1) They’re not pricing “junk removal”… they’re pricing certainty + convenience
Both brands wrap the same core offer in the same promise: two-person crew, show up fast, do everything, sweep up, disappear the problem, and then they charge a premium for that packaged certainty.
Takeaway: if you want to beat them, don’t compete on “hauling stuff,” compete on certainty, but deliver it with less overhead and better transparency.
Their pricing structure
2) Volume pricing is the engine: fractions of a truck = psychological magic
Every rate card is built on truck fractions (1/8, 1/6, 1/4, 1/3… full). That framing makes pricing feel “fair” (“pay only for the space you use”), while quietly protecting margin with a high minimum and big jumps between tiers.
1-800-GOT-JUNK examples from real pricing sheets:
- Nashville: Min $169 → Full $749 (with a dense ladder of fractions in between)
- Chicago: Min $129 → Full $799, and they literally advertise “SAVE 65%” on the back half (more on that below)
- Brooklyn/Queens: Min $258 → Full $1,098 (same structure, just “NYC pricing is allergic to affordability”)
Junk King example from real pricing sheets:
- Minimum $95, full $668 on their pickup-truck-volume table (plus separate pricing for heavy debris loads).
3) The “secret” is nonlinear pricing (aka: the first part of the truck is insanely expensive)
Chicago 1-800 card spells it out like a confession:
- “2nd half of the truck costs 65% less than the 1st half”
And they even show a “volume savings” breakdown: - 1st 1/3 = $479
- 2nd 1/3 = $220
- 3rd 1/3 = $100
That’s not an accident. It’s a conversion weapon:
- The minimum/first chunk covers the whole trip profitably.
- The extra volume becomes an upsell because it “feels cheap” to add more once you’re already paying.
Takeaway: you can copy the behavior (encourage adding more), without copying the greed (front-loading the price so hard).
The second price model they use (and why it matters)
4) “Bedload” pricing = their workaround for heavy materials
Multiple 1-800 cards include Bedload Rates specifically for “aggregate / heavy” material (dirt, rocks, concrete, bricks, etc.).
That exists because heavy debris breaks the normal economics of volume pricing (weight fees + labor + dump rules).
What you should steal:
Have a separate rate schedule for heavy debris. Don’t pretend it’s the same as “garage junk.”
The add-on revenue most owners miss
5) “All-inclusive”… except when it isn’t (fees + labor are a quiet backdoor)
Denver/Boulder 1-800 sheet includes a Disposal Fees list (tires, tractor tires, propane, freon appliances, TVs), plus labor billed per hour.
Nashville sheet also calls out labor rules (2 hours included per full truck, then hourly).
This is a big deal operationally:
- They can keep the marketing promise simple (“all-inclusive”),
- while still charging add-ons where customers won’t fight much (because the truck is already there).
Takeaway:
If you want to win trust, be clearer than them:
- Either (A) truly bundle everything into fewer prices, or
- (B) publish a tiny “common add-on fees” list so customers don’t feel ambushed.
Why they publish item price lists
(and how they use them against the customer)
6) Item lists are anchors, not “real pricing”
You’ve got multiple 1-800 “Standard Item Price List” sheets where tons of items cluster around “nice round” numbers (often ~$99/$129/$179, with big-ticket “starting at” items like pianos/pool tables/hot tubs).
This does two things:
- Makes the company feel transparent (“look, we have prices!”)
- Anchors the customer so the eventual volume quote feels reasonable
Then the moment the customer has more than one thing, the script flips back to volume tiers.
Takeaway: use item pricing intentionally:
- Item pricing is best as an entry ramp (single-item pickups, curbside deals, apartment “one big thing” jobs).
- Volume pricing is best for everything else.
The on-site quote strategy
The on-site quote strategy: “intentional vagueness” is not laziness, it’s sales psychology
The PDF calls this out: both brands avoid locking prices online because the real advantage is being in front of the customer, truck in driveway, crew smiling, ready to go.
At that moment:
- the customer has sunk time,
- the pain is real,
- and “getting it done today” becomes worth the premium.
Counter-move: win the people who hate that game:
- Offer photo/text estimates with a tight range.
- Publish “typical ranges” for the common tiers.
- Put “No surprise fees” everywhere.
“Beat The Franchises” pricing + marketing playbook
A. Build a pricing menu that wins (without racing to the bottom)
1) Use a 2-track menu:
Track 1: Single-item / small pickup pricing (transparent, fast decision)
- A few common items with simple pricing (couch, mattress, appliance, TV, etc.)
- A “curbside discount” option (cheaper because labor/time is lower)
Track 2: Volume tiers (simple, scalable)
- 6–8 tiers max (don’t do 14 unless you love confusing people)
- Make your minimum attractive vs. their minimums (this is where you steal share)
2) Add a “Heavy Debris” menu
- Concrete/dirt/roofing should NOT ride the same price curve as household junk
- Use bedload or “weight class” pricing (simple and defensible)
3) Copy the upsell mechanic ethically
Train your crew to say:
- “You’re at about a quarter load, if there’s anything else you want gone, now’s the time because it won’t move you up much unless we cross the next line.”
That’s the same psychology the franchises use, but you’re positioning it as customer-friendly.
B. The 5 easiest ways to win jobs from 1-800 and Junk King
1) Beat them on minimum charge + speed
Franchises have minimums that can feel ridiculous for 1–2 items (and in high-cost markets it’s brutal). If you can offer:
- a lower minimum,
- and quick scheduling,
you’ll win a lot of “small pain” jobs that become repeat customers.
2) Be the company that actually gives a price range up front
Even a tight range like “$240–$320 based on what you described” beats “we’ll tell you when we get there.”
3) Offer a written price-match + beat-by-$25
Junk King has price matching; most locals don’t advertise it loudly. If you do it cleanly, it’s a conversion lever.
4) Publicly handle the jobs they avoid
The report notes the “two-person limit” and service-scope constraints.
If you can do:
- heavier items,
- tougher access,
- light demo,
you become the “they said no, you said yes” company (that’s the best lead source on Earth).
5) Out-review them with a “spotless finish” ritual
They already sweep and act polished, but franchises suffer from inconsistency by crew/franchise.
Make your close-out process systematic:
- walk-through,
- “anything else while we’re here?” offer,
- review request on the spot.
