How much does junk removal cost?
Junk removal in Switzerland costs CHF 60 to CHF 120 per cubic metre including transport and disposal. An average cellar compartment of 8 to 15 cubic metres therefore comes to CHF 400 to CHF 1,200.
Junk removal is almost always billed by volume. That is transparent — provided the volume was estimated realistically beforehand. As a practical guide: one cubic metre is roughly a washing machine plus a bedside table, or about five filled moving boxes.
The price per cubic metre varies mainly with weight and the material mix. A cubic metre of books weighs around 600 kilograms, a cubic metre of loose cardboard perhaps 60 — and Swiss disposal fees are charged by weight.
Guide prices by area cleared
| Property | Typical volume | Guide price |
|---|---|---|
| Cellar compartment | 8–15 m³ | CHF 400 – 1,200 |
| Attic / loft | 15–40 m³ | CHF 900 – 2,600 |
| Garage | 12–30 m³ | CHF 700 – 1,900 |
| Garden house / shed | 8–20 m³ | CHF 500 – 1,400 |
| Single room | 10–20 m³ | CHF 600 – 1,500 |
| Price per cubic metreIncl. transport and disposal | 1 m³ | CHF 60 – 120 |
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.
Weight per cubic metre
±30 % on the price per m³Disposal fees are charged by weight. Books, building rubble and damp material are considerably more expensive than loose bulky waste of the same volume.
Material mix
+CHF 10–40 per m³Pure bulky waste is cheap. As soon as electrical appliances, paints, chemicals or contaminated material are involved, both the sorting effort and the fees rise.
Accessibility
+20–40 % in difficult locationsNarrow cellar stairs, steep attic ladders and missing lifts extend the working time considerably.
Damp and mould
+15–25 %Water-damaged material cannot be resold, weighs more and has to go entirely to municipal refuse. It also requires respiratory protection.
Pre-sorting
Saves 10–20 %Anything already packed into bags and boxes saves sorting time on site.
What the price includes
Included
- Site visit and volume estimate
- Clearing out and carrying
- Separation into fractions on site
- Transport
- Disposal fees
- Broom-clean handover of the cleared area (besenrein — swept and emptied)
Costs extra
- Hazardous waste beyond normal household quantities
- Wet cleaning of the room
- Furniture hoist
- Skip hire for very large quantities
- Removal of shelving or built-in fittings
Worked example: cellar compartment in Wallisellen
- Volume 12 m³ × CHF 85CHF 1,020
- Hazardous waste surcharge (4 paint tins)CHF 40
- Scrap metal (bicycle, shelving frame)− CHF 30
How to bring the cost down
Concrete steps that actually move the price.
Mark what stays before we arrive
With junk removal you decide what goes. Mark it before the appointment — releasing items room by room while the crew works costs time.
Pack into bags and boxes
Loose small items are the biggest time sink. Pre-packed material can be carried straight out to the vehicle.
Stack metal separately
Scrap metal earns a return rather than costing money. If it is already separated, it is credited directly.
Combine several areas
Cellar, attic and garage in one appointment instead of three — the travel charge then applies only once.
Frequently asked questions
Get a binding price
A free site visit, then a fixed price with no follow-up charges.
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