Illustration of a LoadUp junk removal crew hauling junk from a Cape Cod-style home in Ames, IA
LoadUp Loaders hauling junk, representing fast, reliable Junk Removal and disposal service in Ames, IA.

*Same-day availability may vary by location.

Serving Ames, IA

Junk removal in Ames

Starting at $85. Additional items from +$15.

When junk keeps piling up, it stops being a small chore and starts weighing on your week. Book a quick pickup, see your price upfront, and get your space back.

  • Same-day available
  • Flat rate add-ons
  • Donation-first
Approach
Donation-first
Jobs Completed
832,844
Google Reviews
4.8
The Problem

Ames has junk options, just not easy ones

You read the city's guidelines, call a couple of haulers, and wait on quotes that never come back. Another weekend slips by, and the junk is still sitting in the garage or the spare room.

LoadUp junk removal truck parked outside a home with Loaders hauling items to the truck

Free city pickup is great, when it works

Municipal pickup schedules can help when your items fit the rules. You usually have to request a pickup ahead of time and get everything to the curb yourself. Some items may not be accepted, and renters may first need permission to leave things outside.

Traditional haulers play pricing games

Many haulers want to see the job in person before they'll give you a number. Then the price depends on how full the truck looks, so you don't know the real cost until the junk is already loaded and the bill shows up.

Donation centers are picky (rightly)

Charities and thrift stores need things they can actually resell. A worn couch, a stained mattress, or a broken appliance often gets turned away. You're still the one loading it, driving it over, and bringing it home again if they say no.

Dumpster rental is overkill for one room

A dumpster can make sense for a full renovation, but most jobs are smaller than that. You have to schedule delivery and pickup, find a spot on a narrow street or a shared rental driveway, and maybe check on permits. Then you still do all the lifting.

How It Works

From booking to gone in three simple steps

  1. Get your instant price

    Enter your ZIP code and item details to get a guaranteed upfront price online. No waiting for an onsite estimate.

    Avg. 60 seconds
  2. Choose a pickup window

    Pick a time that works for your schedule, including same-day availability if you book before 2PM.

    No waiting on callbacks
  3. Your pickup gets handled

    Local Loaders arrive at your location, haul away the junk, and dispose of it responsibly when options allow.

    No in-person charges
LoadUp mobile booking showing guaranteed upfront pricing and date selection
What sets us apart

Your price is locked before pickup day

Most companies charge by truck space, and the price often changes on arrival. LoadUp charges by item, based on exactly what you're removing.

  • Per-item, predictable. First item includes the pickup fee. Every add-on is flat, no truck math, no hourly rates.
  • Locked means locked. The price at booking is what you pay. No adjustments, no surprises.
  • No-obligation quotes. Big job or full cleanout? Text a photo for a guaranteed price first.
Price Comparison

What junk removal actually costs in Ames

How Ames's options stack up

Across all options, not just ours: a real breakdown of what Ames residents typically pay, so you know what's fair before you book.

  • From $100

    Sofas, dressers, bed frames, tables, and more hauled away with ease.

    per add-on from +$30
  • From $100

    Available in twin, full, queen, king, and California king sizes.

    per add-on from +$30
  • From $85

    Covers refrigerators, washers, dryers, ovens, dishwashers, water heaters, and more.

    per add-on from +$15
  • Custom

    Whole-property cleanouts for moves, estates, evictions, and renovations.

    Get a free quote
  • From $85

    TVs, monitors, computers, printers, stereo equipment, and small electronics.

    per add-on from +$15
  • From $120

    Includes treadmills, ellipticals, weight benches, stationary bikes, and home gym systems.

    per add-on from +$50
  • From $145

    Add a single bulky item like a couch, dresser, or mattress to your booking.

    per add-on from +$75
  • From $95

    Mixed everyday items including broken goods, old decor, and accumulated clutter.

    per add-on from +$25
  • From $95

    Bagged trash, loose debris, and general household waste of all kinds.

    per add-on from +$25
  • From $420

    Covers drywall, lumber, tile, fixtures, and mixed demolition scrap.

    per add-on from +$350
  • From $115

    Yard Debris

    Includes branches, brush, grass clippings, leaves, and other organic yard waste.

    per add-on from +$45
  • From $115

    Desks, chairs, filing cabinets, cubicle panels, and other office items included.

    per add-on from +$45
  • From $77

    Moving boxes, shipping cartons, and leftover packing cardboard.

    per add-on from +$7

First item includes the pickup fee. Each additional item is a flat add-on. *See Ames's disposal rules for city bulk exceptions, permits, and restrictions.

Customer preparing junk for pickup and removal
Local Haulers

Background-checked Loaders who handle the heavy lifting

Carrying a sleeper sofa down a walk-up stairwell or an old dresser up steep basement steps is routine for your background-checked Loaders, rated by real locals in Ames after each job.

  • Local, vetted Loaders
  • Licensed & insured
Pickup Options

Set it at the curb or leave it where it sits

If your junk is already on the driveway or beside a detached garage, curbside pickup keeps things simple. If your lease or complex rules don't allow items outside, or a heavy piece is still upstairs, full-service lets your Loaders carry it out from inside.

  • In-home or curbside pickup
  • Same-day or scheduled
Junk Removal pickup options, highlights, best use cases, and starting prices in Ames.
Pickup Option Highlight Best For Price
In-home pickup Full-service Removal from anywhere inside your home from $85
Curbside pickup Save $5.00 Place items outside, skip the appointment from $80
Same-day pickup Add $10.00 Urgent pickups booked before 2 PM from $95
Next day pickup Flexible Book next-day or up to 90 days ahead from $85
Multi-item pickup Bundle & save Add-on items in the same pickup for less from +$15
Item add-on Optional Bundle with your junk pickup from +$15
Full cleanout Volume discount Entire room junk removal Custom
Disassembly service Optional add-on Large or difficult-to-move items Custom

* Starting prices. Final price confirmed by ZIP code and pickup conditions. Volume discounts applied automatically.

