How to Start a Junk Removal Business

Whenever unwanted belongings cannot be thrown out in the normal trash, a junk removal service can help. People and businesses need help hauling away broken furniture, clearing out an attic full of trash, or even emptying an estate or foreclosure. The junk removal industry is competitive but growing, and you can start from scratch or buy into a franchise. If you’re up for the challenge, owning a junk removal business can be a profitable and rewarding adventure that involves not only hauling heavy garbage but also scouting local donation and recycling solutions.

Ready to turn your business idea into a reality? We recommend forming an LLC as it is the most affordable way to protect your personal assets. You can do this yourself or with our trusted partner for a small fee.

Northwest ($29 + State Fees)

DIY: How to Start an LLC

Start a junk removal business by following these 10 steps:

  1. Plan your Junk Removal Business
  2. Form your Junk Removal Business into a Legal Entity
  3. Register your Junk Removal Business for Taxes
  4. Open a Business Bank Account & Credit Card
  5. Set up Accounting for your Junk Removal Business
  6. Get the Necessary Permits & Licenses for your Junk Removal Business
  7. Get Junk Removal Business Insurance
  8. Define your Junk Removal Business Brand
  9. Create your Junk Removal Business Website
  10. Set up your Business Phone System

We have put together this simple guide to starting your junk removal business. These steps will ensure that your new business is well planned out, registered properly and legally compliant.

Exploring your options? Check out other small business ideas.

STEP 1: Plan your business

A clear plan is essential for success as an entrepreneur. It will help you map out the specifics of your business and discover some unknowns. A few important topics to consider are:

Luckily we have done a lot of this research for you.

What will you name your business?

Choosing the right name is important and challenging. If you don’t already have a name in mind, visit our How to Name a Business guide or get help brainstorming a name with our Junk Removal Business Name Generator

If you operate a sole proprietorship, you might want to operate under a business name other than your own name. Visit our DBA guide to learn more.

When registering a business name, we recommend researching your business name by checking:

  • Your state’s business records
  • Federal and state trademark records
  • Social media platforms
  • Web domain availability

It’s very important to secure your domain name before someone else does.

What are the costs involved in opening a junk removal business?

At a minimum, you can start up a junk removal business with these resources:

  • A truck or large van
  • Basic tools and cleaning supplies
  • Location for sorting


The first vehicle represents the biggest hurdle. You can use your own truck, a new or used vehicle, or a full commercial tractor-trailer. Other options include vehicle decals and logo wear to brand your business and project professionalism to customers.

What are the ongoing expenses for a junk removal business?

At a minimum, you can start up a junk removal business with these resources:

  • A truck or large van
  • Basic tools and cleaning supplies
  • Location for sorting

The first vehicle represents the biggest hurdle. You can use your own truck, a new or used vehicle, or a full commercial tractor-trailer. Other options include vehicle decals and logo wear to brand your business and project professionalism to customers.

Who is the target market?

Individuals and businesses are both frequent junk removal customers. Real estate and storage facilities are two industries with a particular need. Residential customers often include empty nesters and retirees looking to declutter.

How does a junk removal business make money?

Pricing typically centers around the volume of garbage removed, measured in cubic feet inside the truck. Other fees might apply to especially heavy items, certain dangerous materials, cleanup, and rush appointments.

How much can you charge customers?

For a single junk removal visit, homeowners most often spend between $139 to $373, according to HomeAdvisor. This often covers a load of junk consisting of a few pieces of furniture or appliances, or a small room full of garbage. With pricing based on junk volume, it can be more or less depending on the customer’s needs.

Junk removal business owners need accurate knowledge and data of all overhead, including:

  • Employee wages
  • Insurance (injury, liability, business auto, and more)
  • Landfill fees and other disposal costs
  • Fuel costs and auto payments
  • Office, marketing, and other expenses

In some cases, the junk removal business can benefit financially during the disposal process, such as by selling scrap metal or receiving tax deductions for donations.

The largest national franchisors offer “no hidden fees” pricing. The crew gives an estimate upon arriving at the site, and the customer decides whether to proceed.

More information about pricing models for junk removal businesses:

How much profit can a junk removal business make?

Each vehicle can average about one typical residential job per hour. Some jobs will take a long time, but those jobs will also bring in more revenue. Many junk removal businesses have a minimum charge of around $125 to make sure that expenses are covered for one hour of work. The size and density of your service area greatly affect driving time, which in turn affects your efficiency.

With enough demand and fast workers, a junk truck can bring in $500 to $1,500 per day, or about $500 for each truckload of junk. Many businesses start with one truck. Investing in a larger fleet greatly affects profitability.

