Junk Removal and Property Cleanout in California
A California cleanout is mostly a sorting job. More household items are banned from the container here than in any other state we work in.
This page covers what is specific to California. For container sizing, accepted and prohibited materials and how the rental works, see Junk Removal & Property Cleanout.
What California keeps out of the box
Televisions, monitors and other electronics are banned from landfill in California and go to e-waste recycling. So does universal waste, the category covering batteries, fluorescent tubes and CFLs, thermostats and anything with mercury in it. Paint has its own statewide take-back scheme through PaintCare, and mattresses have theirs through the state recycling programme, both of which are usually free to use and are cheaper than paying to tip them.
Add the ordinary exclusions - refrigerant appliances, tyres, propane cylinders, solvents, pool chemicals and motor oil - and a garage cleanout turns into four piles, not one. We will walk the list with you on the phone and tell you which piles have a free destination nearby, because that conversation is worth more than the container is.
Estates, evictions and hoarding cleanouts
A full property cleanout is volume rather than weight: furniture, mattresses, clothing, boxed paper, appliances and years of accumulation. A 20 or 30 yard container on the driveway for several days usually beats hourly truck crews, because the work runs in bursts as rooms are cleared and decisions are made.
Two California specifics matter on these jobs. Many cities franchise residential collection, so for a cleanout in those cities we check what the city permits before we commit to a date. And green waste from a yard clearance is usually a separate stream under the state's organics rules, so keeping branches and clippings out of the mixed box often saves money as well as arguments.
Where the container goes, and for how long
Driveway placement needs no permit and is the normal answer for a cleanout. Street placement needs an encroachment permit from the city, and in dense neighbourhoods in San Francisco, Los Angeles and the older Bay Area cities that can also mean releasing metered or permit parking first - worth starting a few days early.
On timing, a cleanout is the one job where a longer rental usually pays. Sorting, donation runs and family decisions do not finish in a weekend, and a container that sits for a week costs less than a second delivery. Tell us the realistic finish date and we will price the stay rather than the optimism.
Sizes we quote in California
Same containers statewide. The tonnage allowance behind them is set by the county facility that receives your load.
| Size | L × W × H | Included tons | Pickup loads | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 yard | 22′ × 8′ × 4.5′ | 3 - 4 | 6 - 8 | Roof tear-offs up to about 30 squares. Mid-size remodels. Garage cleanouts. |
| 30 yard | 22′ × 8′ × 6′ | 4 - 5 | 9 - 12 | Whole-home renovations, framing waste, mixed demolition debris. |
California questions
Can I put a mattress in the container?
Better not to. California runs a statewide mattress recycling programme with free drop-off points, which costs less than tipping it as bulky waste. We will tell you the nearest one.
Can I throw away a TV or old electronics?
Not in the box - electronics are banned from California landfill and have to go to e-waste recycling. The same applies to batteries, fluorescent tubes and anything containing mercury.
What about leftover paint?
Paint goes back through the state take-back scheme at participating retailers and drop-off sites, usually free. Liquid paint cannot go in a roll-off container.
What size container for a full house cleanout?
A 20 or 30 yard, kept for several days. Cleanout material is bulky rather than dense, so volume decides the size and the rental length matters more than people expect.
Other debris types in California
Where we deliver in California
All 1,598 cities and communities, in every one of the 58 counties.
Get this container on site in California
Tell us the ZIP and the volume. We will confirm the size, the weight allowance and the delivery day.