The short answer
The floor is $75 per visit. Above that everything is a published flat price, item by item, or a rung on the truck-fill ladder.
The most common Columbus bookings, in rough order: one sofa at $126, a mattress set at $143, a washer and dryer pair at $261, a garage at a quarter to a half load ($241 to $431), and a basement clearout at a half to a full load ($431 to $732).
None of those numbers move because of stairs, distance inside the metro, or same-day timing.
The per-item list people actually use
| Item | Flat price |
|---|---|
| Sofa / couch | $126 |
| Loveseat | $119 |
| Sectional (3-piece) | $185 |
| Recliner | $98 |
| Mattress, queen | $103 |
| Mattress + box spring set | $143 |
| Dresser (standard) | $126 |
| Desk (standard) | $83 |
| Dining table (6-8 seat) | $163 |
| Refrigerator (standard) | $164 |
| Washer / dryer | $133 / $128 |
| Treadmill | $115 |
| Hot tub / spa | $322 |
| Upright piano | $290 |
| Small / medium / large junk pile | $82 / $129 / $208 |
The truck-fill ladder, and where it wins
Quarter $241, three-eighths $338, half $431, five-eighths $513, three-quarters $587, seven-eighths $661, full $732.
The crossover is simple arithmetic. Itemize until your list passes the next rung, then switch. A Clintonville basement holding a sofa ($126), a dresser ($126), a bookshelf ($72) and a large pile ($208) is $126 + $126 + $72 + $208 = $532. That is past the half load at $431, so book the half load and save $101.
Going the other way, two items rarely beat a quarter load. A sofa and a loveseat is $126 + $119 = $245, which is above the quarter at $241, so on that one the ladder is marginally cheaper. A sofa alone at $126 is well under it, so itemize.
What a Columbus job looks like by neighborhood
The price does not vary by address. The typical job does.
- University District and Old North. Mid-August, whole rooms at once. Mattresses, cheap desks, particleboard shelving, a sofa somebody dragged onto the porch. Usually a half load at $431 or a full at $732 per house.
- Clintonville, Beechwold, Merion Village. Century homes, so basements. Loose volume plus one heavy thing: a chest freezer at $146 or a cast iron radiator at $123.
- German Village and Victorian Village. Small footprints, tight stairs, alley access. Usually itemized: a sofa, a piano, a bathtub.
- Upper Arlington, Bexley, Worthington. Estates and downsizing. Multiple loads.
- Dublin, Powell, Westerville, New Albany. Garages, basements, hot tubs and treadmills. Big spaces, easy access, larger loads.
- Grove City, Hilliard, Gahanna, Reynoldsburg. Ranches and split-levels, attached garages, a lot of quarter and half loads.
What drives the number up
Not what people expect. It is never the stairs and never the timing. It is three things.
Volume you did not count. The closet, the crawl space under the stairs, the shelf over the garage door. Every Columbus basement has a section behind the furnace that nobody included in the walkthrough.
Weight items. Cast iron radiators at $123 each, a cast iron bathtub at $185, concrete or masonry debris at $219 per quarter truck. Pre-war rehab in Italian Village or Franklinton produces all three.
Appliances. They are individually priced because they are individually handled. A kitchen with a fridge, a range and a dishwasher is $164 + $134 + $109 = $407 before you touch the cabinets.
What drives it down
- Sell or donate first. Central Ohio has an active secondhand market and a well-used furniture bank. Anything that leaves another way is not on the invoice.
- Book one visit, not three. The minimum is per visit. A sofa in March and a mattress in May is two minimums; both in March is one.
- Compare item total to the ladder every time. It takes thirty seconds and it is the single biggest saving on this page.
- Empty the freezer and drain the mower before the day. Not a price change, but it avoids the one thing that can stop a pickup.
What is in every price
- Two people and a truck.
- Carry-out from any floor, front, back, alley or drive.
- Loading. You lift nothing.
- Disposal, transfer and recycling.
- A broom sweep of the space cleared.
There is no stair charge, no walk-up fee, no fuel surcharge, no same-day surcharge and no charge for a long carry down an alley in Olde Towne East.
Three real-shaped totals
Downsizing a Worthington ranch. Sofa $126, recliner $98, dining table (6-8 seat) $163, four dining chairs at $45 each ($180), china hutch $160. That is $126 + $98 + $163 + $180 + $160 = $727. A full truckload is $732, so itemizing just wins.
Campus house, end of lease. Two queen mattress sets at $143 each ($286), a sofa $126, a large junk pile $208 = $620. Compare to a three-quarter load at $587 and take that.
Single item, Grove City. One standard refrigerator: $164. Done.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum charge for junk removal in Columbus?
$75 per visit. Most single items are priced above that already, so it mainly applies to very small jobs like a single $30 countertop microwave.
Is a truckload cheaper than paying per item?
Once your item list passes the next rung, yes. Quarter $241, half $431, full $732. Price both ways before booking and take the lower one.
Do prices change for the suburbs?
No. Dublin, Powell, Westerville, New Albany, Gahanna, Hilliard, Grove City, Reynoldsburg, Pickerington, Bexley and Upper Arlington are all on the standard route at the same published prices.
Is there a charge for basement stairs?
No. Carry-out from any floor is inside the flat price, which matters here because almost every older Columbus home has a full basement.
Do I get the price before anyone comes out?
Yes. You build the list, the total shows on screen, and you book. There is no estimate visit and no repricing in your driveway.