How can you make your business more profitable?

Junk removal businesses can scale easily thanks to branding and fleet size increases. Add trucks with the company logo and employees to drive them, and the owner can scale as much as the market demands.

Completing more jobs in less time is the best and simplest way to maximize profits for your junk removal business. Strategizing your drivers’ routes, training employees to work quickly, and growing the fleet all help with booking more customers each day.

Want a more guided approach? Access TRUiC’s free Small Business Startup Guide – a step-by-step course for turning your business idea into reality. Get started today!

STEP 2: Form a legal entity

One crucial aspect that cannot be overlooked when starting your junk removal business is the importance of establishing a solid business foundation. While sole proprietorships and partnerships are the most common entity types for small businesses, they’re a far less stable and advantageous option than LLCs.

This is because unincorporated business structures (i.e., sole proprietorships and partnerships) expose you as an owner to personal liability for your business’s debts and legal actions, while LLCs protect you by keeping your personal assets separate from your business’s liabilities.

In practice, this means that if your junk removal business were to face a lawsuit or incur any debts, your savings, home, and other personal assets could not be used to cover these costs. On top of this, forming your business as an LLC also helps it to appear more legitimate and trustworthy.

More than 84% of our readers opt to collaborate with a professional LLC formation service to kickstart their venture. We’ve negotiated a tailored discount for our readers, bringing the total down to just $29.

FORM YOUR LLC

Note: If you’re interested in more information before getting started, we recommend having a look at our state-specific How to Start an LLC guide (DIY) or our in-depth Best LLC Services review (for those opting for a professional service).

STEP 3: Register for taxes

You will need to register for a variety of state and federal taxes before you can open for business.

In order to register for taxes you will need to apply for an EIN. It’s really easy and free!

You can acquire your EIN through the IRS website. If you would like to learn more about EINs, read our article, What is an EIN?

There are specific state taxes that might apply to your business. Learn more about state sales tax and franchise taxes in our state sales tax guides.

STEP 4: Open a business bank account & credit card

Using dedicated business banking and credit accounts is essential for personal asset protection.

When your personal and business accounts are mixed, your personal assets (your home, car, and other valuables) are at risk in the event your business is sued. In business law, this is referred to as piercing your corporate veil.

Open a business bank account

Besides being a requirement when applying for business loans, opening a business bank account:

  • Separates your personal assets from your company’s assets, which is necessary for personal asset protection.
  • Makes accounting and tax filing easier.

Recommended: Read our Best Banks for Small Business review to find the best national bank or credit union.

Get a business credit card

Getting a business credit card helps you:

Recommended: Apply for an easy approval business credit card from BILL and build your business credit quickly.

STEP 5: Set up business accounting

Recording your various expenses and sources of income is critical to understanding the financial performance of your business. Keeping accurate and detailed accounts also greatly simplifies your annual tax filing.

Make LLC accounting easy with our LLC Expenses Cheat Sheet.

STEP 6: Obtain necessary permits and licenses

Failure to acquire necessary permits and licenses can result in hefty fines, or even cause your business to be shut down.

State & Local Business Licensing Requirements

Certain state permits and licenses may be needed to operate a junk removal business. Learn more about licensing requirements in your state by visiting SBA’s reference to state licenses and permits.

Most businesses are required to collect sales tax on the goods or services they provide. To learn more about how sales tax will affect your business, read our article, Sales Tax for Small Businesses.

Service Agreement

Junk removal businesses should consider requiring clients to sign a service agreement before starting a new project. This agreement should clarify client expectations and minimize risk of legal disputes by setting out payment terms and conditions, service level expectations, and intellectual property ownership. Here is an example service agreement.

Recommended: Rocket Lawyer makes it easy to create a professional service agreement for your junk removal business when you sign up for their premium membership. For $39.95 per month, members receive access to hundreds of legal agreements and on call attorneys to get complimentary legal advice.

STEP 7: Get business insurance

Just as with licenses and permits, your business needs insurance in order to operate safely and lawfully. Business Insurance protects your company’s financial wellbeing in the event of a covered loss.

There are several types of insurance policies created for different types of businesses with different risks. If you’re unsure of the types of risks that your business may face, begin with General Liability Insurance. This is the most common coverage that small businesses need, so it’s a great place to start for your business.

Another notable insurance policy that many businesses need is Workers’ Compensation Insurance. If your business will have employees, it’s a good chance that your state will require you to carry Workers’ Compensation Coverage.

Find out what types of insurance your Junk Removal Business needs and how much it will cost you by reading our guide Business Insurance for Junk Removal Business.

