The short answer

Two pricing routes, both published.

Per item. Sofa $126. Queen mattress $103. Standard fridge $164. Hot tub $322. Every item has a fixed number.

By volume. Quarter truck $241. Three-eighths $338. Half $431. Five-eighths $513. Three-quarters $587. Seven-eighths $661. Full truck $732.

Minimum visit $75. No stair charge. No long-carry charge. No same-day surcharge. No storm-week surcharge. No difference between Davis Islands and Ruskin.

Below are the job shapes we actually see across Hillsborough and Pinellas, with the addition written out so you can check it against your own list.

One item, from a bungalow

Seminole Heights, one sofa out of a raised bungalow. Four porch steps, a narrow side yard, alley behind. $126. The steps and the carry do not add anything.

Hyde Park, one queen mattress from a second-floor bedroom. $103.

Ybor City, one countertop microwave. $30 on the list — but the minimum visit is $75, so this bills at $75. Which is why the sensible move is to add the dead window AC unit at $87 and make it $30 + $87 = $117.

That last one is the most common mistake people make in this city: booking a truck for one small thing instead of walking the garage first.

A bedroom and a living room

South Tampa, guest bedroom cleared. Mattress and box spring set $143, bed frame $68, nightstand $57, dresser $126. That is $143 + $68 + $57 + $126 = $394.

Carrollwood, living room refreshed. Sofa $126, recliner $98, coffee table $67, two end tables at $52 each, TV stand $96. That is $126 + $98 + $67 + $52 + $52 + $96 = $491. A half truck is $431 and would also take the rug and the lamps — on a whole room, the truck fraction is usually the better buy.

That is the crossover in practice. Under about $241, itemize. Over it, look at the ladder.

The Tampa garage

Town 'n' Country, two-car garage, one bay recovered. Garage refrigerator $164, lawn mower $65, treadmill $115, two bicycles at $37 each, artificial Christmas tree $37. That is $164 + $65 + $115 + $37 + $37 + $37 = $455, against a half truck at $431 that also takes the shelving and the boxes.

Wesley Chapel, three-car garage, the whole thing. Full truck, $732. Wide driveway, easy access, and genuinely a full load — these new-build garages hold more than people believe.

In a metro with no basements, the garage is the biggest single job in most houses. It is almost always a volume purchase rather than an item list.

The lanai and the pool deck

Riverview, screened enclosure cleared after four Florida summers. Patio table $89, four patio chairs at $30 each, chaise lounge $93, propane grill $71. That is $89 + $30 + $30 + $30 + $30 + $93 + $71 = $373.

Brandon, hot tub nobody had used in three years, inside the pool cage. $322, flat, including getting it back out through the screen.

Outdoor furniture is the most consistently underestimated category in this market. Sun, humidity and salt air finish resin and fabric faster than people expect, and a lanai set that looked fine two years ago is generally unsellable now.

Apartments and condos

Near Fowler Avenue, four-bedroom student unit at lease end. Two twin mattresses at $82 each, two full mattresses at $94 each, a sofa at $126, a medium junk pile at $129. That is $82 + $82 + $94 + $94 + $126 + $129 = $607, against a three-quarter truck at $587.

Clearwater, snowbird condo turnover in April. Mattress and box spring set $143, loveseat $119, TV between 42 and 65 inches $68, small area rug $33. That is $143 + $119 + $68 + $33 = $363.

Channel District tower, one-bedroom, everything going. Half truck, $431, booked against a reserved service-elevator window with a certificate of insurance on file with the association.

Appliances and electronics

Temple Terrace, kitchen refresh. Standard fridge $164, electric range $134, dishwasher $109, countertop microwave $30. That is $164 + $134 + $109 + $30 = $437. Refrigerant handling is included — there is no environmental fee and no refrigerant surcharge on our invoice.

St. Pete, laundry replaced. Washer $133, dryer $128 — $133 + $128 = $261. A stacked combo unit instead would be $189 as a single item.

Palm Harbor, surge-killed electronics after a summer of thunderstorms. TV 42 to 65 inches $68, computer monitor $58, box of electronics $77. That is $68 + $58 + $77 = $203.

The big ones

Sun City Center, estate cleanout of a two-bedroom villa. Family took what they wanted; the rest was one and a half loads. A full truck plus a half is $732 + $431 = $1,163.

Seminole, three-bedroom ranch, garage and attic included. Three full trucks, $732 × 3 = $2,196, plus an upright piano at $290 for a total of $2,196 + $290 = $2,486.

These are the jobs where published pricing earns its keep. You can build the estimate yourself, in advance, from numbers on a public page, instead of finding out what it costs with two people standing in your driveway.

What never appears on the bill

To be explicit, because people ask.

  • No stair charge — a third-floor walk-up off Fowler Avenue is the same as a ground-floor garage.
  • No long-carry charge — an alley-only detached garage in Tampa Heights is the same price.
  • No fuel or mileage line — Wesley Chapel costs the same as Davis Islands.
  • No same-day premium.
  • No storm-season or post-storm premium. $208 for a large junk pile in October, same as in March.
  • No refrigerant or environmental fee on appliances.

The number you see before you book is the number on the invoice.

Frequently asked questions

What does the average Tampa junk removal job cost?

Most household jobs land between the $75 minimum visit and a half truck at $431. Whole-garage and estate work runs from $587 up through multiple full trucks at $732 each.

Is it cheaper per item or by the load?

Add your items. If the total is under $241 — a quarter truck — pay per item. If it is over, the truck fraction usually costs less and takes the loose odds and ends as well.

Do prices differ between Hillsborough and Pinellas?

No. The same published prices apply from Wesley Chapel and New Tampa down to Apollo Beach, and across the bay to St. Pete, Clearwater and the beaches. There is no mileage or drive-time line.

Do you charge more after a hurricane?

No. There is no surge pricing at any time of year. A large junk pile is $208 in a busy clean-up week and $208 in February.

Why is there a $75 minimum?

It is the floor for sending a truck and a crew across the metro. A single microwave at $30 still bills at $75, so it is always worth adding whatever else is waiting in the garage or on the lanai.