How junk removal and demolition pricing works in Ottawa
When comparing Ottawa junk removal or light demolition quotes, the biggest difference between companies is what is included in the number they give you. Some companies quote a bare container drop-off fee and add weight, fuel, and environmental surcharges later; full-service crews price by trailer volume or project scope with labour and disposal built in.
1. Household & commercial junk removal: Priced by trailer volume
For furniture, appliances, mattresses, boxed clutter, electronics, yard brush, and light wood or drywall, pricing is based on how much space your items take up in our dump trailer:
| Trailer Volume Tier | Typical Equivalent in Pickup Truck Beds | Common Ottawa Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Single item / minimum load | Less than 1 pickup bed | One couch, one mattress and box spring, or a fridge |
| 1/4 trailer load | ~1.5 pickup truck beds | Small bedroom set, a few appliances, or a corner of basement clutter |
| 1/2 trailer load | ~3 pickup truck beds | One-car garage cleanout, small apartment move-out, or bath reno debris |
| 3/4 trailer load | ~4.5 pickup truck beds | Full basement cleanout, large deck tear-out, or multi-room furniture clearout |
| Full trailer load | ~6 pickup truck beds | Whole-home estate cleanout stage, packed double garage, or full kitchen gut |
Every volume tier includes:
- Two-person uniformed crew doing all the lifting and carrying from any room, basement, or yard
- Light disassembly (unbolting bed frames or taking feet off a sofa so it clears your doorway)
- Sorting for donation, scrap metal recycling, and electronic waste diversion where possible
- Transfer station or Trail Waste Facility (4475 Trail Road) tipping fees
- Broom-swept cleanup of the cleared space before the trailer leaves your driveway
2. Dense materials: Priced by weight and bed depth
Heavy inert materials cannot be loaded to the top of a trailer without exceeding highway axle limits, and Ottawa landfills bill them strictly by weight on the scale. We price these materials by weight and bed depth:
- Broken concrete slabs, walkways, steps, and foundation rubble
- Patio pavers, interlocking brick, and natural flagstone
- Masonry brick, chimney rubble, and mortar beds
- Asphalt roofing shingles
- Soil, sod, gravel, and sand
Keep heavy materials separate from general household junk if you can; mixing concrete or dirt into bags of household garbage makes the entire load harder to sort at the transfer station.
3. Residential demolition: Priced upfront by structure scope
When you hire Adel’s for shed removal, deck demolition, fence removal, hot tub removal, or kitchen and bathroom demolition, we quote the complete tear-down and haul-away together based on four factors:
- Dimensions & construction: A 10x12 wood-framed shed with asphalt shingles takes more cutting and weighs more than an 8x8 resin shed. A two-tier deck or a bathroom with a wire-mesh mortar bed takes more labour than a floating deck or drywall surround.
- Footings & slabs: Cutting posts flush at grade costs less than digging or jackhammering concrete sonotubes and slabs out of the ground.
- Access to the trailer: Backing the trailer directly up to a driveway shed is faster than wheelbarrowing debris 150 feet through a narrow 36-inch side gate.
- Total debris weight: All disposal fees are calculated into your upfront quote so you receive one flat invoice.
Want to know what your specific job will cost? Request a free upfront estimate below or text photos to 613-793-3143.
Frequently asked questions
Do I pay extra if my items are in the basement or upstairs?
Standard basement or second-floor carrying in an Ottawa house is included in your upfront volume quote. If a job involves a multi-floor walk-up apartment or unusually long carry distances from a rear alley or underground garage, we include that upfront before any work starts.
Why is concrete or roofing shingle debris priced differently from furniture?
Ottawa transfer stations and the Trail Waste Facility weigh every load on the scale, and road safety rules limit the axle weight of a trailer. Dense materials like broken concrete, brick, interlocking stone, dirt, and asphalt shingles reach the trailer's weight limit long before the walls are full, so they are priced by weight and bed depth rather than volume.
How do I get an accurate price before you arrive?
Text two or three photos of your items or structure to 613-793-3143 or upload them in our online estimator. We reply with an honest price range, and our crew confirms the exact total on site before lifting a single item.