Junk removal contract template
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Between
Customer name
Scope of work
Describe exactly what is included — and what is not.
Price and payment
Total: $0.00
Deposit (50%): $0.00 before work begins
Balance: $0.00 on completion
Terms
Payment
A deposit is due before work begins. The balance is due on completion. Invoices unpaid after 14 days may carry a late fee of 1.5% per month.
Changes to the work
Anything outside the scope above is a change order, priced and agreed in writing before that work starts. Verbal changes are not binding on either of us.
Access
The client agrees to provide access to the property, water and power where needed, on the agreed dates. If we cannot access the site on a scheduled day, a return visit may be charged.
Weather and delays
Work may be rescheduled for weather or conditions that make it unsafe or would affect quality. We will give as much notice as we can. Neither party is liable for delays outside their control.
Existing condition
We are not responsible for pre-existing damage or for defects revealed by the work. Where we find something unexpected, we will stop and tell you before continuing.
Insurance
The contractor carries liability insurance and will provide a certificate on request.
Cancellation
Either party may cancel in writing before work begins. Deposits cover materials already ordered and scheduling held for you, and may be non-refundable to that extent.
This is a starting point written for small home service work, not legal advice. Contract law varies by state, and some states require specific notices, licence numbers or cancellation language on residential contracts. Have a local attorney read it once before you use it for everything.
The prohibited items list
This is the clause that protects you from an expensive problem rather than an argument.
Not accepted: hazardous waste, paint and solvents, oils and fuels, asbestos or suspected asbestos material, medical or biohazardous waste, ammunition, propane cylinders.
Accepted with surcharge: tyres, mattresses, appliances containing refrigerant, televisions and monitors, construction and demolition debris.
Transfer stations charge you extra for everything in the second list and refuse everything in the first. Both facts should be on the document before the truck arrives, not discovered at the tip.
Define the volume
Junk removal pricing is volume-based and volume is subjective. State it in truckload fractions with cubic yardage, and state that the final assessment is made on site before loading.
Quoted: half load, approximately 8 cubic yards. Final volume assessed on site before loading; any variance will be agreed with you before work proceeds.
Then photograph the pile. Ten seconds, and it ends every volume disagreement.
Title passes on loading
A short clause stating that ownership transfers to you when items are loaded, and that the client confirms they are entitled to dispose of them.
It reads like boilerplate until the day an adult child rings to ask why their grandmother’s furniture was taken. Then it is the most important sentence in the document.
Access and property protection
Stairs, lifts, narrow doorways, long carries and parking restrictions all change the job. Note them, and state that you will protect floors and door frames but that scuffing in tight spaces is possible.
Disposal and recycling
If you divert to charity or recycling, say what proportion and where. It is a genuine selling point in this trade and costs nothing to state.
Booking and invoicing on the day
Junk removal is same-day, on-site-priced work.
Jobber at $49/mo turns a phone call into a booked, priced job quickly and invoices before you leave. QuoteIQ at $29.99/mo is cheaper and takes a card at the truck. Housecall Pro adds structured photo reports and five seats at $189/mo once you run two trucks.
Questions operators actually ask
What should a junk removal contract include?
The volume being removed and how it is measured, prohibited and surcharged items, who owns the items once loaded, disposal and recycling commitments, access and property protection, and payment terms. The prohibited items list is what stops a hazardous waste problem becoming yours.
What items should I prohibit or surcharge?
Prohibit hazardous waste, paint, solvents, asbestos, medical waste and fuel outright. Surcharge tyres, mattresses, appliances containing refrigerant, televisions and construction debris — most transfer stations charge you extra for these, and the fee should pass through visibly.
How do I define volume?
By truckload fraction with a stated cubic yardage, and say that the assessment is made on site. 'Half load, approximately 8 cubic yards' is checkable. A verbal 'about half a truck' is a dispute waiting for the invoice.
Who owns the items once they are loaded?
Put a clause stating that title passes to you on loading and that the client confirms they have the right to dispose of them. This matters more than it sounds — it protects you when a family member later claims something was removed without permission.
Should I photograph before loading?
Yes, always. A photograph of the pile before it goes on the truck settles both volume disputes and 'you took something you should not have' claims, and it takes ten seconds.