Guides
The Garage Cleanout Guide: How to Actually Get It Done
Almost every garage starts as a place to park a car and ends up as the house's default storage unit — for tools, sports gear, half-finished projects, and boxes nobody's opened in years. Clearing it out feels big precisely because it's never just one category of stuff. Breaking it into zones makes it manageable.
Set a real goal before you start
"Clean the garage" is too vague to actually finish. Decide what you want it to function as when you're done — a place to park again, a workshop, organized storage — because that goal determines what actually needs to leave versus what just needs a better spot.
Sort into four piles
Keep, donate, sell, and junk. Resist the urge to make a fifth "maybe" pile — it just becomes the same clutter with extra steps. If you haven't used something in over a year and it's not seasonal or sentimental, it almost always belongs in donate or junk.
Work it in zones, not all at once
Tools and hardware
Duplicate tools, broken ones, and hardware you can't identify anymore are the easiest wins — quick decisions that clear real shelf space fast.
Sports and outdoor gear
Bikes nobody rides, gear for sports the kids outgrew, camping equipment that hasn't seen a trip in years — this category tends to have the most donatable items in decent condition.
Holiday decorations and storage bins
Open every bin. It's common to find broken decorations or duplicates that got bought because the original ones were forgotten at the bottom of a stack.
The stuff you forgot was in there
Every garage has a corner like this — old paint cans, a broken appliance waiting for a repair that never happened, furniture from a move three houses ago. This is usually where the bulk of the actual junk removal load comes from.
Hazardous materials need special handling
Old paint, chemicals, and similar materials can't just go in with a general load. We take latex and oil-based paint for a flat $15 per can, following proper disposal rules — see the full pricing page for the complete list of special-item fees.
Donate before you dump
Working tools, usable furniture, and gear in decent shape are worth setting aside for donation rather than tossing straight into the junk pile — it's a better outcome for the item and it shrinks what actually needs hauling. If some of what's coming out is furniture specifically, our furniture donation guide covers what's typically accepted.
When to just call it in
If the sorting is done and what's left is simply too much, too heavy, or too awkward to haul yourself, that's the point to bring in a crew rather than making multiple trips to the dump. This is exactly the kind of job our home cleanout service handles regularly. If you're tackling the garage as part of a bigger spring push, our spring cleaning checklist covers the rest of the house too.
What it typically costs
Most garage cleanouts in the Arvada area fall in the 1/2 to 3/4 load range — roughly $350 to $475 — though a garage packed floor to ceiling can run closer to a full $600 load. Text a few photos of what's coming out and we'll send back a real number before we ever show up.
Common questions
Garage cleanout FAQ
How long does a full garage cleanout usually take on my own?
For a genuinely packed two-car garage, plan on a full weekend if you're sorting carefully — most of the time goes into decisions, not physical hauling.
What should I do with old paint cans?
We can take latex or oil-based paint for a flat $15 per can disposal fee — it can't just go in with general trash due to how it's regulated, so don't toss cans in with everything else.
Can you clear an entire garage's worth of stuff in one visit?
Yes — most garage cleanouts are a single pickup. We size the trailer space needed against what's actually in there, so a packed garage just means a larger load, not multiple visits.
What if some of it is yard debris rather than garage clutter?
We handle both in the same visit if it's all going at once, though yard-specific debris like branches and clippings falls under our dedicated yard waste removal service if that's the bulk of what you're clearing.
Do you take heavy items I can't lift myself, like an old workbench?
Yes, that's exactly the kind of item people call us for — heavy workbenches, old exercise equipment, and similar bulky pieces are routine for our crew.
How much does a typical garage cleanout cost in Arvada?
Most garages fall in the 1/2 to 3/4 load range, roughly $350 to $475, though a garage packed floor to ceiling can run closer to a full $600 load.
Reclaim your space today
Call or text 303-990-1812 for a free estimate — let us haul your stress away.