Free junk removal invoice template
Truck volume, surcharge items and the dump ticket — priced at the curb and paid before the tailgate goes up.
Junk removal is one of the few trades where the customer watches the entire job and still has no idea what it should cost. You fix that at the curb, not on the invoice: walk the pile, give a number by volume — quarter, half, full truck — and get a yes before the first item goes on. After that the invoice's job is to prove the number. Show the volume you priced, break out the items that carry a surcharge because somebody downstream charges you for them, and pass the transfer-station ticket through at cost. Then bill it at the tailgate with the load still on. That is the moment a homeowner reaches for a card; every hour you wait costs you a little of the payment.
Lines a junk hauler actually bills for
| Line | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Minimum load — single item, curbside | $100–$175 |
| Quarter truckload | $150–$250 |
| Half truckload | $275–$450 |
| Full truckload | $600–$800 |
| Mattress or box spring — disposal surcharge, each | $25–$60 each |
| Refrigerant appliance — recovery and disposal, each | $30–$75 each |
| Stair, attic or basement carry-out labor, per hour per crew member | $60–$100 per hour |
| Transfer station tipping fee — passed through at cost | $40–$150 per load |
What to include on a junk removal invoice
- Your business name, phone number and email — and your license number if your state puts one on the paperwork
- The customer's name, the service address, and a phone number or email you can actually reach them on
- An invoice number and the date the work was done
- The volume you actually hauled, written the way you priced it — quarter, half or full truck, not 'a bunch of stuff'
- Before and after photos of the pile, attached or referenced by date — the cheapest dispute insurance in this trade
- Surcharge items named one by one: mattresses, tires, refrigerant appliances, paint, e-waste, TVs
- The tipping fee shown as a pass-through, with the scale ticket number if you have it
- Labor add-ons kept off the volume price — a third-floor carry or a hoard is extra work, not extra volume
- What you donated or recycled instead of landfilling, and where it went
- Subtotal, sales tax if you charge it, and the total due
- Any deposit or payment already taken, and the balance still owed
- The due date, and what happens if it goes past it
- How they can pay — card, bank transfer, check or cash
Junk Removal invoicing questions
Should I price by volume or by the hour?
Volume for the load, hourly only for the labor that volume does not describe. A half truck is a half truck whether the customer stacked it neatly by the driveway or it is spread across a basement. Price the space it takes on your truck, then add a labor line for stairs, tear-out or a long carry. Pure hourly pricing punishes you for working fast, which is the one thing you are actually good at.
Do I have to give a firm number before I see the pile?
Give a range on the phone and a firm number on site, in writing, before you load. Send it as an estimate from your phone in the driveway and get a yes on the screen. That estimate then becomes the invoice, so nobody is comparing two different documents afterwards and deciding they remember a smaller figure.
When should I take payment — before or after loading?
After you load, before you drive away. Loading is the leverage: the truck is full, the garage is empty, the customer is delighted. Hand them the invoice on your phone and let them tap card, Apple Pay or Google Pay at the tailgate. On a big multi-truck job, take a deposit up front and show it on the final invoice against the balance.
How do I bill a dump fee I will not know until after the job?
Two honest ways. Either build a typical tipping cost into your volume price and never itemize it, or bill it as a pass-through and say so up front — 'plus disposal at cost' — then put the ticket number on the line. Pick one and use it every time. What burns customers is a load priced as all-inclusive that grows a fee on the invoice afterwards.
What about items I resell or scrap? Does that come off the customer's price?
Not automatically, and you should not pretend it does. You quoted the labor, the truck and the disposal. If a piece is genuinely worth something and the customer knows it is, discounting the load is a good way to win the referral — put it on as a visible credit line so they see it, rather than quietly quoting less and having them think that was your price all along.
What does this actually cost me?
Nothing to write invoices or estimates, and there is no cap on how many. Two paid tiers exist — Starter at $9.99 and Pro at $24.99 — for the things that cost us money every use: sending from our email domain, receipt scanning, your logo, extra seats for a second truck's crew. Otherwise we earn 0.5% when a customer pays you by card. Cash at the curb costs you nothing.
Junk Removal estimate template · All invoice templates · Guides
Write a free junk removal invoice — Pocket Business is free to build and send, no signup, no invoice limit.