How much does rubbish removal cost?

On this page

How a rubbish removalist works out the price
What it costs, by scenario
What changes the price
What's usually included, and what isn't
Metro and regional differences
Licensing and compliance
Before you accept a quote, check
Frequently asked questions
Sources and method

How a rubbish removalist works out the price

A rubbish removalist usually prices by the volume of waste, by the truck load or by the hour of labour. Disposal at a licensed tip is part of the price, and so is loading. Heavy waste such as soil or bricks is priced by weight, and some items such as mattresses and fridges can carry a separate handling fee. A skip bin is a different model: you load it yourself and pay one price for a set hire period.

Size up the waste by volume (cubic metres), by truck load or by item
Loading and labour, often built into the per-load or per-cubic-metre price
Tip or disposal fees, which differ by council and by type of waste
Separate handling fees for items such as mattresses, fridges, tyres or gas bottles
Loading for same-day, weekend or hard-access jobs, and GST on the total

Worked example: Clear-out of household items, about 4 cubic metres (illustrative, not a quote)

3 cubic metres of household items at $100 a cubic metre (the middle of the $50 to $150 range): $300
1 cubic metre of old furniture at $150 a cubic metre (the top of the range): $150
One mattress, using a council tip fee of $50 as a stand-in for a separate handling fee: $50
Total: $500 total (illustrative)

What it costs, by scenario

Low, typical and high prices. Built on 19 October 2026 from a marketplace cost guide, a published Melbourne load-size guide, one skip bin supplier price page, two council tip fee lists and a state asbestos regulator page. Load-size figures rest on one Melbourne source; typical figures are editorial mid-points where no source gives one; GST basis is not stated by the marketplace sources.

Small load, Melbourne (a ute or small trailer's worth) (per load)
From one Melbourne guide published in May 2026. We found no second source for load-size prices, so treat this as a guide only.
Low
$150
Typical
$200
High
$250
Half a truck load, Melbourne (per load)
Same single Melbourne source. The guide says a mid-size removal truck holds about six to ten cubic metres.
Low
$300
Typical
$375
High
$450
Full truck load, Melbourne (per load)
Same single Melbourne source. Large jobs such as a deceased estate clean-out are described by the same guide as $1,000 and upwards.
Low
$550
Typical
$650
High
$750
Removal priced by the cubic metre, national (per cubic metre)
Airtasker's national range and median, last updated April 2025. By city its ranges run from $50 to $90 in Adelaide and Hobart up to $70 to $150 in Sydney and $60 to $150 in Perth.
Low
$50
Typical
$100
High
$150
Skip bin, 4 cubic metres, about a week (per hire)
Low is a Melbourne newspaper guide for a few days' hire. High is one Sydney supplier's GST-inclusive price for 7 days. Airtasker's table gives $400 to $515 for the same size.
Low
$300
Typical
$450
High
$647
Council tip, one ute load you drive yourself (per load)
Two Victorian councils: Ararat charges $35 for a level utility load, and Nillumbik charges $94 for a dual cab ute and $144 for a level ute. Fees are set by each council.
Low
$35
Typical
$94
High
$144

Low, typical and high prices by scenario
Scenario	Low	Typical	High
Small load, Melbourne (a ute or small trailer's worth) (per load)From one Melbourne guide published in May 2026. We found no second source for load-size prices, so treat this as a guide only.	$150	$200	$250
Half a truck load, Melbourne (per load)Same single Melbourne source. The guide says a mid-size removal truck holds about six to ten cubic metres.	$300	$375	$450
Full truck load, Melbourne (per load)Same single Melbourne source. Large jobs such as a deceased estate clean-out are described by the same guide as $1,000 and upwards.	$550	$650	$750
Removal priced by the cubic metre, national (per cubic metre)Airtasker's national range and median, last updated April 2025. By city its ranges run from $50 to $90 in Adelaide and Hobart up to $70 to $150 in Sydney and $60 to $150 in Perth.	$50	$100	$150
Skip bin, 4 cubic metres, about a week (per hire)Low is a Melbourne newspaper guide for a few days' hire. High is one Sydney supplier's GST-inclusive price for 7 days. Airtasker's table gives $400 to $515 for the same size.	$300	$450	$647
Council tip, one ute load you drive yourself (per load)Two Victorian councils: Ararat charges $35 for a level utility load, and Nillumbik charges $94 for a dual cab ute and $144 for a level ute. Fees are set by each council.	$35	$94	$144

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What changes the price

Volume and weight. Most removalists price by cubic metre or truck load. Heavy waste such as soil, bricks or concrete is often priced by weight and costs more.
Type of item. Mattresses, fridges, tyres, gas bottles and carpet can attract a separate handling or disposal fee.
Access and carrying. Stairs, long carries and tight driveways add labour time to a job priced by the hour.
Tip fees where you live. Councils set their own tip fees. A level ute load costs $35 at one regional Victorian tip and $144 at one Melbourne outer-suburb tip.
Hazardous waste. Asbestos, chemicals, paint and batteries need special handling and are not accepted in skip bins. They cost more, or you pay a licensed specialist.
Booking timing. A same-day or weekend job can carry a premium, though one Melbourne guide says many companies now offer same-day service at no extra charge.

