In short
- A basement job is priced like any load, with the stairs adding labour: one Ottawa firm says three flights can stretch a job to a half day.
- One Ottawa mover shows a full garage or small basement at about $560: three hours and around 600 kg.
- Load prices on Ottawa lists run from a $129–175 minimum to $695–719 for a full truck.
- Health Canada says to leave vermiculite insulation undisturbed and to test before renovating.
Typical prices in Ottawa
| Job | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum charge, small pickup | $129–175 | Two Ottawa firms’ published minimums |
| Quarter to half load | $265–529 | Two Ottawa firms’ lists, tax stated at one |
| Small room clear-out, 2 hours, about 250 kg | about $345 | One mover’s example at $150/h plus $180/t |
| Full garage or small basement, 3 hours, about 600 kg | about $560 | Same mover’s example |
| Full load | $695–719 | Two Ottawa firms’ lists |
Sources. Seen 29.10.2026: MIT Moving, junk removal Ottawa; Mighty Mouse, Ottawa pricing guide and home page (stairs, minimum $175, full $695); Junk Ninja, pricing; Junk That Funk, pricing ($129 minimum). Health: Health Canada, Health risks of asbestos; Ottawa Public Health, Bed bugs. Landfill: City of Ottawa, Rates for the Trail Waste Facility Landfill. The company that calls you sets its own price.
What a basement holds
A basement keeps what nobody wanted to decide about: old furniture, boxes, exercise gear, bikes, a second fridge or freezer, building leftovers and kids’ belongings. The job differs from a garage because the way out is a staircase. Haulers quote the load and the carry together.
A mover that bills by the hour shows a small room clear-out at two hours and about 250 kg, near $345, and a full garage or small basement at three hours and about 600 kg, near $560. Those are one firm’s examples at $150 an hour plus $180 a tonne at the scale. Load-based lists give $129–175 for the smallest pickup and $695–719 for a full truck, in the table above. Compare with the prices by truckload page.
Stairs are the price driver
Hours and crew size follow the stairs. One Ottawa firm sends three people for jobs over several floors, and says a two-load garage pickup of about two hours can become a half day or a full day with three flights. Photos of the stairs, including any turn, let the company count the carry before it quotes. A walk-out door or a window well changes the plan, so describe the exits.
Heavy items change the rate on dense loads. The same firm shifts from volume to weight for concrete, brick, tile, drywall and dirt, and gives no weight rate on its page. Ask for it.
Old insulation, tile and dust
Health Canada states that before 1990 asbestos was mainly used for insulating homes. It lists vermiculite insulation, insulation around hot water pipes and tanks, and floor and ceiling tiles among older materials that may contain it. Its advice is to avoid disturbing them, and to hire a professional to test before a renovation and a qualified specialist to remove what is found. A cleanout crew carries furniture and boxes. Opening walls or pulling old insulation belongs to a specialist. If you see these materials, say so in the request and leave them in place.
Bed bugs, damp and storage
Ottawa Public Health lists mattress seams, box springs, bed frames and headboards as hiding places. A basement guest bed that has sat for years belongs in the note to the company. Damp boxes and soaked carpets weigh more than they look, and mould is worth flagging as well. Both are facts the crew needs to know before it picks up the first bag. Mattress fees differ by firm: $35 on one list, $100 on another; see mattress disposal.
City rules and what goes where
A basement’s worth of boxes and furniture blows through the curb allowance of three items per fortnight in a single room. For the freezer in the corner, see appliance removal. Tires are free at the City landfill up to 10 a day. Paint and similar items belong on the list of items haulers cannot take.
When to book
Basements get cleared in spring, before a sale, before a renovation and at a move-out. A winter cleanout works if the path from the door to the truck is clear of snow and ice. If the basement is part of a bigger job, see move-out cleanout and garage cleanout.
Lines to see on the quote
- the share of the truck, or the hours and the disposal rate,
- stairs, crew size and the minimum charge,
- item fees for mattresses, paint, tires and freezers,
- whether tax is included,
- the condition you describe: damp, mould, pests, old materials.
Who you are dealing with
Basement photos travel from this desk to one independent hauler, and from then on that company runs the job. Its first questions will be about the stairs and anything damp or old; then comes the price and a day for the crew. Hold its numbers up against the examples on this page.
Questions to ask the company
- How many people carry, and what does a flight of stairs add to the price?
- Will you bill this basement by volume, by hours on site or by the scale weight?
- Which items change the rate: a freezer, a mattress, paint, a dehumidifier, bags of wet materials?
- If we find old insulation or tile that may contain asbestos, what do you do?
- Do you sweep the floor when the room is empty?
Have this ready for the call
- Photos of each room and of the stairs, including the width and the turn at the top or bottom
- The door the crew will use and where the truck can stop
- Which items stay: furnace area, shelving you keep, boxes labelled for family
- Anything damp, mouldy or from a past flood, written in the request
- Any fridge, freezer or mattress in the space, because those are priced as extra items
Questions people ask
Do I have to bring everything up before the crew arrives?
Hauler pages describe crews who lift from basements, garages and upper floors, so staging is optional. Say which items stay and which go. A path that is clear from the stairs to the door speeds up the carry and keeps the price closer to the estimate.
What if the basement has old insulation or tile?
Health Canada says vermiculite insulation may contain asbestos and should not be disturbed or removed by the homeowner. Older floor and ceiling tiles are listed too. Tell the company in the request if the material is exposed, and leave that part for a qualified specialist.
Can a hauler take items from a past flood?
Describe them honestly: soaked carpet, wet drywall and damp boxes weigh more and some firms price heavy materials by weight. Send photos so the company can say what share of the truck they fill and whether they take them.
Does a walk-out basement cost less than one with stairs?
It often saves time because the crew carries straight to the truck, and time is labour on hourly models. Hauler pages give no set discount for it. Mention a walk-out door or a ground-level exit in the request.
What is the City landfill rate if a company weighs the load?
Trail Road charges households $172.70 per tonne once a load passes 250 kg, and $43.20 for anything lighter, at 2026 rates. A load with recyclables mixed in costs double, $345.40 a tonne, which is one reason crews sort. A company that bills at the scale passes its own disposal cost on, so ask for the scale ticket.
