Project
Dumpster for a garage, basement or attic cleanout
Clearing out a garage, basement or attic mostly means bulk, not weight: old furniture, boxes, broken chairs and the things nobody wanted to decide about. A mid-size container usually handles it.
Booking hours: Monday to Saturday 8 to 8, Sunday 8 to 1 (Eastern time)
Likely size
A one-car garage or a single basement room typically fills 10 to 15 yards. A whole basement or a two-car garage stuffed to the rafters is more often a 20. Attics produce less than they seem to, because everything comes down the stairs one armful at a time.
If the job will take more than a weekend, ask about a longer rental rather than a bigger box.
Pull these out before loading
- Half-used paint, thinner and pool chemicals from basement shelves
- Propane cylinders from the grill corner of the garage
- Old televisions, monitors and computers
- Car batteries and the rechargeable packs from power tools
- Anything a relative might still want: ask before it goes in
Where each of those goes: items that need another route.
When the curb is enough
For a sofa or a mattress or two, a container may be more than you need. The city of Albany picks up bulk furniture in limited quantities on your collection day if you call General Services at (518) 427-7480 at least a day ahead, during weekday business hours.
Piles that one person can't manage, or that take more than four trips to the truck, can be billed and fined. A full garage nearly always crosses that line.
Loading order that works
Flat and heavy first
Old doors, shelving boards and dense items go in flat across the floor.
Bulky in the middle
Chairs and cabinets fit around each other; break them down if you can.
Bags and loose junk last
They fill the gaps and stay below the top rail.
Book a roll-off for your Albany address
Pick up the phone with three things in mind: the debris, the drop spot and your dates. A locally run, independent roll-off company picks up, recommends a container and quotes a drop-off day and a total.
This number is for rentals, not trash pickup. Albany's regular trash and recycling are handled by the city's Department of General Services.
Booking hours: Monday to Saturday 8 to 8, Sunday 8 to 1 (Eastern time)
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