The short answer
1-800-GOT-JUNK is a national franchise serving the Greater Detroit area. Its full-service jobs are priced by truck volume, with the quote given on site, and it offers a curbside Flex option. JunkRabbit publishes a flat price for every common item and each truck-fill tier, shown before booking from a photo or an item list, with carry-out from any floor, disposal included and a $100 order minimum. If knowing the number first matters to you, that is the difference.
Side by side
| Question | JunkRabbit |
|---|---|
| When do I see the price? | Before booking, from a photo or item list |
| Can it change? | Only if you approve it |
| Basement or upstairs? | Included, any floor, no stairs fee |
| Same-day? | Book by 4 PM |
| Hours | 7 days, 8am to midnight |
| Arrival | You pick a 2-hour window |
| Insurance | Vetted, insured local haulers; COI within 1 hour |
| Minimum | $100 order minimum |
For 1-800-GOT-JUNK's current details, check its Metro Detroit location page. Its published model is volume-based, quoted on site.
Why the pricing model matters in Detroit
Detroit's median home was built in 1947, and most city ZIP codes report 1939 or earlier. The junk in those houses is usually below grade, in a finished or half-finished basement, or in a detached garage off the alley. Those are the jobs where volume is hardest to guess and where access is hardest.
With an on-site quote, you find out at the door. With a flat list, you can price the basement sofa ($126), the chest freezer ($146) and the old dehumidifier ($77) at your kitchen table: $126 + $146 + $77 = $349.
It also matters for people who are not on site. Many Detroit-area cleanouts are arranged by an heir in another state, a landlord with several properties, or a property manager. A price from photos lets them book without someone standing at the door to receive a quote.
And it matters for budgeting a sale. Sellers clearing a house before listing photos in spring, or an executor splitting costs among siblings, can put an exact number in an email before anyone agrees to a date. A flat list makes the cleanout one more line item, not an open question.
Curbside versus carry-out
1-800-GOT-JUNK also has a curbside option that works on the idea that you put the items outside first. That suits a few light pieces already near the door.
In much of Metro Detroit, getting the item outside is the hard part: a sleeper sofa in a Dearborn basement, a chest freezer under the stairs in a St. Clair Shores bungalow, a dresser in the half-story bedroom of a Berkley house. Our prices assume the crew carries it out from wherever it is, any floor, with no stairs fee. Compare the option that matches where your things actually are.
Both beat the curb for some jobs
The City of Detroit's free weekly bulk pickup takes up to 2 cubic yards at the curb, out by 7 a.m., never in front of a vacant lot. It does not take tires, auto parts, fluids, concrete, brick, asphalt, shingles, metal poles and pipes, or tree trunks. It does not come inside.
Any full-service hauler, us included, earns its keep on the jobs the curb cannot do: over 2 cubic yards, below grade, heavy, excluded, or today.
Our flat prices
| Item or load | Flat price |
|---|---|
| Sofa / Couch | $126 |
| Mattress — Queen | $103 |
| Refrigerator (Standard) | $164 |
| Washer | $133 |
| Tires (set of 4) | $87 |
| Hot Tub / Spa | $390 |
| 1/4 truck (~4 cubic yards) | $241 |
| 1/2 truck (~8 cubic yards) | $431 |
| 3/4 truck (~12 cubic yards) | $587 |
| Full truck (~16 cubic yards) | $732 |
Four Detroit jobs, priced from the list
- Midtown one-bedroom move-out: sofa, queen mattress and a standard dresser from a walk-up: $126 + $103 + $126 = $355.
- Warren basement laundry: washer and dryer carried up: $133 + $128 = $261.
- Sterling Heights garage: a set of tires and a quarter truck of boxes and lawn gear: $87 + $241 = $328.
- Grosse Pointe downsizing: priced by truck tier from room photos, for example a 3/4 truck at $587 plus an upright piano at $364: $587 + $364 = $951.
To compare, ask any other hauler for a price on the same list of items, carried out from the same rooms.
Where the job goes
Michigan's dumping law holds an employer liable when dumping is done at its direction or with its knowledge, and Detroit's own fines, per Outlier Media's 2022 reporting, start at $200. Any established hauler, ours included, pays for disposal. We recycle whatever we can, route electronics to recyclers, and try to donate usable items when local charities accept them.
How to decide
- Get our price from a photo. It takes a few minutes.
- If you are also getting an on-site quote, compare like for like: same items, carry-out included, disposal included.
- Ask both about insurance and a certificate of insurance if your building needs one.
- Pick the one you are comfortable with.
Start with a photo quote. For more options, see 1-800-GOT-JUNK alternatives in Detroit and how to pick a junk hauler.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between JunkRabbit and 1-800-GOT-JUNK?
1-800-GOT-JUNK prices full-service jobs by truck volume on site. JunkRabbit publishes flat item and truck-fill prices that you see before booking. Both carry insurance and handle disposal; the main difference is when you learn the number.
How do I check whether you cover my address?
Enter your address when you get a quote online. You will see the price before you book. JunkRabbit Detroit covers the city plus Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties, from Downriver to Troy and the Grosse Pointes.
Do you charge extra for basements?
No. Carry-out from any floor is included, with no stairs fee. That includes narrow basement stairs that turn into a kitchen, which are common in Detroit houses built before 1950.
What is your minimum?
The order minimum is $100. Orders under that are billed at $100, so it makes sense to combine a small item with the next thing you were planning to get rid of.
Are your haulers insured?
Yes. Vetted, insured local haulers, with a COI emailed within 1 hour for buildings. Downtown, Midtown and Lafayette Park buildings usually ask for one before the elevator can be booked.
Can I book without anyone being home for a quote?
Yes. The price comes from photos or an item list, so you can book and arrange access without an on-site visit. A neighbor, a realtor or a lockbox can let the crew in.