Toronto’s curbside pickup is more generous than most cities’. In Scarborough you can put an old couch beside your garbage bin on collection day and the City will usually take it, no booking and no tag. So why does anyone pay for junk removal? Because the couch has to get to the curb first, the fridge has to come up from the basement, the renovation debris doesn’t count, and a full house of belongings doesn’t fit beside one bin.
Moving Co. does junk removal across Scarborough, from a single sofa to a full basement, garage or estate cleanout. We carry everything out, load the truck, sweep up and haul it away in one visit, often on the same day you call.
Call 905-752-7787 or request a free quote with a quick description or a few photos, and we’ll give you a real price.
What the City of Toronto picks up at the curb
Scarborough has been part of the City of Toronto since amalgamation in 1998, so its households follow Toronto’s rules. According to the City’s oversized and metal items page and its collection calendars:
- Oversized items go beside your bin on garbage day. Furniture, mattresses and similar items are collected without a garbage tag or an appointment.
- Metal items and appliances go out the same way. Fridges, stoves, freezers, washers, dryers, air conditioners and barbecues are collected as metal goods. Remove the doors from fridges, freezers, washers and dryers, and take the propane tank off a barbecue.
- There’s an annual fee whether you use it or not. Every house pays an oversized and metal items fee each year, $23.23 in 2026, whether or not it puts anything out.
- Timing matters. Items go out before 7 a.m. on collection day, but not before 8 p.m. the night before, and about half a metre from your bins.
- Infested items need wrapping. Furniture or mattresses with bed bugs have to be fully wrapped in plastic.
- Electronics are collected too. The City picks up electronic waste at the curb for free on garbage day, set out beside the bin with batteries removed.
If you have one or two items, they’re easy to carry, and you can wait for your collection day, use the City. You’re already paying for it. We’d rather you save the money and call us for the job that needs a crew.
So why do people still call us?
In Scarborough, the reasons are usually practical:
- The carrying. The City collects from the curb. It doesn’t go into your basement, up your stairs or through your back gate. A sleeper sofa or a chest freezer in a basement is a two or three person job, and that’s where floors, walls and backs get damaged.
- The amount. A garage clear-out or a whole house doesn’t fit neatly beside a garbage bin, and leaving a large pile at the curb for days rarely goes well with the neighbours.
- The timing. Collection follows the City’s calendar. If the house closes Friday or a tenant moves in this weekend, waiting isn’t an option.
- Renovation waste. Drywall, doors, lumber, cabinets, shingles and tiles are not collected at the curb in Toronto. They go to a drop-off depot or a private hauler.
- Apartments and condos. Buildings with City collection have a designated area for oversized items, but buildings that opt out of City garbage service lose it. Either way, you still have to get the item down to that area.
The Scarborough Transfer Station
If you have a vehicle and help, you can take things yourself. The City lists the Scarborough Transfer Station at 1 Transfer Place, near Nugget Avenue and Markham Road, as one of its drop-off depots. It’s open Monday to Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Household hazardous waste and electronics are taken Tuesday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday morning. Check the City’s page before you go, since holiday hours change.
The Scarborough depot takes garbage, yard waste, renovation waste (but not drywall), household hazardous waste and electronics. It does not list metal or mattresses. In 2026, mattresses are accepted only at the Commissioners Street and Dufferin depots, and drywall only at Bermondsey, Ingram and Commissioners.
The City’s 2026 depot fees are $189.86 per tonne for garbage and renovation waste, with a $19 minimum that covers the first 100 kg. Metal, yard waste and mattresses are $142.40 per tonne, and small metal or yard waste loads under 20 kg are free. Household hazardous waste and electronics are free. A deposit of at least $40 is taken before you unload, and you need a motorized vehicle with the load secured. Tires aren’t being accepted until further notice.
That’s a fair system if you have a truck. If you don’t, or the load is bigger than one trip, it adds up quickly once you count a rental, two trips and a few hours of lifting.
What we charge
We price junk removal by volume, meaning how much of the truck your items fill. A couple of chairs is a small job. An entire basement or a two car garage is a big one. Three things move the price:
- Access. Driveway pickups are quick. A basement with a tight stair, a backyard reached through a side gate, or an apartment with an elevator booking takes more time.
- Weight and disposal. Disposal is charged by weight, so dense loads like renovation debris and appliances cost more than a pile of light furniture.
- Special handling. Fridges, freezers and air conditioners carry refrigerant, and mattresses and electronics have their own disposal streams.
Before anything is loaded, you get a clear estimate and we explain what’s in it. The price we agree is the price you pay. If there’s more than you described, we tell you the revised number first, not after it’s on the truck. Photos with your quote request get you the most accurate number.
What we take from Scarborough homes
- Furniture: sofas, sectionals, recliners, mattresses, box springs, bed frames, dressers, dining sets, desks, bookcases, entertainment units.
