Basement Cleanout Services in Monroe, MI & Toledo, OH
Almost every home in this market has a basement, and most of what is down there came in through a door that is now a staircase. We empty the whole thing, from the sectional the family room was built around to a decade of boxes along the foundation wall, and carry it up and out ourselves. You get a flat price before anything moves, the stairs and banister are protected on the way, and anything still usable goes to donation instead of the landfill. A flooded or sewage-backed basement is a different job, and we spell out below what we do and don't take on.
What's included
- Furniture, sectionals, sleeper sofas and pool tables, taken apart where the stairs require it
- Boxes, storage totes, holiday decorations and general household clutter
- Chest freezers, second refrigerators, washers, dryers and water heaters, with refrigerant appliances sent for certified recovery
- Exercise equipment, weight benches, treadmills and rec-room fixtures
- Ruined contents and debris from a flooded basement (we haul it out; we do not dry out the space, treat mold or clean up sewage)
- Carpet, padding and demolition debris left over from a finished-basement tear-out
- Stair dollies, straps, banister padding and floor runners on every job
- Donation, scrap and e-waste sorted out of the load before anything is tipped
- A swept, cleared space, ready to repair, finish, rent or list
Sounds like your place?
Not sure whether this is the right service, or what it should cost? If any of these sound familiar, call us — we'll look at it, tell you straight what it takes, and quote one flat price for the whole job.
- You have not been able to walk a straight line across the basement in a year
- The washer has become a shelf and the stair landing is permanent storage
- A closing, a showing or a rental turnover has a date on it
- A relative's basement has to be emptied and the stairs are the whole problem
- The basement flooded and what is down there is not coming back
What a basement cleanout costs here
| Basement | Typical price |
|---|---|
| A few items and boxes | $140 – $275 |
| One room, moderately full | $300 – $425 |
| Finished basement: rec room, storage and mechanical area | $400 – $650 |
| Full basement, floor to ceiling | $500 – $900 |
| Add: water-damaged contents | +$100 – $400 |
| Add: narrow or turning stairs, no outside access | +$50 – $150 |
Pricing is by truck volume, not weight or hours, and you get the number before we load anything. What separates a basement from a garage of the same size is the staircase, not the square footage. The basement cleanout guide goes through what moves a quote, and the general cost guide covers everything else.
The stairs are the job
A garage load walks out to the driveway. A basement load goes up a staircase first, and in older Toledo and Monroe houses that is often a narrow one with a turn at the landing. We bring stair dollies, straps, banister padding and floor runners as standard. Sectionals come apart at the clips and pool tables come apart into their slate sections when a turn will not take them whole, and we use a walk-out or bulkhead door when there is one. None of that changes your price, because it is already built into a basement quote.
If the basement flooded
Water changes the job, and it changes who you should call first.
- What we do: haul out the contents and debris that are not coming back, so a restoration crew or your own repairs can start. That means soaked furniture, boxes, carpet and padding, and wet drywall that has already been pulled out.
- What we don’t do: dry out the space, treat mold or clean up sewage. The EPA says porous materials such as carpet and ceiling tiles may have to be thrown away if they become moldy, and that damage from sewage or other contaminated water calls for a professional experienced with contaminated water.
- In Toledo, report sewer backups: the City asks residents to report basement flooding and sewer backups to Engage Toledo at 419-936-2020, available 24/7 according to its May 2025 notice. The City also runs a Basement Flooding Grant Program; read the application for what it covers.
- Before anything is thrown out: photograph it, and ask your insurance adjuster whether they need to see or count the damaged items first. Once it is hauled away it cannot be inspected.
What can’t go in a basement load
Paint, solvents, pesticides, pool chemicals, fuel and propane tanks need a household hazardous waste program rather than a truck. Monroe County, MI runs free collection events for county residents, and Lucas County, OH takes household hazardous waste by appointment. Set those aside before the crew arrives. Our garage cleanout guide has the full list of what goes where.
A cleanout is not a cleaning
We empty the basement and sweep it out. We don’t scrub, disinfect, waterproof, treat mold or make repairs. If what you need is basement cleaning because of mold, moisture or a past flood, you want a restoration or waterproofing contractor, and we can clear the space before they arrive.
When the basement is part of something bigger
If the whole house has to be emptied, see estate and property cleanouts. If it is a rental, our landlord guide covers the Michigan and Ohio differences. If the basement has filled to the point where it is hard to move through, read how hoarding cleanups are priced. And if you are simply sick of looking at it, start here.
One crew, both sides of the state line
Monroe County, Michigan and Lucas County, Ohio are fifteen minutes apart and run on different disposal systems — different transfer stations, different tipping fees, different rules on appliances, tires and construction debris. That is why so many haulers work one side and turn the other down. We run both counties as a single service area and route each load to the facility that will actually take it, so a Temperance job and a Toledo job get the same price and the same truck.
From the first call to an empty room
Call or Send Photos
Tell us what you have, or text a couple of photos. For straightforward loads we can quote from pictures; for cleanouts we come look. Either way it costs nothing.
Firm Price On Site
We walk the job with you, point at exactly what is going, and give you a flat price for the whole thing. If you say no, we leave and there is no charge.
We Load It Out
You point, we carry. Doorways and banisters get protected, and everything comes out of the room it is in — you should not have to move a thing to the curb first.
Swept Up and Sorted
We sweep the space before we pull out, then sort the load on our end: donations dropped, metal scrapped, electronics recycled, and only the rest to the transfer station.
You may also need
Junk Removal & Hauling
Full-service junk removal on both sides of the state line — one item or a whole truckload, carried out of wherever it sits, loaded, swept up, and hauled to the right facility in Michigan or Ohio.
Learn moreFurniture & Appliance Removal
Couches, sectionals, mattresses, box springs, recliners, fridges, washers, dryers, water heaters and treadmills — taken out of the room they are in, not the curb you dragged them to.
Learn moreEstate & Property Cleanouts
Whole-house estate cleanouts, garage and basement clear-outs, rental and foreclosure turnovers, and compassionate hoarding cleanup — sorted room by room, not shoveled.
Learn moreBasement Cleanout — FAQs
Most basement cleanouts run $300–$650: a few items and boxes $140–$275, one room $300–$425, a finished basement $400–$650 and a full floor-to-ceiling basement $500–$900. Water-damaged contents and narrow stairs add to it. The staircase, not the square footage, is what separates a basement quote from a garage quote. See the basement cleanout guide for the breakdown.
Yes, and in this market it is the normal case. We use stair dollies and straps, pad the banister and floor, take sectionals apart at the clips, and use a walk-out or bulkhead door when there is one. Disassembly does not change your quoted price.
We haul out the contents and debris that are not coming back so repairs can start. We do not dry out the space, treat mold or clean up sewage, and the EPA advises using a professional experienced with contaminated water for sewage damage. Photograph everything first and ask your insurance adjuster whether they need to see it before it goes. In Toledo, the City asks residents to report basement flooding and sewer backups to Engage Toledo at 419-936-2020.
No. Some people go through it on their own first and call when the pile is staged. Others want a crew there to ask “keep or go” item by item so nothing is set down to decide later. Tell us which when you call and we quote it the same way.
Paint, solvents, pesticides, pool chemicals, fuel and propane tanks. Those need a household hazardous waste program: Monroe County, MI runs free collection events for county residents, and Lucas County, OH takes it by appointment. Everything else, including appliances, mattresses and construction debris, is fair game.
Most take a few hours, and a full floor-to-ceiling basement can take most of a day. We confirm the time when we quote, and a free walk-through for larger jobs lets us give you a real number rather than a guess.