The short answer
Start a month before the move. Put 2 cubic yards a week out for the City of Detroit's free bulk pickup (or use your suburb's program), sell and give away what you can, and book one pickup near the end for what is left. Flat prices: sofa $126, queen mattress and box spring set $143, dresser $126, or a truck-fill tier such as a half truck of about 8 cubic yards at $431. Same-day pickup is available when you book by 4 PM.
Four weeks out: use the curb
Detroit's bulk pickup has run weekly since June 3, 2024. Each week you can put out up to 2 cubic yards, about the size of two stoves, at the curb by 7 a.m., never in front of a vacant lot. Over four weeks that is up to 8 cubic yards for free, roughly what a half truck holds.
The catch is you have to carry it out, and you cannot go over the limit in any single week. Outlier Media reported in 2022 that exceeding it (2 cubic yards or 1,000 pounds) can bring a $1,500 fine.
Outside Detroit: Dearborn collects household bulk weekly next to the cart, with a fee-based special pickup for large or heavy items. Warren takes bulk next to the rubbish containers on trash day. Other cities, including the SOCRRA communities like Royal Oak and Ferndale, set their own rules. Check your city's page.
Three weeks out: sell and give away
List the good furniture, tools and appliances now, not the week before. Buyers need time, and the ones who come on moving day expect a discount.
Be specific about access in the listing. "Basement, narrow stairs, two people needed" saves a lot of wasted trips.
Two weeks out: the basement and the garage
In a Metro Detroit house these are where the real volume is. Detroit's median home was built in 1947, and basements are the default across the city and the postwar suburbs. Go through them before the movers' estimate, because everything in them is either moving with you at the mover's rate or needs to go.
Watch for things the city's curb will not take: tires, auto parts, fluids, concrete, brick, shingles, metal poles and pipes. Set those aside for the pickup. Paint is accepted on our list: $30 per gallon can. Bags of returnable cans from the garage are worth taking back to the store for Michigan's 10-cent deposit before you go.
The final week: one pickup
| Item or load | Flat price |
|---|---|
| Sofa / Couch | $126 |
| Mattress + Box Spring Set | $143 |
| Dresser (Standard) | $126 |
| Bookcase — Particleboard / Flat-pack | $100 |
| Refrigerator (Standard) | $164 |
| Moving Box | $31 |
| 1/4 truck (~4 cubic yards) | $241 |
| 1/2 truck (~8 cubic yards) | $431 |
| 3/4 truck (~12 cubic yards) | $587 |
A typical leftover set: the guest bed set, the old sofa and a flat-pack bookcase: $143 + $126 + $100 = $369. For a larger mix, the quote may come back as a truck-fill tier instead.
Three moves, priced
- Downsizing from a Livonia ranch to a condo. The curb handled the light pieces over three weeks. Left at the end: the basement sectional, a chest freezer and the workbench: $185 + $146 + $100 = $431.
- Selling a Corktown rowhouse. The stager wants the house half-empty before photos. A dining set for six and four chairs, plus an armchair: $163 + $45 + $45 + $45 + $45 + $77 = $420.
- Relocating out of a Novi subdivision. Movers are taking the good furniture; the garage and the basement storage room are full. Priced from photos, often a half truck at $431 or a 3/4 truck at $587.
Relocations and closings
A lot of Metro Detroit moves follow work: the auto companies in Dearborn, Warren and Auburn Hills, the universities, the Southfield office towers, the Army's Detroit Arsenal in Warren. Those moves come with fixed dates and a closing or lease end that does not move.
If the buyer's final walkthrough is the day before closing, book the pickup for two days before. That leaves a day to sweep. We run 7 days a week, 8am to midnight, with a 2-hour arrival window you pick.
If you are leaving the area and someone else is handling the house, the pickup can be priced from photos and done with a lockbox or a neighbor letting the crew in.
Season matters too. Spring, April to June, is when Metro Detroit houses go on the market and when moving companies and pickups book up fastest; give yourself extra days. Winter moves need a shoveled, salted path from the side door to the driveway.
Apartments and condos
Leaving a Downtown or Midtown building, a Lafayette Park unit or a Southfield apartment? Book the elevator first, then book the pickup into the same window. If management wants a certificate of insurance, it can be emailed within 1 hour. See apartment cleanout cost in Detroit. For everything else, get a price from a photo.
Frequently asked questions
How can I get rid of stuff before moving in Detroit?
Use the City of Detroit's weekly bulk pickup, up to 2 cubic yards a week, starting a few weeks early. Sell and give away what you can, then book one pickup for the rest.
How much does a move-out cleanout cost?
Items are priced individually, such as a sofa at $126 or a mattress set at $143, or by truck-fill tier, such as a half truck at $431.
Can you come the day before closing?
Yes. Book by 4 PM for same-day pickup, 7 days a week. Booking two days before closing leaves time to sweep.
Do I need to be there?
No. The price can be set from photos and access arranged with a lockbox or a neighbor.
Can you take moving boxes?
Yes. A moving box is $31 on the list, or a pile of boxes can be priced as a truck-fill tier.
Is there an extra charge for the basement?
No. Crews carry items out from any floor, basement included, at the list price.