- Appliances: fridges, chest and upright freezers, stoves, washers, dryers, dishwashers, air conditioners, dehumidifiers.
- Basement and garage contents: storage boxes, shelving, old toys, bikes, tools, exercise equipment, holiday decorations.
- Electronics: TVs, monitors, computers and stereo equipment.
- Yard leftovers: patio furniture, planters, a dismantled shed’s contents, a barbecue with its tank removed.
- Small renovation leftovers: an old vanity, cabinets, flooring offcuts and packaging. For heavy demolition debris, a bin is usually better value, and we’ll tell you if it is.
Our crews can unhook a washer, a dryer or a fridge water line. A gas stove or gas dryer has to be disconnected by a TSSA registered contractor before it’s moved. And for any fridge, freezer or air conditioner, let us know when you book: in Ontario only a certified technician can remove and handle refrigerants, so those appliances are handled differently from a sofa.
Hazardous waste: the Toxic Taxi and the depots
We can’t take paint, solvents, fuel, motor oil, propane tanks, pesticides, cleaners, batteries or anything similar. A transfer station will turn away a whole load if those are mixed in.
Toronto makes these fairly easy to get rid of. Household hazardous waste is free at the depots, including Scarborough, within a daily limit of 50 litres or 50 kilograms. The City also runs the Toxic Taxi, a free pickup you book through 311 for between 10 and 50 litres or kilograms of household hazardous waste. If we find something hazardous on the day, we set it aside and point you to the right option.
Bungalows, backsplits and townhouse complexes
Scarborough’s housing shapes the work. Many streets are lined with post-war bungalows and backsplits, often with a basement that’s been lived in, renovated, rented and used for storage over several decades. Clearing one means tight stairs, low ceilings, and furniture that came in before a wall was added.
There are also a lot of townhouse complexes, where parking is shared, visitor spots are limited and the path from the unit to the truck can be long. And there are apartment towers, where the building may want a booked elevator, a certificate of insurance and a set time for the loading area. You book the elevator with your building; we help with what to ask for and send the certificate ahead of time.
We plan for each of these before the crew arrives. Tell us the type of home, the floor, the stairs and where the truck can park, and we’ll send the right number of people.
Landlords and rental turnovers
A lot of Scarborough houses have a basement unit, and a lot of landlords have learned the same lesson: when a tenant moves out, not everything leaves with them. The couch stays, the mattress stays, and the storage room fills with whatever didn’t fit in the moving truck. The unit has to be cleaned, painted and shown again, usually within days.
Turnovers always come with a deadline, so tell us yours when you call. We clear the unit, the shared storage areas and the backyard, and we carry everything up the basement stairs without damaging the walls you’re about to repaint. If you can’t be there, we can often work with access arranged in advance and send you an update when the unit is empty. Property managers with several units can book them together.
Getting ready for the crew
There’s nothing you have to do before we arrive. The lifting is our job. If you want the visit to go faster, though, these help:
- Make the big decisions first. The slowest part of a cleanout is stopping to decide about each item. Even a broad rule, like “the whole garage goes except the tool chest,” keeps things moving.
- Take out what matters. Passports, paperwork, jewellery and family photos sometimes end up in the wrong box. Pull them out before loading starts.
- Put hazardous items to one side. Paint cans, propane tanks, cleaning chemicals and car batteries can’t go on our truck. The depot or the Toxic Taxi will take them for free.
- Tell us about parking. Whether it’s your driveway, a shared townhouse lot or an apartment loading area, knowing where the truck can stop saves time on the day.
Business clear-outs in Scarborough
We also clear offices, retail units in plazas, restaurants and warehouses. Business jobs usually come with constraints: a lease that ends on a set date, a landlord who wants the space empty and swept, or a building that only allows work after hours. Tell us about all of it when you book and we’ll plan around it, including evening and weekend work. We can provide a certificate of insurance ahead of the date. If some of the furniture is worth keeping, we can move it to your new space in the same visit, since we’re a moving company as well.
Renovation waste and bins in Scarborough
Renovations produce a lot of material the City won’t take at the curb. For small amounts, we’re usually the simplest option: we carry it out with everything else and it’s gone in one trip. For a large renovation, a bin is often cheaper.
If the bin is going on the road or the boulevard, Toronto requires a Street Occupation Permit. In 2026 it costs $73.89 plus HST per day, and a separate road disruption application is also required. A bin on your own driveway avoids that, if the driveway can take it.
Same day junk removal in Scarborough
Plenty of our calls are urgent: a tenant left furniture behind and the new one arrives tomorrow, a closing date moved up, or a landlord needs a unit cleared now. We work seven days a week, and in Scarborough we can often come the same day if you call early enough. It depends on what’s already booked and where the crews are, so the only reliable way to know is to call 905-752-7787 and ask. If today isn’t possible, we’ll give you the earliest slot we really have.
