I still don't understand it. I was all set to sign with a new company when I found out that they only want to pay $20.00 per yd for debris removal. I know up here in Jersey we pay about $90.00 a ton for disposal. So if you do a 10 yd. debris removal then pay disposal and payroll there is no way to make money.
There must be a better way yet some people do work for this. How do they stay in business?

Recycle, my friend...90% of my business is doing trash-outs for apartments, storage companies, real estate and others, and I have yet had to go to the dump with it. I recycle 70% of what I pick and get paid to do it. They pay for metal, paper, tin, brass,& plastic. That is how I do it and it saves a lot of money. Also look at donating the furniture you get that is not worth keeping, here in Charlotte I take it to Charlotte housing and they take almost everything I take to them. Just a thought....

PS.. I make more money recycling the stuff than they pay me.

Thomas
http://www.citywide-trashouts.com

Yes, recycling is an owners best friend in this business. Get yourself some on sight dumpsters and separate everything you get. My main issue is wood. I usually burn any non salvageable wood products in a giant pit I dug out. I just find myself running so short on time that I cant find the time to sit there long enough to monitor the burn.

$18 is the national fee. Here is what we do
recycle all metal (appliances), paper, plastic and concrete
Sell what is good on Craigslist and donate what is just ok
If the neighbor asks for it, give it to them
Keep 2x4's and plywood for boarding
Burn all small or damaged wood, Tree and shrub trims
Landscape materials and Misc building supplies to Habitat for Humanity (they will come get it)
Save bad tires until you get some good ones and tell the tire shop to take all of them for free since they can re-sell some (it works)
Got piles of pavers??FREE STUFF on craigslist=Gone fast and you don't touch it but you still get paid.

We too recycle but not in a resale way. I can see where rich is coming from. We are a business and not Sanford and Sons.

Rich, just look for clients that are willing to pay for your services if you can. Nationals take too much of the pie to get the job done in a business sense. They have scaled their rates down to just get a homeless person out there to hopefully find treasure.

I understand about the recycling BUT. The time that is spent seperating the material then driving to the various recycling sites and then down loading pics and what not I still don't understand how people will work for $20.00 per yd.
Not sure about the rest of the country but not only is it expensive to dispose up here but then add the insurances and taxes you might end up with $2 or $3.00 per yard profit. Then to add insult to injury, they don't even want to pay the sales tax. So then you have to also eat the sales tax that needs to be paid to the state.

I understand where you coming from, but I will go back to saying I make more recycling than I make cleaning out a house. I have never charged by the sq. yard, I look at what can be made then but in a bid. I do see what you are saying, but I have never had any problems not making money on trash-outs.

We run a highly profitable trashout business but like I said before we sell things and give everything else away to charities. Everything we sell is cheap and goes from site. If you list good stuff on FREE stuff on craigslist, people will come out like roaches to come get it. Just give them a deadline of when it must be gone by and go about your business, put it all by the street and watch it slowly go away on its own.