Two things set the price of a pickup in this metro before the landfill fee is even counted: the bridge between the truck and the address, and the stairs between the address and the truck. A single item in a Summerville driveway is the plain rate; the same item on Folly Beach, down an outside staircase with nowhere to park, is priced for the carry and the drive. Bundling with a neighbor on the islands brings it back down.
Every operator in the area prices by volume, meaning how much of the truck the load fills, so the ranges below are what to expect from any legitimate crew. The exact figure comes from a photo or a walk-through, and the number quoted is the number the card is charged. The disposal cost is inside it: household waste at the county landfill on Bees Ferry Road is charged by the ton, and construction material goes to a private facility that charges the same way.
By the load
Labor, the drive and the fee at the gate are inside each figure. Heavy material is the one exception and is charged by weight, because that is how the facility charges the crew.
| How much of the truck | 2026 range | What that looks like here |
|---|---|---|
| One item | $99–$175 | a mattress, a couch or a fridge waiting in the carport |
| Quarter truck | $225–$325 | two or three pieces, one bedroom set from a rental, the debris from a bathroom |
| Half truck | $375–$500 | a furnished one-bedroom unit, a typical garage, a kitchen's worth of cabinets and drywall |
| Three-quarter truck | $525–$650 | an estate cleanout, one floor of the house at a time |
| Full truck | $625–$800 | a whole beach-house refit, a large remodel's debris, flood-ruined contents from a ground floor |
Roll-off dumpsters in Charleston
When a job will outlast a single visit, a roll-off in the driveway costs less than sending the truck back twice. The price covers delivery on boards, the rental days, the pickup and a tonnage allowance; overage is per ton. On the peninsula and the islands, ask about placement first, because a container on the street needs a city permit.
| Container | One week, delivered and picked up | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| 10-yard roll-off | $325–$450 | a garage cleanout, one bathroom, a small roof |
| 15-yard roll-off | $400–$525 | a kitchen gut, a two-bedroom estate cleanout |
| 20-yard roll-off | $450–$600 | a whole-house cleanout, a full roof tear-off, a large landscaping job |
Single-item pickups
The smallest jobs, and the ones most often done the day you call. The figures assume a piece that can reach the truck without a staircase; add a flight of outside stairs on a raised house and expect the top of the range. The last row leaves in pieces and is quoted as a quarter or half truck.
| Item | 2026 range |
|---|---|
| Mattress, with or without the box spring | $100–$175 |
| Sofa, loveseat or sectional | $125–$250 |
| Refrigerator or freezer, refrigerant recovered | $125–$200 |
| Washing machine or dryer | $100–$175 |
| Water heater, tank style | $100–$175 |
| Piano, ground floor or upstairs | $250–$500 |
| Hot tub, cut up on the deck or patio | $350–$650 |
| Shed, taken apart and hauled | $400–$900 |
| Playset, a run of fence panels or a dock's worth of furniture | $225–$500 |
Why two quotes for the same pile can differ
- The carry: a raised island house or a third-floor walk-up downtown takes longer than a carport, and the quote says so up front.
- The weight: tile, concrete, dirt and shingles are charged by the ton, so a small heavy pile can cost more than a large light one.
- The timing: same-day, evening and weekend pickups carry a premium; a weekday slot a day or two out is the plain rate.
- The destination: furniture that can be donated and metal that can be recycled cost less to get rid of than landfill weight, and the saving stays in the quote.
- The overhead: a national brand prices in a call center, a royalty and a drive from a regional hub; a local crew prices the job in front of it.
Questions we get about this
What is the cheapest way to get rid of junk in Charleston?
Let the free options take what they will first: the weekly trash day for furniture and appliances that reach the curb, the county convenience centers for anything a resident can drive over, a donation pickup for good furniture. Then book one pickup for the rest, on a weekday, with everything staged in the driveway, so the crew comes once and does not wait for you.
Is the quote free?
Yes. A photo gets a firm figure back, usually within the hour during the day, and a walk-through for a whole house is free as well.
Dumpster or truck: which costs less?
For anything that leaves in one visit, the truck: you lift nothing and pay once. For a remodel or a cleanout that runs a week or more, the dumpster, because the container waits while the pile grows.
Does the city of Charleston take bulky items for free?
Inside the city limits, yes: the weekly trash collection takes furniture, old appliances and large metal items at the curb, and limbs cut to four-foot lengths. Mount Pleasant, North Charleston, Summerville and the counties run their own programs, linked under Local resources on the home page. What the curb refuses, or cannot take soon enough, is what a crew hauls.