What an estate cleanout covers
An estate cleanout usually means everything: furniture from every room, beds, kitchen contents, appliances, clothing and linens, books and boxed papers, and whatever fills the attic, basement, garage and shed. It often follows a loss, a move to assisted living or a parent downsizing. The family decides what stays, and a hauler should load only what you point to.
Go through drawers, books and closet boxes before cleanout day. Photographs, letters and papers turn up in odd places, and once a load leaves, it is gone. If the house is being sold, ask the agent or the attorney handling the estate whether anything, such as appliances, must stay with the sale. Settle that before the first load goes.
How haulers price a whole house
Most Charlotte-area companies price by volume, meaning how much of the truck your things fill. Published local medians in October 2026 were $431 for a half truck and $699.50 for a full truck. A house with several furnished rooms can take more than one full load, so ask how a second or third load is priced. A few companies also publish hourly rates for a two-person crew.
Ask what the price includes: loading from every floor, stairs, a sweep of each room, and any fees for mattresses, refrigerant appliances and TVs. Ask whether the job can be split over more than one visit if relatives are still sorting. Then get the full price in writing before anything is carried out.
Where the contents can go
A full house holds a lot that someone can use. The Habitat ReStore in Gastonia takes furniture, working appliances within its age limits, dishes, cookware, decor and books, and Goodwill has drop-offs in Gastonia and Lowell. The ReStore does not take clothing, linens, mattresses or anything broken or stained. Ask each hauler which donation centers it uses, and whether it can give you a list of what was donated for the estate's records.
TVs and computers cannot go in the trash, because North Carolina has banned them from landfills since 2011. County convenience sites take them, with TVs and monitors at $5 each. Old paint and chemicals belong at the county's household hazardous waste events. The disposal guide lists every option, and the companies listed here serve Gaston County.
Ask before you book
- Is the price by volume or by the hour, and what does a second load cost?
- Can the work be split over more than one visit?
- Is loading from the attic, basement and shed the same price?
- What fees apply to mattresses, refrigerators and TVs?
- Which items will be donated, and to whom?
- Do you take paint or chemicals, or should the family handle those?
The do-it-yourself route in Gaston County
If the family is clearing the house itself, plan on several trips. At the Tryon, Riverbend, Crowders Creek and Hardin convenience sites, one GarbCard ($5) covers up to 10 bags of trash, bulky items take two ($10), and each mattress, box spring, TV or monitor carries its own fee. Appliances and sorted recyclables cost nothing. The sites serve county residents and take no cash. The Habitat ReStore in Gastonia schedules free pickup of large donated items online.
Details from Gaston County and town sources, checked October 2026. See the full disposal guide.
Companies that list estate cleanouts
These 13 companies list this work on their own sites. Check your town page to see which ones say they serve you.
| Company | Based in | Phone | Gaston County coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
| College HUNKS Hauling Junk & Moving (Charlotte) | Charlotte | (704) 837-0851 | Names 9 Gaston County towns |
| Haulchemy | Not stated | (980) 890-4285 | Names 2 Gaston County towns |
| Junk Doctors | Charlotte | (704) 659-1482 | Names 7 Gaston County towns and says it covers the county |
| Junk King Charlotte West | Not stated | (980) 485-4020 | Names 4 Gaston County towns |
| Junk Nerds NC | Waxhaw | (704) 941-8707 | Names 3 Gaston County towns |
| Junk Punk | Not stated | (704) 777-9525 | Names 2 Gaston County towns |
| Junk Raider | Charlotte | (704) 594-1271 | Says it covers Gaston County |
| Junk Wizards LLC | Not stated | (704) 751-2805 | Names 6 Gaston County towns |
| The Junkluggers of Charlotte | Not stated | (704) 520-0033 | Names 11 Gaston County towns and says it covers the county |
| Lucky Services & Junk Removal | Charlotte | (704) 266-6018 | Names 3 Gaston County towns |
| Morrow Scrap Metal Removal LLC | Gastonia | (980) 318-9145 | Names 1 Gaston County town |
| Queen City Hauling | Not stated | (980) 428-5889 | Names 2 Gaston County towns |
| Rembert Demolition & Junk Removal | Maiden | (980) 241-4849 | Names 1 Gaston County town |
Estate Cleanouts questions
- How much does an estate cleanout cost in Gaston County?
- It depends on how many truckloads the house fills. Published prices from Charlotte-area companies (October 2026) run $345 to $488 for a half truck and $615 to $738 for a full one, and a furnished house can take several loads. None of these figures is a quote. Walk the house with two or three haulers and compare written prices for the same scope.
- What if the family has not decided what to keep?
- That is common, and it does not have to hold up the work. Clear the rooms you are sure about first and leave the rest for a later visit. Ask each hauler whether a split job is priced as one load or two. Mark anything the family is keeping, and go through drawers and boxes before the first visit.
- What happens to old paint and chemicals in the house?
- Most junk removal companies will not take them, so plan separately. Gaston County collects oil-based paint, pesticides, pool chemicals, old gasoline and similar items from residents at household hazardous waste events in Dallas a few times a year; check the county's schedule. Latex paint can go to the county landfill by appointment at 704-922-7729.
- Can furniture and dishes from the house be donated?
- Much of it can. The Habitat ReStore in Gastonia takes furniture, working appliances within its age limits, dishes, cookware, decor and books, and it schedules free pickup of large items online. Goodwill has donation drop-offs in Gastonia and Lowell. The ReStore turns down clothing, linens, mattresses, and anything broken or stained.