In short
- Nepean was a city until 2001; the name still covers a large part of the west end, with 186,593 people in 2021.
- Its urban growth began in the 1950s and 1960s in places like Centrepointe, after the township centre moved to Bells Corners.
- A house finished before 1990 may hide asbestos in tiles or insulation, per Health Canada; the City landfill turns it away.
- Ottawa haulers' lists: $129–175 minimum, $579 for a garage-size load on one list, $695–699 for a full truck.
Typical prices in Ottawa
| Job | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum charge | $129–175 | Two Ottawa firms’ published minimums; no Nepean rate listed |
| 3/5 truck | $579 + tax | One Ottawa firm’s list |
| Full truck | $695–699 | Two Ottawa firms’ flat prices |
| Tire | $10–25 each | $10 on one list; $15 without rim and $25 with rim on another |
| Appliance with refrigerant | +$30–50 | One Ottawa firm’s item fee |
Sources. Seen 29.10.2026: Junk That Funk, Ottawa junk removal pricing; Mighty Mouse Junk Removal; JunkPal, pricing. Area facts: Wikipedia, Nepean, Ontario. Asbestos: Health Canada, Asbestos and your health; City of Ottawa, Rates for the Trail Waste Facility Landfill. The company that calls you sets its own price.
What Nepean means today
From 1978 to the 2001 amalgamation Nepean ran as its own city. People still use the name for the west end between the inner city and Kanata. In 2021 about 186,593 people lived there. It lies on the west side of Ottawa from the Ottawa River down toward Barrhaven.
The old township took its name from Sir Evan Nepean, a British under-secretary of the 1780s. Its first town hall stood in Westboro. After the City of Ottawa annexed Westboro, the centre of Nepean moved to Bells Corners.
Houses from the 1950s onward
Urban growth in Nepean began in the 1950s and 1960s in places like Centrepointe, and in Barrhaven to the south. Neighbourhood names show it: Bells Corners, Carleton Heights, Fisher Heights, Parkwood Hills, Crestview, Manordale, Woodvale, Meadowlands, Craig Henry and Centrepointe.
Houses of that age have long histories. A house that a family has owned for decades often holds a full basement, a packed attic, a garage workbench and a backyard shed. Owners downsizing or heirs clearing a house tend to produce loads of ten years or more of accumulation at once.
Pre-1990 materials
Health Canada ties most household asbestos to buildings put up before 1990. Its list of suspect materials reads like a Nepean bungalow inventory: insulation, ceiling and floor tiles, plaster, siding, roofing, caulking, putty and paint. Attic vermiculite is the one people meet most during a clear-out.
Trail Road will not take asbestos, and a general hauler may refuse to touch it. If you spot old tiles lifting in the basement or grey-brown granules in the attic, say so in the request. Our hazardous waste guide covers the household items the City handles differently.
Pricing a Nepean load
Ottawa haulers sell space on the truck. On one firm’s list, three-fifths of the box costs $579 plus tax and the whole box $699. Another gives a full truck at $695, and a third lists $700–900 for a complete room or garage. Tires carry a fee of $10 on one list and $15 to $25 on another. A fridge or air conditioner with refrigerant adds $30–50 at one firm.
A clear-out of a whole bungalow can exceed one truck. Ask the company for a price per load and the number of loads it expects. For house-wide jobs, the estate cleanout page lists what to ask.
Storm and yard debris
The six tornadoes of September 2018 tore through Craig Henry, Arlington Woods and the business park on Colonnade Road. Storm debris today follows ordinary categories. Brush and yard waste under 20 cm in diameter costs $141.90 per tonne at the City landfill above 100 kg in 2026, and trees and stumps cost $314 per tonne above 250 kg. A collapsed fence or shed belongs on a hauler’s truck, and the shed and deck removal page explains that job.
Business parks and shops
Nepean also holds the Colonnade Road Business Park and the Merivale Road retail strip. The City landfill refuses commercial garbage, so a business clear-out goes to a hauler. See commercial junk removal.
Who you are dealing with
A Nepean form lands with one independent hauling company that covers the west end. Its dispatcher phones you, goes through the photos and gives the figure; its crew does the lifting. Ottawa Junk Desk only routes the request. For the next suburb south, see Barrhaven.
Questions to ask the company
- Is my part of Nepean inside your regular area, at your regular prices?
- The attic and basement have not been emptied in decades. Can you price by the truckload and tell me how many loads you expect?
- If I find old insulation or tiles during the clear-out, what do you do with them?
- Can furniture in good shape go to a charity before the rest goes to disposal?
- Can you come in two visits if I am still sorting?
Have this ready for the call
- Roughly when the house went up, and whether a renovation follows the clear-out.
- Photos of the attic hatch, the basement stairs, the garage and any shed.
- A list of heavy things: a freezer, a workbench, a piano, a pool table.
- Where the truck can stop: driveway width, street parking on your block.
- Which items you still want to keep, set aside and labelled.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between Nepean and Barrhaven for a junk pickup?
Barrhaven was part of the City of Nepean until 2001, and many people use Nepean for the whole south-west. For a hauler the difference is the address. Name your street and neighbourhood in the request and the company places it.
We are downsizing from a Nepean house. How do I plan the clear-out?
Walk each floor and mark what stays, what goes to family, what goes to charity and what is junk. Send photos of the junk room by room. The company can then say how many truck fractions it sees and whether a single visit covers it.
Where does storm-damaged fencing or a broken shed go?
Storm damage is sorted like other waste. Brush and trees go to the City landfill by weight, and the City charges $141.90 per tonne for brush under 20 cm. Fallen fencing, a broken shed or deck boards count as renovation-type debris, which a hauler loads and prices by the truck fraction.
Can a hauler remove old insulation I found in the attic?
Mention it before the visit. Loose, pebbly vermiculite is the kind Health Canada flags as possibly holding asbestos, and its advice is a professional test before anyone disturbs it. Trail Road landfill refuses asbestos, so a general junk crew may leave that part behind.
Do I need a permit to put a truck in front of my Nepean house?
A pickup truck parked at your curb falls under the Traffic and Parking By-law like any car, and the City’s encroachment page says parked contractor vehicles get no permit. The permit question comes up for a roll-off bin set in the roadway, which a pickup crew avoids.
