Quick answers
- Cost: priced by volume (cubic metres), with heavy materials priced by weight. No call-out fee and free quotes with Dr. Rubbish.
- Same day: often possible, 7 days a week, if you call early.
- Permits: a rubbish removal service needs no permit. A skip bin on the street usually does.
- Council hard rubbish: free for eligible households, but limited, booked in advance and restricted to certain items.
- Can't be taken: asbestos, chemicals and medical waste.
How much does rubbish removal cost in Melbourne?
It depends on the job. Rubbish removal in Melbourne is usually priced by volume, meaning how much space your rubbish takes up in the truck, measured in cubic metres (m³). Heavy materials like concrete, bricks, tiles and soil are usually priced by weight. Dr. Rubbish quotes every job individually, for free, with no call-out fee.
How much space does my rubbish take up?
Because the price depends on volume, it helps to know roughly how much space your items take up. These are rough loaded volumes:
| Item | Rough volume |
|---|---|
| Three-seater couch | 1.0 m³ |
| Wardrobe or cabinet | 1.0 m³ |
| Fridge | 0.8 m³ |
| Dining table | 0.6 m³ |
| Armchair | 0.5 m³ |
| Queen bed frame (dismantled) | 0.5 m³ |
| Washing machine or dryer | 0.4 m³ |
| Wheelie bin of green waste | 0.24 m³ |
| Large rubbish bag, full | 0.1 m³ |
| Moving box | 0.08 m³ |
| 6x4 trailer load of renovation waste | 2.0 m³ |
For example, a couch, a fridge, a washing machine and 8 full rubbish bags come to about 3 m³. A small room's worth of furniture is often around 5 m³. You can add up your own items with the load estimator on our homepage.
Every job is different, so we don't publish set prices. Send us a photo and we'll give you an exact price, free and with no obligation.
What's included in the price
- No call-out fee. Quotes are free, with no obligation to book.
- Loading, removal and disposal. Our crew does all the lifting and carrying.
- The price we quote is the price you pay, as long as the job matches what you told us or showed us in your photos.
How to get the best price
- Send photos. A photo on WhatsApp is the fastest way to an accurate price.
- Book ahead or midweek. Our current offers include discounts for booking Monday to Thursday, booking five or more days ahead, and booking again.
- Get a written quote from us to compare. If another Melbourne rubbish removal company gives you a written quote for the same job, we'll beat it.
Rubbish removal, skip bin or council hard rubbish: which is best?
Rubbish removal is best when you want everything gone quickly without doing the lifting. A skip bin suits a project you'll fill up over several days. Council hard rubbish is free for eligible households, but you wait for a collection date and only certain items are accepted.
| Rubbish removal | Skip bin | Council hard rubbish | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who does the lifting | The crew | You | You carry it to the kerb |
| How fast | Often the same day | Delivered, then collected days later | On a booked or scheduled date, which can be weeks away |
| Permit needed | No | Usually, if it sits on the street or other council land | No |
| What it takes | Most household, garden, renovation and business rubbish | Depends on the bin type, with restrictions on some materials | Only items on the council's accepted list, within a set limit |
| Cost | Priced by volume, with a free quote | Hire fee by bin size and hire period, plus any permit | Free or low cost for eligible households |
| Best for | Clear-outs you want done in one visit | Renovations you'll fill over several days | Non-urgent household items that fit the rules |
For most one-off clear-outs, rubbish removal also works out cheaper than it first looks. With a skip you pay for the whole bin whether you fill it or not, and you still do all the loading yourself.
Do I need a permit for a skip bin in Melbourne?
Usually yes, if the skip will sit on a road, footpath, nature strip or other council land. Each Melbourne council sets its own permit rules and fees, so check with your council before you book. A rubbish removal service doesn't need a permit, because nothing is left on the street.
A skip on your own driveway or property generally doesn't need a council permit. If there's no room off the street, allow time for the permit application as well as the bin hire, and remember the bin will take up a parking space for as long as you have it.
How does council hard rubbish collection work in Melbourne?
Each Melbourne council runs its own hard rubbish (hard waste) service. Most offer eligible households a limited number of free collections a year, either booked online or on set dates for your area. You put items on the nature strip at the time the council tells you, and only items on its accepted list are collected.
Items councils commonly refuse
- Building and renovation waste
- Asbestos, chemicals, paint and gas bottles
- Tyres
- General household rubbish that belongs in your bins
Rules, limits and booking methods differ between councils, and apartment or townhouse buildings on a private waste contract may not be eligible at all. See our guide for owners corporations and strata managers if that's you.
Check your council's hard rubbish service
- City of Stonnington
- Bayside City Council
- Glen Eira City Council
- City of Boroondara
- City of Melbourne
When a private rubbish removal service makes more sense
- You can't wait weeks for the next collection date.
