In short
- If collection day falls before the hand-over, the curb takes three items; a sofa or mattress is one, out by 7 am.
- The City does not collect fridges, stoves, dryers or dishwashers at the curb.
- One Ottawa firm's list: $135 for a single item, $365 for a quarter truck, $985 for a full one (plus tax).
- Movers' cardboard is refused at Trail Road; it belongs in the fibres bin, which has no limit.
Typical prices in Ottawa
| Job | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Single item | $135 to $139 | Two Ottawa firms’ lists, tax extra at both |
| Quarter truck: a small room's leftovers | $265 to $365 | Four Ottawa firms’ lists; one calls it a small room cleanout |
| Half truck | $425 to $645 | Four Ottawa firms’ lists |
| Full truck: a whole home's leftovers | $695 to $985 | Four Ottawa firms’ lists; one firm names a full house cleanout for its full truck |
| Landfill, residential garbage | $172.70 per tonne | City of Ottawa 2026, above 250 kg; $43.20 minimum under 250 kg |
Sources. Seen 29.10.2026. Hauler lists: Junk Ninja, pricing (tax not included); Junk Gods, pricing (plus tax; typical loads named per size); Take It Away Junk Removal; Mighty Mouse Junk Removal, pricing guide (stairs built into the quote). City of Ottawa: Curbside garbage collection; Special items; Household hazardous waste; Rates for the Trail Waste Facility Landfill. The company that calls you sets its own price.
What is left once the movers go
Movers load what you are taking. Everything else stays: the sofa that will not fit the new place, a bed frame, a bookcase, boxes of paper, a barbecue, the pile in the locker. A move-out cleanout is a single pickup of that remainder, timed to the day the unit has to be empty.
The request needs four facts: the address, the date and hand-over time, what is left, and how you reach the door (stairs, lift, long carry). The hauler uses them to choose a crew and a truck size.
What the City takes, and what it does not
Before booking, count what the curb can handle. A house gets three garbage items per collection, and a 140-litre bag counts the same as a sofa. If your collection day lands a day or two before the move, a few pieces can go out by 7 am that morning; the rest waits for the truck.
Fridges, freezers, stoves, dryers, dishwashers, air conditioners, hot water tanks and furnaces stay off the City’s curb pickup. Any appliance that cools has to be emptied of refrigerant and tagged by a technician before a landfill takes it. Construction waste, such as drywall or lumber from a quick fix-up, is also outside the garbage. A hauler takes these in the same load as the furniture. Appliance jobs have their own page: appliance removal.
For furniture with a use left, see donating furniture. Rules for the curb are on Ottawa bulky item rules.
How haulers price a move-out load
Ottawa haulers publish prices by the share of the truck the pile fills. On four lists opened for this page, a single item runs $135 to $139, a quarter truck $265 to $365, a half truck $425 to $645 and a full truck $695 to $985. One firm names a full-house cleanout for its full truck and a small apartment for its three-quarter truck. Tax is extra on two of the lists and not stated on the others. The full table sits on prices by truckload, and the item fees are on the cost guide.
One firm builds stairs and elevator access into the quote with no per-step fee, and says a three-flight carry can stretch a job from two hours to a half day. For a walk-up apartment, ask whether the stairs are in the number.
Hand-over day and the schedule
A rental has a clock: the lease end, the walk-through, a condo’s lift booking. Give the company the hand-over time in the first message. Write any building rules for move hours in the request.
Fees, tires, paint and propane
A pile that looks like furniture often hides small hazards. Paint, propane cylinders, tires and mattresses carry per-item fees on Ottawa lists. One firm prints $5 a paint can, $25 a propane tank and $100 for a mattress or box spring; another prints a $35 mattress fee. The numbers differ, so count these items and write the count in the request. Paint also has an official route: one City hazardous waste drop-off is left on the 2026 calendar, November 7 at the Westbrook Snow Dump.
Boxes and packing paper
A move leaves a wall of cardboard. Trail Road refuses cardboard, glass, plastic and metal packaging, and the City sends boxes to the fibres bin, which has no item limit. Flatten them and fill the bin before the hauler comes, and ask the company on the call whether it takes the overflow or leaves it. A load of mixed garbage and recyclables costs a hauler double at the scale, so sorting can lower the quote.
Who comes to the door
The crew at your door belongs to the one independent hauler that received your move-out request from us. Its dispatcher looks at the photos, quotes, and fixes a time against your hand-over hour. Ottawa Junk Desk sends nobody and quotes nothing. Compare the quote against the ranges above and check that it states tax, stairs, item fees and the hand-over time.
Questions to ask the company
- Can the crew come after the movers leave and before my key hand-over time, and what window do you give me?
- Is my price by the share of the truck or by the hour, and which stairs or carries are inside it?
- Which of my items carry a fee: mattress, paint, propane, tires, an appliance with refrigerant?
- Do you sweep the unit after the load goes out?
- What do you need to see before you name a final number?
Have this ready for the call
- The move-out date, the hand-over time on your lease or sale, and the floor and lift situation
- Photos of every room and the garage or locker, with a door or a person for scale
- A count of mattresses, fridges, stoves, tires, paint cans and propane tanks
- Parking for the truck near the door, or the building's loading dock booking
Questions people ask
How late can I book a pickup before my landlord's inspection?
Ask the company for a window as early as the request, and give the exact hand-over time. The earlier the date is on the request, the more options the hauler has. The company that calls you confirms what it can do; this site does not promise a time.
My building has a service lift and a booking system. Does that change anything?
Many condo and apartment buildings ask you to reserve the lift or loading dock for moves. Book it for the hauler’s slot and put the building’s rules in the request, such as hours and a deposit.
What happens to the things I leave in the unit if they are still good?
The City’s page on large items points to its Waste Explorer for reuse and recycle options. Say in the request which pieces are in good shape, so the company can plan for it.
Can I set a bag of kitchen leftovers and a broken chair out for garbage pickup instead?
Within the limit, yes, if collection day comes before you leave. The bag is one item and the chair is another, which leaves one slot. The fourth piece, and anything the curb refuses, goes on a hauler’s truck.
Do I pay for a pickup if the unit is already empty?
Each firm sets its own rule for a wasted trip. Ask before the visit, and tell the company as soon as plans change. A written quote should say what happens if the load is smaller or bigger on the day.
