When looking to hire a junk hauling company, why does it matter how they will take care of my trash and junk? Well, allow us to explain!

Like with any other company you chose to do work at your home or business, there are several important factors to consider when hiring a junk removal company. You want to select a company that is licensed, pays taxes, offers workers benefits, and gives back to the community. The junk removal business is one of the easiest businesses to get a start in, all you need is a few hundred dollars to purchase a used pickup truck and $20 for a can of paint to put your name and contact information on the side of the truck. For this reason, there are many different kinds of irresponsible individuals who get in this very rigorous business, and you want to make sure you are able to recognize the true professionals.

Illegal, non-licensed drive by and “Home Depot” type haulers are very likely to dump your trash on the street! That’s why they can work at such a cheap rate. Also, these people have no traceable address and it’s extremely difficult to hold them responsible for illegal dumping, which is a serious problem in our cities. It costs taxpayers millions of dollars to deal with the ongoing problem. Often times the police will sift the illegally dumped trash for an address and come back to present the proprietor with a large bill for the cleanup. These illegal haulers will not refuse to haul hazardous paints and chemicals, which may be dumped on the street or in a landfill; such a problem is common in area like Richmond, CA which is close to the Bay of San Francisco. The paints and chemicals find their way into the Bay waters, becoming a dangerous threat to marine life and the entire Bay Area environment.

Demand to see companies’ license and insurance; also ask for references whenever possible. Pick a company with prominent advertising and a traceable address. Also it is always preferable to pick a locally owned and operated company. For example, it would be much easier for the inhabitants of Richmond or the San Francisco Bay Area to check the credentials and deal with a San Francisco junk removal company.

It’s usually easy to tell the good ones by the look of the trucks too!

Also, there are many new junk franchise type operations that pay $30,000-$50,000 for a new franchise and have to get this initial franchise costs paid for ASAP. Locally owned & operated companies can always give you a better price.

Ask for an up front quote for the work. Don’t do business with a company that adds on weight or labor charges after the job is completed. Lastly, don’t do business with a company who places illegal ad signs on chain link fences and telephone poles. These are usually franchise operations that do not care about the blight they cause in our neighborhoods. The removal costs of these illegal signs are put on us, the taxpayers.