Local service guide
Junk removal in Montreal: pickup and hiring options
Arrange junk removal in Montreal by sorting your items before booking a crew: check residential bulky collection for accepted items, consider an ecocentre if you can transport and unload the load, and hire a hauler for lifting help or a cleanout that exceeds your borough’s collection limits. Refrigerant appliances, electronics and upholstered furniture need separate checks. Send the hauler photos, an item list and access details, then request a written total and disposal plan. [1] [2] [3]
Choose the disposal route before hiring
Start with three groups: items you want someone to reuse, items accepted through municipal collection, and items needing another disposal route. Photograph each group. Ask any donation recipient to confirm acceptance before you arrange transportation.
The city’s residential bulky collection accepts items such as non-upholstered furniture, washing machines, dryers, metal objects and small quantities of residential renovation debris. It excludes electronics and refrigerant appliances. Saint-Laurent has an exception for upholstered furniture, which residents must place in a separate pile. [2]
Check the city collection page using your address to find the applicable schedule, volume limit and containers. Hire a crew if you need someone to carry items from inside, or if your load exceeds the applicable collection allowance. Specify whether you want indoor removal or pickup from an agreed outdoor location. [3]
Compare a crew quote with an ecocentre trip
For eligible agglomeration residents, ecocentres charge no disposal fee for the first 12 cubic metres per year of construction, renovation and demolition debris and upholstered bulky items. They charge $31 per extra cubic metre, tax-exempt, and record at least one cubic metre per visit. Other accepted materials are free for residents, subject to possible volume limits. [1]
Budget your own transport and lifting arrangements before choosing that option. Bring photo identification and the required proof of address, sort materials before arrival, and arrange someone to help unload heavy items. Check your vehicle’s length against the destination’s restrictions before renting a truck. [1]
Ask a hauler for a total that identifies labour, transport, disposal charges, taxes and any access or special-item charges. Request the truck’s usable capacity if the company quotes by load fraction. Agree on how the crew will approve a price change before loading.
The resident allowance does not establish a private hauler’s price. The city lists different eligibility and material rules for contractors and company-owned properties, including a $31-per-cubic-metre construction-debris rate. Ask the hauler which destination and customer category it intends to use. [1]
Separate appliances, mattresses and hazardous materials
For a refrigerator, freezer or air conditioner, ask the retailer about taking back the old appliance or arrange a suitable recovery service. Ecocentres accept residential refrigerant appliances under conditions: empty them and handle them without damaging the cooling system. The city limits these appliances to 10 per year. [1] [2]
Ask a mattress hauler where it will take the item if recycling matters to you. Montréal ecocentres accept upholstered furniture, but the city identifies Saint-Laurent as the ecocentre that recycles mattresses and box springs. Acceptance at another ecocentre does not mean recycling. [1]
Keep paint, propane and other household hazardous waste separate from furniture and debris. For ecocentre delivery, the city requires original, identified containers and prohibits mixing products. It excludes asbestos and contaminated soil; arrange the specialized disposal route identified by the city for those materials. [1] [2]
Plan access and assign permit responsibility
Send photos of stairs, doorways and the route to the loading point. Give the crew the floor number, elevator arrangements and any building access window. Ask who will protect walls and floors, dismantle furniture if needed, and handle damage claims. Request proof of liability insurance.
A debris container on the public roadway requires an occupation permit. Select your borough on the city’s permit page and confirm the requirements for your setup. In Le Plateau-Mont-Royal, the rules also cover reserving a parking space for a contractor and placing equipment or debris on public space. The applicant must arrange temporary signage. [4]
For a container rental, put permit responsibility, signage, placement, pickup date and allowable contents in the agreement. For crew removal, confirm a lawful loading location before the appointment rather than assuming you can reserve the curb.
Check body-truck length before choosing an ecocentre
Local details that affect your job
Saint-Laurent changes the mattress decision
Saint-Laurent accepts upholstered furniture through bulky collection when residents place it in a separate pile. Its ecocentre also recycles mattresses and box springs. If you want mattress recycling, ask the hauler to identify its destination before accepting the quote. [1] [2]
Plateau container bookings need advance planning
Le Plateau-Mont-Royal requires applicable public-space occupation applications at least 10 business days before work begins. The applicant supplies temporary signage. Confirm the permit and signage arrangements before committing to a street-container delivery date. [4]
Ecocentre access includes documents and unloading
The person attending must show their own photo identification and the documents required for their customer category. Residents need proof of address. Employees cannot help unload, and the city prohibits mechanical unloading equipment such as tipping trailers. Arrange help before transporting heavy furniture or appliances. [1]
Choose a route for your load
| Situation | Route to consider | Confirm before arranging |
|---|---|---|
| Accepted residential bulky items | Municipal bulky collection | Address-specific schedule, volume allowance and preparation rules |
| Accepted items you can transport and unload | Ecocentre trip | Eligibility, identification, vehicle length and remaining annual allowance |
| Mattress or box spring | Ecocentre or a hauler with a confirmed destination | Saint-Laurent recycles these items; other ecocentres accept them without recycling |
| Residential refrigerant appliance | Retailer take-back, recovery service or ecocentre | Acceptance, emptying and careful handling; exclude it from ordinary bulky collection |
| Renovation load exceeding collection limits | Private removal or an eligible ecocentre trip | Material acceptance, disposal charges and permits for a container on public space |
Your hiring checklist
- Photograph the complete load and identify items you intend to keep.
- Check your address-specific collection instructions before choosing a pickup date.
- Separate electronics, refrigerant appliances and hazardous materials in the quote request.
- Describe stairs, elevator access, doorway clearance and the loading location.
- Request a written total, included work and approval process for extra charges.
- Ask where the crew will take each material and request disposal documentation.
- Assign any container permit and signage work before booking delivery.
- Confirm the arrival window and clear the agreed carrying route.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put a sofa out with bulky collection?
The city excludes upholstered furniture from its general bulky collection list, with an exception in Saint-Laurent for a separate pile. Check your address instructions before putting a sofa outside. Ecocentres accept upholstered furniture, though acceptance does not establish that they will recycle it. [1] [2] [3]
Does the free ecocentre allowance cover a hired hauler?
Do not assume it does. The city sets eligibility, identification and material rules by customer category. Ask your hauler which category and disposal destination it will use, and whether its quote includes all disposal charges. [1]
Can the city collect a shop or office cleanout?
The municipal bulky collection service is for individuals. The city directs businesses, shops and other organizations to private companies. Identify the load as commercial when requesting a quote. [3]
Do I need a permit for a debris container?
A container placed on public space requires a municipal occupation permit. Select your borough to check its process and timing. In Le Plateau-Mont-Royal, submit the applicable application at least 10 business days before work begins and arrange the required temporary signage. [4]
Sources and scope
This guide combines the sources below with practical planning guidance. Figures apply to the stated geography and period; request a written quote for your property.