Verified Reviews

Built on trust, backed by reviews

Neighborhoods Served

Serving Ames, from Highway 30 to the north edge of town

Anyone who has wrestled a sofa across an icy driveway in January, or a soggy mattress in an April thaw, knows Iowa weather has opinions about getting rid of bulky things. Your Loader handles the lifting and hauling so you can stay warm inside. LoadUp and your Loaders like showing up for Ames neighbors.

What Happens to Your Junk

Donation first, recycling second, landfill last

Not every bulky item ends up in the same place, and sorting matters when you're clearing a home in Ames. Your Loader checks condition so usable items can be reused when possible and the rest is handled responsibly.

Aerial illustration of a LoadUp junk removal truck following a route to a disposal drop-off location
Gently Used

Donation Pickup

Furniture, appliances and household goods that are clean and in good working shape may be donated when local options allow. Your Loader sets those items aside from the rest of the load.

  • Tax-deductible receipt by request
  • Diverts waste from landfill
  • Free up your space and help a neighbor
See donation pickup
Visible Wear

Recycling

Items that are worn or damaged but not fit for donation may be recycled where available, such as scrap metal or electronics. Acceptance varies, so recycling is never guaranteed for any item.

  • Materials sorted and recovered
  • Diverted from landfill where possible
  • Compliant with local waste regs
See common questions
Heavily Damaged

Responsible Disposal

Heavily damaged, soiled or contaminated big items, like a broken sofa or a water-ruined mattress, go to an appropriate disposal site. Your Loader handles hauling so you don't make dump runs.

  • No logistics or transport to handle
  • No sorting or drop-off required on your end
  • Local disposal fees covered
See Ames rules below
Local Disposal Rules

The Ames disposal rules most residents don't know

Mushy food waste thrown in the trash can contaminate dry garbage at the Resource Recovery Plant and force it into a landfill. Here is how disposal works in Ames, in Story County.

Rule 01

Every type of light bulb is accepted free at Resource Recovery

Ames lets residents drop off all light bulbs, incandescent or fluorescent, at Resource Recovery at no charge. This matters for garage and basement cleanouts because fluorescent tubes contain mercury and break easily in a garbage cart.

Rule 02

Old mirrors and window glass stay out of glass recycling

Ames glass recycling bins accept container glass in any color, but the city's drop-off site does not take mirrors, cookware, window glass or windshield glass. When clearing out a basement or remodel, keep those pieces separate from bottles and jars.

Rule 03

Large appliances go to Resource Recovery, but small ones don't

The Resource Recovery Plant takes refrigerators, freezers, washers, dryers, stoves, dishwashers, water heaters, furnaces, air conditioners, dehumidifiers and microwaves for a per-unit fee. Blenders, toasters, air fryers, vacuum cleaners, space heaters and ceiling fans can go in your regular garbage.

Rule 04

You can drop off worn clothing and shoes at any hour

Clothing doesn't go in Ames curbside recycling bins. Instead, the self-serve recycling center on the north side of the Resource Recovery Plant takes clothing and shoes at any hour, all year, along with paper, metal and food waste.

Rule 05

Rotting pumpkins and gourds have their own fall drop-off

Wet, mushy produce can contaminate the dry garbage the Resource Recovery Plant processes, and that mix then has to be landfilled. Each fall, the Great Pumpkin Disposal program puts out bins on the plant's north side so the material can be composted instead.

Rule 06

You can drop off flattened cardboard at several spots around town

Besides the 24/7 recycling center at Resource Recovery, Ames has flattened cardboard drop-offs in the Ames Public Library's north parking lot, at the Parks and Recreation office, at the Power Plant loading dock and near Main Street downtown. Break boxes down before you drop them off.

Need help navigating these rules?

Common Questions

Need help before booking?

Find answers to common questions, pricing details, pickup policies, and service options.

Talk to our team

(844) 239-7711

Text our team

(678) 884-4738

Not as a general rule. Regular Ames trash service covers only bagged or containerized household waste, and piles of furniture or debris left out can be treated as illegal dumping. Confirm bulky item rules with the City of Ames Public Works before setting anything out.

LoadUp pricing for junk removal in Ames starts at $85, and curbside or driveway pickup takes a flat $5 off. The first item includes the base pickup fee, each additional item is a flat add-on charge, and the exact total is confirmed before booking. Traditional haulers usually price by truckload.

Sometimes, depending on Loader availability for your address and the time you book. Enter your Ames address during booking to see live openings. For curbside pickups you don't need to be home, and for in-home jobs you can leave access instructions.

Hazardous items like paint, chemicals, batteries, and many electronics usually can't go in household trash or a hauler's truck, and large bulky items often need special handling. Story County runs household hazardous waste programs, so check with them for drop-off options before disposal.

Loaders aim to keep items out of the landfill whenever possible. Usable furniture and household goods may go to local donation partners, depending on acceptance, and recyclable materials are routed to recyclers when options allow. Whatever remains goes to an appropriate disposal facility.

You choose your items and pickup time online, see your total upfront, and book. A Loader typically calls before arriving, then carries the items out from inside, the curb, or the driveway. Pickup is on your schedule, whether you live near Campustown or Northridge Heights.

The main differences are pricing model and booking flow. Many traditional haulers price by truckload and may confirm the price on-site. LoadUp prices per item online and confirms the total before booking, which often suits small jobs. Big full-house cleanouts may suit a truckload hauler.

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