Junk Removal Pricing Calculator
Price a haul from what it costs you: crew time, dump fees, fuel and overhead, plus your profit margin. The calculator gives the job price and the price per cubic yard, so you can build truck load prices that cover your real disposal costs.
| Labour cost | $88 |
| Overhead | $33 |
| Total job cost | $251 |
| Price to quote | $358 |
| Profit | $107 |
| Markup on cost | 42.9% |
| Price per cubic yard | $59.69 |
| Revenue per labour hour | $90 |
Before sales tax, GST or HST. Works in any currency: the $ is just a label. Example numbers only: replace them with your own costs.
What to count in a junk removal price
- Loading time for the whole crew, plus the drive to the job and to the dump
- Tipping fees by weight or volume, and surcharges for mattresses, tires or appliances
- Fuel and truck wear, which grow with every trip to the transfer station
- Overhead such as insurance, phone and booking software
- Your margin after all of the above
Worked example
With a crew of 2 for 2 hours at $22 an hour, $90 in dump and disposal fees for this load, $40 in fuel and truck costs for this job, 15% overhead and a 30% margin, the job costs $251 and the price comes to $358. That is $59.69 per cubic yard for 6 cubic yards, $107 profit, and a 42.9% markup on cost.
Margin is not markup
Margin is profit as a share of the price; markup is profit as a share of your cost. A 30% margin needs a 42.9% markup, because the profit is measured against a smaller number. Mixing the two up can leave a busy season with less money than you planned. This calculator asks for the margin you want and shows the matching markup.
The Junk Removal Pricing & Job Costing workbook (C$19.00, Excel, also opens in Google Sheets) keeps your rates in one price book, builds a printable client quote, and tracks what each job really cost and made, so your next price is based on your own numbers.
Questions
HOW DO I SET TRUCK LOAD PRICES?
Price one full load with the calculator, then divide the cubic yards to get quarter, half and three quarter load prices. Keep a minimum charge so small pickups still pay for the drive.
WHAT ABOUT HEAVY ITEMS?
Put the extra dump fee for heavy or special items in the disposal line so the price covers it.
This calculator is a planning tool, not financial or tax advice. Check the results against your own records before you rely on them.