How much does a cellar clearance cost?
A cellar clearance costs between CHF 400 and CHF 1,200 for a normal cellar compartment of 8 to 15 cubic metres. The entire basement of an apartment building comes to CHF 2,000 to CHF 8,000, depending on how many compartments it contains.
Cellars are more work than their volume suggests. The contents are highly mixed — furniture, boxes, tools, paint tins, electrical appliances, sports equipment — and practically every material group has its own disposal route. This sorting effort accounts for a substantial share of the working time.
Then there is accessibility: narrow cellar stairways, turns, steps and low doorways. And in many older Swiss cellars damp has rendered part of the contents unusable — it weighs more, cannot be resold, and has to go entirely to municipal refuse.
Guide prices for cellar clearance
| Property | Typical volume | Guide price |
|---|---|---|
| Small cellar compartment | 5–8 m³ | CHF 300 – 700 |
| Standard cellar compartment | 8–15 m³ | CHF 400 – 1,200 |
| Large cellar compartment / hobby room | 15–25 m³ | CHF 900 – 2,000 |
| Full basement of a detached house | 25–50 m³ | CHF 1,500 – 3,500 |
| Basement level of an apartment buildingDepending on the number of compartments | 40–120 m³ | CHF 2,000 – 8,000 |
Guide values for the Zurich area, transport and disposal fees included. The price becomes binding after a free site visit.
What determines the price
These factors explain why two properties of the same size can cost very different amounts.
Damp and mould
+15–30 %Water-damaged material can no longer be resold, weighs considerably more, and requires respiratory protection while it is being carried out.
Cellar stairway
+10–25 %Narrow stairs with turns make it impossible to carry large pieces out whole. Some items have to be dismantled on the spot.
Sorting effort
Accounts for a large share of the working timeA cellar typically holds five to eight different disposal fractions. Each one needs its own container and its own route.
Hazardous waste
+CHF 50–300Paints, varnishes, waste oil and chemicals are the rule in cellars, not the exception.
What the price includes
Included
- Site visit and quote
- Complete clearing of the compartment
- Separation into disposal fractions
- Transport and disposal fees
- Hazardous waste in normal household quantities
- Broom-clean handover (besenrein — swept and emptied)
Costs extra
- Wet cleaning and disinfection
- Mould remediation
- Removal of shelving and built-in fittings
- Drying out the room
Worked example: cellar compartment for an apartment handover, Zurich-Wipkingen
- Labour: 2 staff × 4 hoursCHF 640
- Transport, 1 runCHF 140
- Disposal 1.1 t (60 % of it damp)CHF 280
- Hazardous waste, 8 paint tinsCHF 60
- Scrap metal (bicycle, shelving)− CHF 40
How to bring the cost down
Concrete steps that actually move the price.
Combine it with the apartment clearance
If the flat is being cleared anyway, the cellar compartment only costs the additional work rather than a separate call-out.
Check the dry items first
Whatever was stored high up and dry is often still sellable — books, tools, furniture. Damp goods at floor level usually are not.
Gather the paint tins in one place
If the hazardous waste is already collected in one spot, the separation goes faster.
Frequently asked questions
Get a binding price
A free site visit, then a fixed price with no follow-up charges.
Read the Google reviews: 4.8 out of 5 stars from 42 reviews4.8(42)