What's usually included, and what isn't

Usually included

Loading the waste onto the truck, for a removal service
Transport to a tip or recycling facility
Tip and disposal fees for ordinary household waste, where the quote says so
Delivery and collection of the bin, for a skip bin hire
A set hire period for a skip bin, often about a week

Often extra

Asbestos, chemicals, liquids, gas bottles, paint and batteries, which skip suppliers do not accept in any bin
Extra fees for items such as mattresses, tyres, fridges and carpet, unless the quote lists them
A council permit when a skip sits on a road, footpath or verge
Extra days of skip hire beyond the included period
Sorting, packing or cleaning the property after the waste has gone

Metro and regional differences

Metro: Capital cities have more removalists and more competition, but disposal fees, wages and traffic push prices up. Airtasker's city ranges put Sydney at $70 to $150 a cubic metre against $50 to $90 in Adelaide and Hobart.

Regional: Our sources give no regional removal prices. Tip fees can be lower in regional towns, for example $35 for a level utility load at Ararat, but the drive to the tip and back adds time and fuel to a removal job, and fewer removalists means fewer quotes to compare.

Licensing and compliance

In the pages we read, we did not find a licence that a household rubbish removalist must hold to carry general household waste, so we do not state one for any state or territory.

What we did confirm is about where the waste goes.

The NSW asbestos website, provided by the NSW EPA for the NSW Asbestos Coordination Committee, says it is illegal to put asbestos in a kerbside bin, in an uncovered skip bin, or in a skip bin not approved to hold asbestos, and that asbestos must go to a landfill licensed to accept it.

We could not open the equivalent pages for Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, the ACT or the Northern Territory, so check your own state's EPA before you put anything hazardous in a bin.

Tip fees and rules are set by each council.

One Victorian council says no trucks of any size and no commercial quantities are accepted at its recycling centre, and Airtasker notes that a skip on public land needs a council permit.

Ask any removalist where the waste will be taken and for a receipt if you are worried about illegal dumping.

Before you accept a quote, check

Is the price by load, by cubic metre, by weight or by the hour?
Does the price include loading, tip fees and clean-up?
Are mattresses, fridges, tyres or other items charged separately?
Does the quote say whether GST is included?
For a skip bin, how many days are included and what do extra days cost?
Who arranges and pays for a council permit if the bin goes on the road?
Where will the waste be taken, and can you see a tip receipt?

Frequently asked questions

How much does rubbish removal cost per cubic metre?

Airtasker puts the national range at $50 to $150 a cubic metre, with a median of $100. Sydney and Perth sit at the top of the range at up to $150, while Adelaide and Hobart run $50 to $90.

What does a skip bin cost compared with a removal service?

A 4 cubic metre skip is about $300 to $650 in our sources, for roughly a week, and you do the loading. A removalist does the loading and carrying, so the price is higher for the same amount of waste but you save the work.

Can I put asbestos in a skip bin?

No, not in a standard one. The NSW asbestos website says it is illegal to put asbestos in a skip bin not approved to hold asbestos, and it must go to a landfill licensed to accept it. Skip suppliers list asbestos as never accepted.

How much is it to take a ute load to the tip myself?

Council fees vary. We found $35 for a level utility load at one regional Victorian tip and $94 to $144 for a ute at one Melbourne outer-suburb tip. Mattresses were $50 each at the regional tip. Ask your own council.

Do rubbish removalists charge extra for mattresses and fridges?

Often. A Melbourne guide says mattresses and fridges often attract a separate handling fee, though it gives no amounts. Ask for a price for each large item before the job.

What does a whole-house or hoarder clean-out cost?

We have one source for this. A Melbourne guide says large jobs such as a deceased estate clean-out typically run $1,000 and upwards. These jobs are usually quoted after a visit, so get an on-site quote.

Sources and method

Built on 19 October 2026 from a marketplace cost guide, a published Melbourne load-size guide, one skip bin supplier price page, two council tip fee lists and a state asbestos regulator page. Load-size figures rest on one Melbourne source; typical figures are editorial mid-points where no source gives one; GST basis is not stated by the marketplace sources. How we calculate our guides.

Airtasker: How much does rubbish removal cost? (marketplace, 29 April 2025)
Airtasker: How much does it cost to hire a skip bin? (marketplace, 29 April 2025)
Hepburn Advocate: How much does rubbish removal cost in Melbourne? (newspaper cost guide) (survey, 21 May 2026)
Local Skip Bin Hire: skip bin hire Mosman 2088 (supplier price page, GST included) (supplier, 18 October 2026)
Nillumbik Shire Council: Recycling Centre prices (GST included) (supplier, 1 July 2026)
Ararat Rural City Council: transfer station fees and charges (GST included) (supplier, 19 October 2026)
NSW Asbestos website: disposal of asbestos waste (regulator, 19 October 2026)

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