Estate cleanout and junk removal in Austin: cost, city pickup, and who to call

Updated November 2026. Cited to City of Austin, Travis County, Texas law, TCEQ, IRS and published price guides.

Short answer: junk removal is priced mostly by volume, and national figures put a typical job at $150 to $600 and a full truckload at $450 to $650, so a whole-house estate cleanout usually costs more than one load.^[15] For a full house, call a cleanout or junk removal company that holds a City of Austin private waste hauler license; for a few big pieces, Austin Resource Recovery will collect furniture, appliances and other bulk items at the curb by appointment up to three times a year, covered by the base fee on your city utility bill, but not household trash, boxes, mirrors, construction debris or hazardous materials.^[7][1][2]

Compare local crews and send one free request on our Austin estate cleanout and junk removal page.

What estate cleanout and junk removal cost

We looked for an Austin or Texas price survey that we could read in full and that showed a date, and did not find one. The figures below are national, from Fixr's junk removal guide updated January 31, 2025, and include labor.^[15] Austin quotes may be higher or lower.

Published estimates, not quotes from crews listed on this site.^[15]

Estate cleanouts add sorting, donation runs and a final sweep, so many crews quote after a walkthrough. See property cleanout cost and estate cleanout vs junk removal.

What the City of Austin will haul at the curb

Austin Resource Recovery runs bulk collection by appointment for residential customers, including single-family homes up to fourplexes in Austin and homes in certain Limited Districts. Each address can book up to three collections of each service per calendar year, through the Austin Recycles app, online, or by calling 3-1-1 (512-974-2000). Nothing is picked up without an appointment.^[1] The monthly base fee, listed at $24.90, pays for bulk, brush, recycling, composting and household hazardous waste collection.^[2]

Lists from Austin Resource Recovery.^[1]

Set items at the curb by 5:30 a.m. on the appointment day, in three piles (metal and rigid plastics, non-metal items, tires), at least 5 feet from carts, mailboxes and parked cars. Do not bag or box anything: bagged items are treated as extra trash and may cost extra.^[1]

The city also collects clothing and linens by appointment, up to two 13-gallon bags.^[1] Apartment buildings larger than a fourplex are not covered by these curbside programs, so plan on a private crew or the drop-off center.

Paint, chemicals and electronics: the Recycle and Reuse Drop-off Center

Garages and sheds in an estate often hold old paint, pesticides, pool chemicals, motor oil and batteries. Do not put these in the trash or a crew's truck without asking how they will be handled. The city's Recycle and Reuse Drop-off Center at 2514 Business Center Drive (78744, 512-974-4343) is open by appointment only.^[4] It is free for Austin and Travis County residents except tires, which are $6 each, and non-residents pay fees. It accepts household hazardous waste, electronics and appliances (computers, TVs, washers, dryers, stoves, water heaters and more), scrap metal and other recyclables. It does not accept furniture, mattresses, toilets, packing peanuts or non-recyclable trash, and brush goes to Hornsby Bend instead.^[3]

Bring hazardous products in original containers of 5 gallons or less, unmixed and not in trash bags.^[3] Curbside customers can instead book a hazardous waste pickup, up to 30 gallons per collection.^[1]

Donating and reusing what is left

Austin Resource Recovery points residents to the Austin Reuse Directory (AustinReuseDirectory.com), which lists shops that take donations and businesses that resell or repair used goods.^[5] The drop-off center's Reuse Store gives away usable items for free.^[3]

If the estate plans to deduct donations, keep an itemized list and receipts. IRS Publication 561 says used clothing and household items must be in good used condition or better to be deductible, and a claim of more than $5,000 for one item or a group of similar items generally needs a qualified appraisal.^[6] Ask any crew you hire whether it donates usable items and gives receipts. Our estate cleanout vs estate sale vs donation guide compares the options.

