In Chattanooga the carry moves the price more than the dump fee does. The city landfill charges by the ton at rates that are ordinary for Tennessee; what is not ordinary is a couch coming down a Signal Mountain driveway or a freezer coming up a Highland Park basement stair. Those take longer than a garage pickup in Ooltewah, and the quote reflects the minutes, not the zip code.
Every crew in the county prices by the same yardstick, the share of the truck your load fills, so the ranges below are what any legitimate operator will land in. The firm number comes from a photo or a walk-through, and it is the number on the invoice.
By the load
The labor, the haul and the facility's fee are all inside the price. Heavy material is the one exception and goes by weight, because the facility charges by the ton.
| Share of the truck | Price range | What it usually is |
|---|---|---|
| One item, carried out | $99–$175 | a mattress from upstairs, a fridge from the garage, a couch off the porch |
| Quarter truck | $240–$325 | one bedroom's furniture, a bay of the garage, a storm's worth of fence panels |
| Half truck | $375–$490 | a one-bedroom turnover, a garage front to back, a deck's worth of old boards |
| Three-quarter truck | $540–$650 | one floor of an estate house, a basement that filled up over decades |
| Full truck | $650–$800 | a whole-house cleanout load, a fence line and a shed in pieces, day one of a hoarding job |
Roll-off dumpsters in Chattanooga
A remodel that runs a week, or a house cleared room by room, is cheaper with a container on the driveway than with the truck coming back three times. The quote covers delivery, pickup, the rental days and a tonnage allowance; the crew checks a photo of the spot first because hillside drives and street placement change what can be delivered.
| Container | Week rate, delivered and picked up | The jobs it fits |
|---|---|---|
| 10-yard | $325–$440 | a garage cleanout, one bathroom gut, a small roof tear-off |
| 15-yard | $410–$525 | a kitchen taken to the studs, a two-bedroom cleanout, a deck and the yard after a storm |
| 20-yard | $465–$600 | a whole-house cleanout, a full roof, a landscaping overhaul |
Single-item pickups
One piece, carried out from wherever it sits in the house and hauled the same day when the schedule allows. A light piece left in the driveway or the garage on a weekday sits at the $99 end; the same piece up a basement stair on a Saturday sits at the top of its range.
| Item | Typical price, carried out and hauled |
|---|---|
| Mattress and box spring | $100–$175 |
| Dresser, recliner or desk | $99–$175 |
| Sleeper sofa, couch or sectional | $135–$250 |
| Refrigerator or chest freezer | $130–$200 |
| Washer, dryer or water heater | $100–$175 |
| Upright piano | $275–$500 |
| Hot tub, cut up on the deck | $350–$650 |
| Shed, taken down to the slab | $400–$900 |
Why two quotes for the same pile can differ
- The carry: a basement reached by an outside stair, a third floor or a hillside lot adds labor.
- The weight: tile, concrete and shingles are billed by the ton, so a small heavy pile can cost more than a big light one.
- The day: same-day, evening and weekend slots carry a premium.
- The destination: furniture that can be donated and metal that can be recycled cost less to move than landfill loads.
- The overhead: national brands price in a royalty and a call center; a local crew prices in fuel and the facility fee.
Questions we get about this
What is the cheapest way to get rid of junk in Chattanooga?
For one item you can wait on, the city's bulky-item collection for single-family homes on the scheduled week, which takes furniture, mattresses and appliances at no charge. For anything else, one pickup with everything in the driveway on a weekday: bundling items into one trip costs less than several small ones, and a full truck costs less per item than a quarter truck.
Does it cost anything to get a price?
No. A photo gets a firm number back, usually within the hour on weekdays; a walk-through for a cleanout or a commercial job is free too.
Should I rent a dumpster or book a pickup?
If it all fits in a single visit, take the truck: the crew does the loading and you do none of it. For a job that runs a week or more and fills up day by day, the dumpster.
Does the city of Chattanooga take bulky items for free?
For single-family residents, yes, on the property's scheduled collection week, up to twelve bulky pickups per address in a year, and only for what the program accepts: furniture, mattresses, appliances, carpet, water heaters and the like. Building materials, lumber, drywall, tile, concrete and tires are refused, and apartments, landlords and businesses are not covered. That gap is where a crew earns its fee.