1-800-GOT-JUNK alternatives in Cincinnati

The short answer

The main alternatives in the Cincinnati area are other national franchises that price by truck volume, Rumpke's own junk service, app-based services with item pricing, the City of Cincinnati's free appointment-only bulk program, and JunkRabbit's published flat prices. The right one depends on whether you want an on-site estimate, a curbside option, a free route or a firm price before booking. A JunkRabbit queen mattress is $103 and a fridge $164, shown before you book.

How 1-800-GOT-JUNK works here

1-800-GOT-JUNK lists itself as operating in Greater Cincinnati and Dayton and in Northern Kentucky, with both the Cincinnati and NKY listings at an address on Tramway Drive in the Sharonville area. Its pricing is volume based, described as depending on how much space your junk takes up in the truck. It also offers a curbside option called Flex, where you bring items out yourself. That model works for a lot of people. If you would rather know the full price before anyone arrives, or you want a per-item price for a few things, the alternatives below are worth comparing. This guide sticks to how each option works rather than what each one charges, because prices change and you should get current quotes directly.

Other national franchises

College Hunks Hauling Junk has a Cincinnati office in Loveland and lists service in neighborhoods including Hyde Park, Mount Adams and Oakley, as well as Ohio and Northern Kentucky communities. It prices by truck space. Junk King has a Cincinnati location and lists Blue Ash, Fairfield, Mason, West Chester and Wyoming among its areas, with volume-based pricing, free estimates and same-day service. Like 1-800-GOT-JUNK, these are volume models, which means the final number depends on how much space the load takes once it is seen. If you are comparing them, ask each for the total for your specific items and what it includes.

Rumpke: the hauler that also does junk

Rumpke is the region's dominant trash company, the city hauler in Newport and the operator of the landfill in Colerain Township. Besides curbside bulk pickup for its customers, it sells dumpster rentals and runs a junk-removal service called Haul-it-Away. Its Haul-it-Away pricing is not published, so ask directly. If you are already a Rumpke customer, curbside bulk pickup may handle some items, but note its rules: mattresses and box springs must be wrapped and sealed in plastic and counted as one item, Freon appliances need a certified refrigerant statement, and drywall, concrete and brick are not taken curbside.

App-based and item-priced services

Some services price by item instead of by volume. LoadUp, for example, has a Cincinnati page with item pricing, though exact quotes depend on your ZIP code. Item pricing is useful when you have a few specific things rather than a pile. JunkRabbit also prices by item, with every price published, and adds truck-fill tiers for bigger jobs. The difference to check between any item-priced services is what the price includes. Ask whether carry-out from inside the home is included, whether there are extra charges for stairs or curbside, and whether disposal is in the price.

The free option: the City bulk appointment

Inside the City of Cincinnati, the bulk program is free, by appointment, booked online or through 311. A claw truck takes up to five items per appointment from the curb, set out the night before. It accepts couches, mattresses, refrigerators and freezers, stoves, washers and dryers, water heaters, exercise equipment, cabinets and doors. It does not take construction debris, lumber, concrete, windows or siding, hot tubs, grand pianos or anything over 6 feet tall, and it does not come inside. For a few qualifying items you can carry to the curb, it is hard to beat. For everything else, you need one of the paid options.

JunkRabbit: flat prices, published

The price is shown before you book and only changes if you approve. Carry-out from any floor and disposal are included; there is no stairs fee and no same-day surcharge. Vetted, insured local haulers do the work, and a COI is emailed within one hour. The same prices apply in Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky and southeast Indiana.

How to choose

If you want someone to look at the load and quote on the spot, a volume-based franchise fits. If you are happy to carry items to the curb yourself, a curbside option or the City's free appointment may suit you. If you are a Rumpke customer with items that meet its rules, start there. If you want a firm, published price before booking, with carry-out from a third-floor Over-the-Rhine walk-up or a Price Hill basement included, JunkRabbit fits. Compare the total for your actual job, including carry-out and disposal, and pick the model that matches how you want to work.

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