Garage and Basement Cleanout in Madison, WI
Updated
Short answer
Garage and basement cleanouts are priced by how much of the truck they fill: $70 to $125 for a minimum load up to $400 to $800 for a full truck in national guides. What makes them slower in Madison is the mix: tires, scrap metal, old electronics and paint all have their own destinations under Wisconsin law and city rules.

What turns up, and where it goes
- Tires: banned from landfills since 1995. Madison charges $5 to $10 per tire for fee-paying residents; the county landfill charges $0.17 a pound.
- Metal (bikes, grills, shelving, file cabinets): Madison collects metal in a separate pile from furniture so it can be recycled.
- Electronics: never at the Madison curb; free at city drop-off sites for residents.
- Mowers, snow throwers and tillers: drained of gas and oil; $15 fee items in Madison for private-recycling homes.
- Paint, solvents, pesticides: Dane County Clean Sweep, $15 per trip for households.
Basements in older housing
Census tracts at the center of Madison's isthmus and near west side historic districts have median build years in the 1930s and 1940s; the numbers are on each Madison area page. Older basements mean stone walls, narrow stairs and low headroom, which is labor time, so describe the stairs when you ask for a quote.
Common questions
Garage and Basement Cleanout: questions
How much does a garage cleanout cost?
It is priced by volume. National guides put a 1/4 load at $100 to $200, a half load at $200 to $400 and a full truck at $400 to $800.
Other services
Furniture RemovalCouches, sectionals, recliners, dressers, bed frames and desks carried out and hauled off.Appliance RemovalRefrigerators, freezers, washers, dryers, stoves, water heaters and window AC units.Electronics and TV RemovalTVs, monitors, computers, printers and cords, routed to an E-Cycle Wisconsin recycler.Mattress RemovalMattresses and box springs, including from walk-ups and buildings the city won't serve.Hot Tub RemovalSpas and hot tubs cut down, carried out and hauled, including the cover.Piano RemovalUpright and spinet pianos moved out on a piano dolly, donated or disposed of.
Garage and Basement Cleanout in Madison and Dane County
Tell us what is going and where it is. A local crew replies with a price, and nothing is hauled until you agree to it.