- You have more than the council limit, or items the council won't take.
- You'd rather not leave a pile on the nature strip for days.
- You need help carrying heavy items out of the house.
Can I get same-day rubbish removal in Melbourne?
Yes, often. Dr. Rubbish keeps same-day slots 7 days a week, subject to availability. Call as early in the day as you can, or WhatsApp us a photo, for the best chance of a same-day pick-up.
If you're not home, that's usually fine too. If the items are easy for us to reach, we can collect them while you're out. We'll sort out the details when you book.
What can a rubbish removal company take, and what can't it?
A rubbish removal company can take most household, garden, renovation and business rubbish, from a single couch to a full house. It can't take hazardous waste such as asbestos, chemicals or medical waste, which need a licensed specialist.
What we take
- Furniture and mattresses
- Fridges, washing machines and dryers
- Electronics, e-waste and office equipment
- Household rubbish and cardboard
- Green waste from gardens and pruning
- Timber, offcuts and plasterboard from renovations
- Concrete, bricks, tiles and soil, quoted separately by weight
What we can't take
- Asbestos. It must be removed by a licensed asbestos removalist.
- Chemicals and other hazardous materials.
- Medical waste.
E-waste has been banned from landfill in Victoria since July 2019, so TVs, computers and other electronics need to go to e-waste recycling. We take them and send them to recyclers. Not sure about something? WhatsApp us a photo.
How do I get rid of old furniture, mattresses and appliances in Melbourne?
You have three main options: book your council's hard rubbish collection if the items are on its accepted list and you can wait, donate them if they're in good condition, or book a rubbish removal service to take them away, often the same day.
Charities usually only accept furniture and appliances that are clean and in good working order, and many can't collect. When we remove usable furniture and appliances, we pass them on to local charities rather than sending them to landfill.
Single bulky items, like one couch, a fridge or a mattress, are a common job for us. There's no minimum load size.
Where does my rubbish go?
With Dr. Rubbish, every load is sorted. Metal, timber, cardboard and e-waste go to recyclers, usable furniture and appliances go to local charities, and whatever's left goes to EPA-licensed facilities. Nothing is ever illegally dumped.
EPA Victoria encourages everyone to use licensed operators and to know where their rubbish ends up. Be wary of any operator who can't tell you where your rubbish is going, won't give you business details such as an ABN, or offers a price that seems far too low.
How do I prepare for a rubbish removal booking?
Send photos when you ask for a quote, make it clear what's going and what's staying, and tell us about access such as stairs, lifts or parking. You don't need to move anything yourself, because our crew does all the lifting.
- Photos: a few photos give you an accurate price before we arrive.
- What's staying: separate or label anything that isn't going, especially in shared or storage spaces.
- Access: let us know about stairs, lifts, rear-lane access or permit parking so we can plan the job.
- Heavy materials: mention concrete, bricks, tiles or soil up front, as they're quoted separately.
Can you help with deceased estates, hoarding, end-of-lease and business clean-outs?
Yes. As well as everyday household jobs, we clear deceased estates, hoarding situations, rentals at the end of a lease, renovation sites, offices and shops, and common areas in apartment buildings.
- Deceased estates and downsizing: patient, respectful help for families clearing a home.
- Hoarding clean-ups: handled with discretion and without judgement.
- End of lease and pre-sale: vacated rentals and properties cleared on the agent's timeline.
- Builders and renovators: site pick-ups so your crew isn't doing tip runs.
- Offices, shops and restaurants: we work around your trading hours.
- Owners corporations and strata: scheduled or one-off clean-ups. See our owners corporation service.
Which areas of Melbourne does Dr. Rubbish cover?
We cover Melbourne's inner and south-east, including the Stonnington, Bayside, Glen Eira, Kingston, Boroondara and Monash council areas. We're based in Armadale.
- Stonnington: Toorak, South Yarra, Armadale
- Bayside: Brighton, Hampton, Sandringham
- Glen Eira: Caulfield, Bentleigh
- Kingston: Cheltenham
- Boroondara and Monash
Not sure if we cover your suburb? Give us a call.
More questions
Will the price change on the day?
No. The price we quote is the price you pay, as long as the job matches what you told us or showed us in your photos. There are no hidden fees.
Do I need to be home when you come?
Not necessarily. If the items are easy for us to reach, we can collect them while you're out. We'll sort out the details when you book.
Are you insured?
Yes. Every job we do is fully insured.
How do I pay?
We accept all common payment methods, including card, bank transfer and cash.
How quickly will you call me back?
Within 30 minutes of your online enquiry. Or call us on 0432 277 064 to talk straight away.
Available 7 days a week
