The 60-Second Version
- One or two items, no deadline? Unincorporated Manatee County picks up two bulk items a month at the curb at no extra charge.
- Paint, gas, oil, propane, and chemicals go to Lena Road Landfill, which takes them from county residents at no charge. I don't haul these, and most junk removal companies won't either.
- Hauling it yourself to Lena Road runs $5 for a car or SUV and $23 for a pickup under 1,000 lbs.
- Hiring it out runs $129 for one item up to $625 for a full 12-foot trailer, quoted as one flat number before anything gets loaded.
Your five options, side by side
| Option | Best for | Real cost | You do the labor? |
|---|---|---|---|
| County curbside bulk | 1 to 2 items, no rush, unincorporated county | No extra charge, then $59 per item | Yes, drag it to the curb |
| County annual bulk pickup | One big same-material pile, up to 10 cu yd | No extra charge, once a year | Yes, and you schedule ahead |
| Haul it to Lena Road yourself | Small loads, hazardous, electronics | $5 car / $23 pickup truck. Scale rates on bigger loads. | Yes, all of it |
| Rent a dumpster | Multi-day renovations | Rental plus weight overages, parked in your driveway for days. | Yes, every bit |
| Junk removal (me) | Full cleanouts, deadlines, heavy items, anything you don't want to touch | $129 to $625 flat, quoted before I start | No |
County curbside bulk
- Best for
- 1 to 2 items, no rush, unincorporated county
- Real cost
- No extra charge, then $59 per item
- You do the labor?
- Yes, drag it to the curb
County annual bulk pickup
- Best for
- One big same-material pile, up to 10 cu yd
- Real cost
- No extra charge, once a year
- You do the labor?
- Yes, and you schedule ahead
Haul it to Lena Road yourself
- Best for
- Small loads, hazardous, electronics
- Real cost
- $5 car / $23 pickup truck. Scale rates on bigger loads.
- You do the labor?
- Yes, all of it
Rent a dumpster
- Best for
- Multi-day renovations
- Real cost
- Rental plus weight overages, parked in your driveway for days.
- You do the labor?
- Yes, every bit
Junk removal (me)
- Best for
- Full cleanouts, deadlines, heavy items, anything you don't want to touch
- Real cost
- $129 to $625 flat, quoted before I start
- You do the labor?
- No
Self-haul math, worth knowing either way: a car or SUV drops off for $5 flat, a residential pickup with no trailer is $23 flat under 1,000 lbs, and bigger loads go on the scale. Mixed or uncovered loads get charged double, so strap a tarp on.
Use the county first when it makes sense
I'd rather you use what you already pay for and remember me next time. If you live in unincorporated Manatee County, bulk collection is part of your solid waste service at no extra charge:
- Two bulk items at the curb each month, on a zone-based day that lines up with your regular service day.
- One annual pickup of up to 10 cubic yards, all one material, scheduled ahead.
- Anything past your two monthly items runs $59 per item. Tires, appliances, and the annual pickup have to be scheduled at mymanatee.org/css or by calling 311.
Items go within 3 feet of the road by 6 a.m. on your bulk day. Look up your day on the county's Resident Information Tool at mymanatee.org/bigbin. This is a pilot program running through April 30, 2027, so the details may change after that.
Inside the city limits of Bradenton, Palmetto, Anna Maria, Holmes Beach, Bradenton Beach, or Longboat Key, your city runs its own collection with its own rules. County rules change too, so confirm current details on the Manatee County solid waste page.
Call me instead when: it's more than two items, you need it gone on a timeline, it's a whole garage or house, it's mixed material, it's too heavy to drag to the curb, or you just don't want to touch it.
What needs special handling
Hazardous materials
Wet paint, motor oil, gasoline, propane tanks, pool chemicals, pesticides, solvents, car batteries, and fluorescent bulbs.
Lena Road Landfill, 3333 Lena Road, Bradenton. No charge for county residents, weekdays plus the third Saturday of each month.
TVs and electronics
E-scrap isn't part of the curbside bulk program, so a TV set out on bulk day just sits there. If it's only a TV or a computer, Lena Road takes it from residents at no charge. If it's part of a bigger load, I'll take it with everything else.
Asbestos, biohazards, and medical waste
Asbestos needs a licensed abatement contractor and 24 hours notice at the landfill. For medical waste, contact the Department of Health. The county can't accept it.
What it costs to hire it out
Junk removal is priced by how much space your stuff takes up in the trailer. A full load is my 12-foot dump trailer, about 12 cubic yards. These are my actual prices, the same ones on my pricing page and the same ones I'd give you on the phone.
| Load size | Price | What that usually looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Single item (minimum) | $129 | One couch, mattress, appliance, or piece of furniture |
| Quarter trailer | $199 | A closet cleanout or a small pile from one room |
| Half trailer | $349 | A small bedroom, a shed clear-out, or a similar-size pile |
| Three-quarter trailer | $525 | A large room, a small garage, most apartment cleanouts |
| Full trailer | $625 | A full 12-foot trailer. Full garages and estates are often more than one load, quoted up front. |
Single item (minimum)
$129
One couch, mattress, appliance, or piece of furniture
Quarter trailer
$199
A closet cleanout or a small pile from one room
Half trailer
$349
A small bedroom, a shed clear-out, or a similar-size pile
Three-quarter trailer
$525
A large room, a small garage, most apartment cleanouts
Full trailer
$625
A full 12-foot trailer. Full garages and estates are often more than one load, quoted up front.
On a standard load-and-go job, the only add-ons are access. Stairs are +$50 for a second floor and +$25 for each floor after that. A long carry is +$35 if your stuff is more than 50 feet from the trailer.
Not every job is load-and-go. Sorting a packed garage, taking apart a swing set or shed, or working through a hoarding situation takes extra time. Concrete, tile, dirt, and sod hit the trailer's weight limit long before it looks full. I look at those first, in person or from photos, and you still get one flat number up front. No hourly meter running while you watch.
Honest note on the minimum. $129 for one item is high if you're comparing it to a $59 county bulk fee. A single-item stop still costs a truck, a trip, fuel, insurance, and a run to the scale house. One thing and no deadline? The county is the better deal.
What junk removal covers
Most of it. If it isn't in the special handling list, I probably take it.
Around the house
Couches, recliners, mattresses and box springs, dressers, tables, bed frames, desks, bookshelves, rugs and carpet, boxes, clothes, general clutter
Appliances
Refrigerators, washers, dryers, dishwashers, stoves, water heaters, freezers, small kitchen appliances
Garage, yard, and shed
Lawn mowers, bikes, tools, patio furniture, grills, pool equipment, treadmills, storage totes, holiday decorations
Construction and property
Fence panels, decking, drywall, lumber, cabinets, countertops, roofing debris, concrete, tile, dirt and sod
It's not just hauling
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Questions I get every week
Serving Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch, Parrish, and Palmetto.
Still Not Sure? Text Me a Photo
That's me, Matt. I'm the one who shows up. Gulf Coast Junk Solutions is owner-operated and family run, serving Manatee County, licensed and insured.
Tell me what you've got and where it is, and you'll get one flat number back. Text or call (941) 302-8933, or use the form below.
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County program details and landfill rates are from mymanatee.org and were current as of September 2026. Rates and program rules change. Confirm current details with Manatee County Utilities at (941) 792-8811, by calling 311, or on the county solid waste page.