usually the better deal; for heavy renovation waste you can self-load, skips win.