Estate cleanouts and Travis County probate

Before anything leaves the house, make sure the person hiring the crew has the right to decide. In Texas, the person managing an estate is the executor if there was a will and the administrator if there was not. The probate court's Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration are what give that person authority to collect estate assets and transfer titles. A will generally must be filed for probate within four years of the death.^[10]

• Independent administration is lightly supervised. The representative notifies creditors and beneficiaries and files an inventory (or an affidavit in lieu of inventory) within 90 days. It can be requested in the will or ordered if all beneficiaries agree.^[10]
• Dependent administration (for example, no valid will or beneficiaries who do not agree) is judge-controlled: a bond is required and almost every action needs a court order, so ask the attorney before selling or discarding property.^[10]
• Small estate affidavit: available only if the person died without a will, the property is worth no more than $75,000 (not counting the homestead, exempt property and non-probate assets), assets exceed debts, all heirs sign, and no representative has been appointed or applied for. It is filed with the court, usually in the county where the person lived, and not every county holds a hearing. TexasLawHelp says the filing fee is typically a few hundred dollars, so confirm the amount with the clerk.^[11]

For Austin residents, Travis County Probate Court No. 1 and No. 2 are at 200 W. 8th St. (second and fourth floors), and the court posts forms and a list of legal resources.^[12] The County Clerk's Probate Division issues letters testamentary and other filings and can be reached at (512) 854-9188.^[13] More state-by-state detail is in probate basics by state.

If the person rented. Under Texas Property Code section 92.014, when a sole tenant dies, the landlord may remove and store the belongings, must release them to the tenant's designated contact or another lawful claimant who asks before they are discarded, and may require a signed inventory. The landlord may discard them only after mailing a certified-mail request for removal and waiting 30 days past the postmark with no claim. A written lease can set a different procedure, so read it and call the landlord early.^[14]

How to choose an Austin cleanout company

• City hauler license. Anyone hauling waste or recycling in Austin for a fee needs a private waste hauler license under City Code 15-6, Article 3, and unlicensed vehicles may not haul from any site in the city. Licensed vehicles get city decals for the driver and passenger doors, and license applicants must show general liability and commercial auto liability insurance.^[7] The city publishes a list of licensed haulers (it does not endorse any of them), last updated October 14, 2026.^[8]
• Proof of insurance. Ask for a current certificate before the crew arrives.
• A written estimate. It should say how the price is set (flat rate, by truckload or by the hour), what is included (sorting, donation runs, hazardous items, sweeping), and what could change the price on the day.
• Where items go. Ask what gets donated, recycled and landfilled, and whether you get donation receipts. Texas treats disposing of furniture, appliances, household garbage or chemicals anywhere other than a landfill or approved site as illegal dumping.^[9]
• A keep list. Mark what stays, and set aside documents, photos and valuables before the crew starts. Our printable estate cleanout checklist covers this room by room.

We did not find a separate Texas state license for estate cleanout or junk removal companies. In Austin, the city hauler license above is the credential you can check. More questions to ask are in how to choose an estate cleanout company.

Hoarding cleanup in Austin

If the person is living, a full cleanout without their involvement often backfires. The International OCD Foundation says unwanted cleanouts cause intense distress and anger toward relatives and rarely work in the long term, because the clutter tends to return. It suggests harm reduction instead: start with safety, such as clearing exits and moving items away from the stove, and involve the person in the plan.^[17]

Hoarding jobs cost more than ordinary junk removal. Fixr's national figures put professional cleaning of a severe hoarder's house at about $1,000 per day, or $25 to $150 per hour, and biohazard cleanup at a $4,000 average ($3,000 to $5,000 for a 2,000 square foot home), as of January 2025.^[16] Ask how the crew handles biohazards and protects documents found in the piles.

This guide summarizes City of Austin, Travis County and Texas sources and published price guides. It is not legal advice. Cleanout Finder is a directory and does not perform cleanouts. Featured listings are paid placements and are labeled.