What Providence residents actually pay for junk removal

The short answer

Most Providence junk removal jobs fall into a few patterns. One small item bills at the $100 minimum. Two or three pieces of furniture usually come to a couple of hundred dollars, such as a sofa and queen mattress at $126 + $103 = $229. A basement, garage or room cleanout is typically a quarter truck at $241 or half a truck at $431. A full furnished apartment is often a full truck at $732.

What goes into the number

Every price on the JunkRabbit list already includes the parts of the job that cost the most in Providence: the carry from inside the home, the stairs, the loading and the disposal. A sofa from a third-floor triple-decker in Olneyville costs the same $126 as one from a ground-floor ranch in Warwick.

That is different from approaches where a price is estimated on site, or where a curbside price assumes you have already moved everything outside. With a flat list, the number you see before booking is the number you pay, and it only changes if you approve a change.

What moves the total is what you have, not where it is. More items, heavier items, or a bigger pile mean a higher number. The floor, the stair width and the parking situation do not.

Single items: the $100 minimum

The minimum order is $100. Many common single items list below that: a TV at $68, a coffee table at $67, a window AC at $87, a twin mattress at $82. On their own, each bills at $100.

Items that list at or above $100 are charged at their price: a queen mattress $103, a sofa $126, a refrigerator $164, a washer $133.

If you have one small item, it is worth looking around for a second. A TV and a coffee table are $68 + $67 = $135. A twin mattress and a nightstand are $82 + $57 = $139. If it is truly just one small thing and you can get it to the curb, Providence's free bulky pickup or e-waste appointment may be the better route.

Two to five items

This is the most common type of job in a city with a lot of rentals and move-outs. Some typical combinations:

• Sofa and queen mattress: $126 + $103 = $229
• Queen set and dresser: $143 + $126 = $269
• Washer and dryer from a shared basement: $133 + $128 = $261
• Sofa, loveseat and coffee table: $126 + $119 + $67 = $312
• Refrigerator, gas range and dishwasher: $164 + $137 + $109 = $410

Once a list grows past about five or six pieces, compare it with a truck-fill tier. The quote shows both, and a quarter truck at $241 often covers what would otherwise be a long list of smaller items.

Student move-out totals

Providence has an unusual number of students for its size, with Brown and RISD on College Hill, Providence College in Elmhurst, and Johnson & Wales Downtown. Every mid-May, thousands of off-campus apartments empty at once, and the totals follow a pattern.

• A single room: twin mattress, standard desk and a mini fridge, $82 + $83 + $115 = $280.
• A shared living room: futon, bookshelf and a floor lamp, $111 + $72 + $36 = $219.
• A desk setup: office chair, monitor and a small TV, $61 + $58 + $62 = $181.

When several roommates book together, the combined list often fits a truck tier. A three-bedroom in Fox Point with three beds, desks and a living room is often around half a truck at $431, which works out to a few hundred dollars less than pricing every piece. Book a few days ahead in May; same-day pickup is available when you book by 4 PM, but the move-out week is busy.

Rooms, basements and garages

Providence homes nearly all have basements, and they fill up. A typical triple-decker basement shared by three units collects old furniture, bikes, boxes, a dead dehumidifier and whatever the last tenants left. Garages in Cranston, Warwick and North Providence do the same with tools, lawn equipment and holiday decorations.

These jobs are priced by truck fill:

A one-car garage of mixed items is often around a quarter truck. A packed basement is often a half.

Heavy items from old houses

The age of the housing stock shows up in the bill. Houses on the East Side, in Edgewood and across the Blackstone Valley were built with cast iron and solid wood, and those pieces have their own list prices because they take more effort to move.

• Two cast iron radiators after a heating conversion: $123 + $123 = $246.
• A cast iron bathtub and a detached toilet from a bathroom gut: $185 + $64 = $249.
• An upright piano from a parlor: $364.
• An empty oil tank left in the basement after a conversion: $461.

None of these carries a stairs fee, even when the radiator is on the third floor or the oil tank is at the bottom of a cellar stair. The list price is the total.

Full apartments and houses

A full furnished one-bedroom often lands between a half and three-quarters of a truck. A two- or three-bedroom apartment, typical of a triple-decker floor, is often a full truck at $732.

Estates and whole houses can need more than one load. Each load is priced the same way. A full truck plus half a truck is $732 + $431 = $1,163. Two full trucks are $732 + $732 = $1,464.

Landlords turning over units in Elmwood, South Providence, Pawtucket or Central Falls often book the same tier for similar units. Property managers can set up an account covering several properties so turnovers are booked the same way each time.

Things that do not change the price

• Stairs. There is no stairs fee, from a basement to a third floor.
• Same day. There is no same-day surcharge. Same-day pickup is available when you book by 4 PM.
• Building paperwork. A certificate of insurance for the building is emailed within one hour of booking.
• Time of day. Crews work seven days a week from 8am to midnight, at the same prices.
• Town. Providence, Newport, Fall River and Putnam all use the same list.

For the full list of item prices, see the Providence junk removal price list.

Frequently asked questions