STEP 8: Define your brand

Your brand is what your company stands for, as well as how your business is perceived by the public. A strong brand will help your business stand out from competitors.

If you already have a logo, you can also add it to a QR code with our Free QR Code Generator. Choose from 13 QR code types to create a code for your business cards and publications, or to help spread awareness for your new website.

How to promote & market a junk removal business

Customers need to know your name and trust you; therefore, quality branding and referrals are both key to marketing a junk removal business. Funny names and bright colors are popular and effective for direct advertising campaigns. A strong online presence also helps capture more local customers.

STEP 9: Create your business website

After defining your brand and creating your logo the next step is to create a website for your business.

While creating a website is an essential step, some may fear that it’s out of their reach because they don’t have any website-building experience. While this may have been a reasonable fear back in 2015, web technology has seen huge advancements in the past few years that makes the lives of small business owners much simpler.

Here are the main reasons why you shouldn’t delay building your website:

  • All legitimate businesses have websites – full stop. The size or industry of your business does not matter when it comes to getting your business online.
  • Social media accounts like Facebook pages or LinkedIn business profiles are not a replacement for a business website that you own.
  • Website builder tools like the GoDaddy Website Builder have made creating a basic website extremely simple. You don’t need to hire a web developer or designer to create a website that you can be proud of.

Recommended: Get started today using our recommended website builder or check out our review of the Best Website Builders.

Other popular website builders are: WordPressWIXWeeblySquarespace, and Shopify.

STEP 10: Set up your business phone system

Getting a phone set up for your business is one of the best ways to help keep your personal life and business life separate and private. That’s not the only benefit; it also helps you make your business more automated, gives your business legitimacy, and makes it easier for potential customers to find and contact you.

There are many services available to entrepreneurs who want to set up a business phone system. We’ve reviewed the top companies and rated them based on price, features, and ease of use. Check out our review of the Best Business Phone Systems 2024 to find the best phone service for your small business.

Recommended Business Phone Service: Phone.com

Phone.com is our top choice for small business phone numbers because of all the features it offers for small businesses and it’s fair pricing.

Is this Business Right For You?

Problem solvers, people persons, and those who like working with their hands can succeed and find joy in running a junk removal business. Running the show involves managing plenty of people and resources while sticking to a tight schedule.

Junk removal businesses operate by appointment, so taking days off can be up to the owner. Night and weekend appointments are not necessary but are often in demand and profitable.

Want to know if you are cut out to be an entrepreneur?

Take our Entrepreneurship Quiz to find out!

Entrepreneurship Quiz

What happens during a typical day at a junk removal business?

Scheduling pickups and finding the right drop-off points are the two major challenges for a junk removal business owner. Customers don’t want to be kept waiting for appointments, so punctuality is crucial. People also expect you to dispose of everything in relatively eco-friendly ways. The actual junk removal simply requires appropriate strength and a fleet of trucks.

What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful junk removal business?

Successful junk removal business owners typically exemplify these traits:

  • Knowledge of business planning and management, including the ability to assess overhead costs and weigh liability issues while determining a realistic pricing model that can compete in the local market.
  • The communication skills to work with a team of junk haulers who will be doing the bulk of the labor, which is sometimes extremely strenuous; the owner-manager needs to train and motivate these employees to provide excellent service and always be reliable.
  • Customer service skills are always necessary, as a junk removal business needs to build a strong reputation in the community, earn positive online reviews, and stand out from the crowd.

What is the growth potential for a junk removal business?

Junk removal businesses can easily scale up with more trucks and employees. Franchise owners are generally limited to service areas, so you may need to purchase additional areas. On that note, you could potentially franchise your own junk removal startup in the long run.

Take the Next Step

Find a business mentor

One of the greatest resources an entrepreneur can have is quality mentorship. As you start planning your business, connect with a free business resource near you to get the help you need.

Having a support network in place to turn to during tough times is a major factor of success for new business owners.

Learn from other business owners

Want to learn more about starting a business from entrepreneurs themselves? Visit Startup Savant’s startup founder series to gain entrepreneurial insights, lessons, and advice from founders themselves.

Resources to Help Women in Business

There are many resources out there specifically for women entrepreneurs. We’ve gathered necessary and useful information to help you succeed both professionally and personally:

  • Funding
  • Events
  • Guides
  • Support

If you’re a woman looking for some guidance in entrepreneurship, check out this great new series Women in Business created by the women of our partner Startup Savant.

Useful Links

Industry Opportunities

Real World Examples

Further Reading

Entrepreneur Interviews

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