In short
- Single-item pickups start at $135 plus tax on one Ottawa list, $139 before tax on another.
- A mattress or box spring carries its own fee: $35 at one firm, $100 at another.
- Appliances with refrigerant add $30–$50 on one firm's list, and the City wants the refrigerant drawn off and the unit tagged before disposal.
- Paint, propane, tires and batteries are billed per piece, from $5 to $25.
- One Ottawa firm bills by the hour and the scale ticket in place of truck share: about $310 for a single couch or mattress at the curb.
Typical prices in Ottawa
| Job | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Single item | $135 plus tax | One Ottawa firm’s list; another firm prints $139 before tax |
| Couch or mattress in a small load | $245 plus tax | One firm places a couch, a mattress or a large appliance in its 1/8 truck tier |
| Single couch or mattress, curbside | about $310 | A third firm’s hourly example: 2 hours at $150 plus about 50 kg of disposal, before tax |
| Mattress or box spring fee | $35 or $100 | Per piece; two Ottawa firms’ lists differ |
| Appliance with refrigerant | $30–$50 | One firm’s item fee, on top of the load price |
| Tire | $10–$25 | $10 at one firm; $15 without rim, $25 with rim at another |
| Paint can · propane tank | $5–$10 · $15–$25 | Per piece, two lists |
Sources. Seen 29.10.2026. Hauler lists: Junk Gods, Ottawa pricing; Junk Ninja, Ottawa pricing; Junk That Funk, Ottawa pricing; Mighty Mouse, Ottawa pricing guide; JunkPal, pricing (estimated ranges and item fee table); Men In Trucks Moving, junk removal Ottawa (hourly and weight example, before tax). Rules: City of Ottawa, Special items and Rates for the Trail Waste Facility Landfill.
Why one couch can have three prices
Ottawa haulers count in different ways. Most sell space in the truck, a fraction from one eighth to a full load. A few sell a single-item rate. One firm bills the hours on the clock plus the weight on the scale ticket. The same sofa lands at $135 plus tax on one list, in a $245 tier on another and at about $310 in an hourly example.
A number means something only next to the unit it counts. For the whole-load view by share, see prices by truckload and the junk removal cost guide. This page starts from the item and asks what it adds.
Furniture: couch, bed frame, dresser, table
Furniture is the easy case. One firm’s chart places a couch, a mattress or a large appliance in its 1/8 truck tier, $245 plus tax. A second firm’s half-load range of $300–$450 covers three to five pieces such as a couch, a mattress and a dresser. A third firm quotes about $310 for one couch or mattress at the curb because its two-hour minimum is $300.
The work around the piece moves the number: a sectional to take apart, a dresser on the fourth floor, a tight hallway. One firm builds stairs and elevator access into the quote, another says they are already in the clock. Ask how the company that calls prices it. Details for the sofa itself are on the couch removal page, and the wider job is on furniture removal.
Mattresses and box springs
The mattress fee differs most between lists: $35 per piece at one Ottawa firm, $100 at another, and a recycling levy passed through at cost by a third. On four pieces that gap is $260 before tax. The mattress disposal page covers the curbside rule.
Appliances: fridge, freezer, air conditioner
Ottawa’s curbside service skips appliances altogether. For refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners and dehumidifiers the City adds a second rule: a qualified technician empties the cooling system and tags the unit, and a landfill turns away any unit without the tag. That explains the fee. One firm lists $30–$50 for an appliance with refrigerant and says the unit must be tagged and drained by a qualified technician. The appliance removal page and the fridge and freezer page go through the visit.
Small items that carry a fee
Some pieces cost more to dispose of than the space they take. The lists we read price them per piece:
- Paint: $5 a can at one firm, $10 a can and $25 a 5-gallon pail at another.
- Propane tank: $25 at one firm, $15–$20 for a barbecue size at another.
- Tires: $10 at one firm; $15 without a rim and $25 with a rim at another.
What a hauler will and will not carry is set out on what haulers take, and the rules for paint and propane are on the hazardous waste page.
Heavy and dense pieces
One firm’s chart says dense material such as concrete, brick or tile moves pricing from volume to weight. A single treadmill or hot tub is a specialty quote: the company sees the photo and the floor first, then names a price.
Who prices your list
Ottawa Junk Desk takes your list and photos and passes them to one independent local company, which calls with a price. Ask the company to write the load share, each item fee and the tax treatment on separate lines, so any other quote can sit beside it.
Questions to ask the company
- Is the price for my item a share of the truck, a flat item price, or hours plus weight?
- Does the mattress, tire or refrigerant fee come on top of that price, and how much is it per piece?
- If I add one more item on the day, what does it cost?
- Are the stairs or a long carry already in the quote?
- Is the quote before or after HST?
Have this ready for the call
- One photo per piece, plus one wide shot of where everything sits.
- A count of mattresses, box springs, tires, paint cans, propane tanks and appliances.
- The floor each item is on and whether there is an elevator or a staircase.
- Appliance make and size, and whether the fridge is still plugged in.
- Hallways cleared to the exit, and the building's move-out rules if you live in a condo.
Questions people ask
Is it cheaper to put one couch out for the City?
A couch counts as one of the three garbage items the City collects every two weeks, so it can go to the curb at no extra charge if you have curbside service and a free slot. A hauler comes into the house and carries it out. Prices run from about $135 for a single item on a published list.
Why do two firms quote different amounts for the same sofa?
They price in different units. One firm sells a share of the truck, another a flat single-item rate, a third the hours on the clock plus the weight at the scale. A $245 tier, a $135 single item and a $310 hourly example can all be honest figures for one couch.
What does a hauler charge for a washer, dryer or stove?
The lists we read price these inside the load. One firm puts large appliances in its 1/8 truck tier at $245 plus tax. The City does not collect appliances at the curb. Washers, dryers and stoves have no refrigerant, so the refrigerant fee should not apply; ask the company on the call.
Does a heavy item like a piano or treadmill cost more?
Usually, yes. One Ottawa firm lists pool tables, treadmills, gym equipment and hot tubs as specialty items priced separately because of weight, size or disposal handling. The company that calls will usually want a photo and the floor number before it names a price.
Do the fees apply if the mattress or fridge is empty and clean?
The item fee is per piece, whatever its condition. A mattress fee covers disposal at a recycling facility, a refrigerant fee covers removal by a qualified technician. Cleaning changes neither. Ask whether the firm donates pieces that are still usable.