Junk removal with your move
Moving day is the cheapest day to get rid of things. The truck and crew are already at the house. As we load what you’re keeping, we can take away what you’re not, so you don’t pay to move furniture you’ll throw out next month. For the moving side, see our Scarborough movers page. If you’re moving into a condo, our condo and apartment moves page covers how we deal with building rules.
Estate and full house cleanouts
When a parent moves into care or passes away, someone has to empty the home. In Scarborough that’s often a house a family has owned for decades, with a basement and a garage that have quietly filled up over that time. The job usually lands on family members who are working, grieving and dealing with a closing date all at once.
We work at a pace that respects that. You decide ahead of time what’s kept, given to family, donated or sold, and we clear the rest, room by room. Tell us the closing date and we’ll work backwards from it. If you’re coordinating from out of town, we can often arrange access in advance and keep you updated so you don’t have to travel just to open the door.
Reuse, donation and where things go
Where it’s realistic, we sort what we take: usable furniture and appliances can go to charities and reuse programs, and metal, electronics and cardboard go to recycling. Things that are finished are disposed of properly. We won’t promise you a green result we can’t deliver.
If you’d like to donate some things yourself, the City runs Community Environment Days from April to the end of September, where residents can drop off electronics and household hazardous waste and donate reusable goods. The City’s Waste Wizard tool also tells you where almost any item should go. Tell us about anything you want donated and we’ll do our best to route it there.
Neighbourhoods we cover
We do junk removal across all of Scarborough: Agincourt, Malvern, Wexford, Birch Cliff, Cliffside, Scarborough Village, Guildwood, West Hill, Highland Creek, Port Union, Woburn, Bendale, Morningside and the neighbourhoods along the Bluffs. We also cover nearby North York, Markham, Pickering and the rest of Toronto. We do junk removal in every city in Ontario, so if you’re further out, ask.
How a Scarborough junk pickup works
- Tell us what’s going. Call 905-752-7787 or use the quote form. A list or a few photos is plenty.
- Get your price and a time. You get a clear estimate based on volume, access and anything that needs special handling.
- We do the lifting. The crew protects floors and door frames and carries everything out. You don’t need to bring anything to the curb.
- Gone in one visit. It all leaves on our truck. We sweep up and check with you before we go.
Our crews are insured, and we can send a certificate of insurance to any building or property manager who asks for one.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does junk removal cost in Scarborough?
It’s priced mainly by volume, meaning how much of the truck your items fill, plus access and disposal. You’ll have a clear estimate before we start, and the price we agree is the price you pay. Send a few photos with your quote request for the most accurate number.
Will the City of Toronto take my old couch?
Usually, yes. Oversized items like furniture and mattresses can go beside your garbage bin on collection day, with no tag or appointment, as long as they’re out before 7 a.m. The catch is that you have to get it to the curb yourself, and it goes on the City’s schedule.
Does Toronto pick up old fridges and stoves?
Yes, as metal items on garbage day. Doors have to come off fridges, freezers, washers and dryers first. If the appliance is in a basement or you can’t move it safely, we can take it out for you. Mention any fridge, freezer or air conditioner when you book.
Where is the dump in Scarborough?
The City’s drop-off depot is the Scarborough Transfer Station at 1 Transfer Place, near Nugget Avenue and Markham Road. It takes garbage, yard waste, renovation waste except drywall, household hazardous waste and electronics. Mattresses go to the Commissioners or Dufferin depots instead.
Do you offer same day junk removal in Scarborough?
Often, yes, if you call early in the day. We work seven days a week, and same day depends on what’s already booked. Call 905-752-7787 to check.
Can I put a bin on the street in Scarborough?
Only with a Street Occupation Permit from the City, which in 2026 costs $73.89 plus HST per day, plus a road disruption application. A bin on your own driveway doesn’t need one.
What won’t you take?
Hazardous materials such as paint, solvents, fuel, oil, propane tanks, pesticides and car batteries, along with asbestos. Toronto takes household hazardous waste free at its depots, or through the Toxic Taxi pickup you book by calling 311.
Can you clear a townhouse or apartment?
Yes. For apartments and condos, you book the elevator with your building and we help with what to ask for. We also send a certificate of insurance ahead of the date if the building needs one. For townhouse complexes, tell us where the truck can park.
Do I need to be home during the pickup?
It helps to be there at the start to show us what’s going. After that, you don’t need to watch. For rental turnovers or estate cleanouts where everything is leaving, we can often work with access arranged in advance and send you an update when we’re done.
Do you donate furniture that’s still usable?
Where it’s realistic, yes. Usable furniture and appliances can go to reuse programs, and metal, electronics and cardboard go to recycling. Tell us which items you’d like donated.
Tell us what needs to go and we’ll give you a clear price and a time: insured crew, no surprise fees, gone in one visit. Request your free quote or call 905-752-7787.