The Cost Of Waiting:
A Level 4 Hoarder Trash Out
An 880 square foot apartment, buried knee-deep. 1,110 cubic feet of debris, a 6-person crew, and one long day. Here is the real invoice, the real photos, and the lesson every property manager can use before the next unit gets this far.
Every Unit Has An Origin Story. This One Waited Too Long.
A two-bedroom apartment came back to the property after the resident was gone, through abandonment or eviction. What was left behind was not a move-out. It was months of delivery bags, food packaging, cans, boxes and furniture, piled knee-deep across the living room and buried in every other room.
The kitchen counters and stovetop were covered in spoiled food. A hall closet held spilled cat litter and pet waste. And during the cleanout, the crew found a deceased pet. They stopped, coordinated with animal control for its removal, and then finished the job.
The unit was off the rent roll and could not be shown, cleaned, painted or leased until it was empty. The property called IREP.
By volume alone, this unit measured 1.26 cubic feet per square foot, close to our Level 3 benchmark. The conditions are what made it Level 4: no visible floor in the main living area, loose debris that had to be bagged by hand, food waste, pet waste and a deceased animal. Load level measures how hard a unit is to clear, not just how much is in it.
Same Rooms. Same Angles. Same Day.
Every room was photographed before a single item moved and again after the sweep-out. The remaining stains are make-ready cleaning scope, handed off to the property's crew with the unit empty and ready.
Before
After
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterThe Numbers, Straight From The Job Record
This Job: Level 4 · Hoarder
LightLevel 2
ModerateLevel 3
Heavy▲ Level 4
Hoarder
| Level | What It Looks Like | Typical Volume | Price Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Light. A few items, unit mostly clear. | ~0.4 cu ft per sq ft | Base rate |
| Level 2 | Moderate. Furniture, bags, some rooms full. | ~0.8 cu ft per sq ft | +25–40% |
| Level 3 | Heavy. Every room full, stacked, dense. | ~1.4 cu ft per sq ft | +55–75% |
| Level 4 ★ | Hoarder. Floor hidden, pathways only, often unsanitary. | ~1.2 to 2.0+ cu ft per sq ft | +90–130% |
Every Line On The Invoice
Hauling is priced on measured volume. Labor is billed by the minute for each 2-person crew, so a bigger crew finishes faster without costing more per minute of work.
| Line Item | Detail | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Full Truck & Trailer Load | 626–900 cu ft tier | $1,397.00 |
| Second Load | 126–250 cu ft tier | $466.00 |
| Crew Labor | 757 crew-minutes at $3/min per 2-person crew | $2,271.00 |
| Mattress & Box Spring Surcharge | 2 sets at $40 each | $80.00 |
| Subtotal | $4,214.00 | |
| Sales Tax (8.25%) | $347.66 | |
| Total, All In | $4,561.66 | |
Labor was 54% of this invoice. On our Level 3 case study, hauling was the bigger share. That flip is the signature of a Level 4: loose, unsanitary debris has to be bagged by hand instead of carried out in pieces.
Could You Have Priced This Yourself? Yes.
After the job, we ran this unit through our public Trash Out Estimator: apartment, 880 square feet, Level 4. Here is how it compared to the final invoice.
The tool came in slightly high, which is the right direction for budgeting. Run your unit through it and get a number in about 60 seconds.
Three Real Jobs. One Pattern.
We publish our real jobs so property managers can see what each level actually costs. Line them up and the pattern is impossible to miss: every level a unit climbs, the price per square foot goes up and the share that can be saved goes down.
2-bed, 930 sq ft. 680 cu ft cleared in 90 minutes by a 2-person crew.
1-bed, 693 sq ft. 980 cu ft cleared in 3.5 hours. About 4,000 lbs donated or recycled.
2-bed, 880 sq ft. 1,110 cu ft cleared in one day by a 6-person crew.
Why Nothing Was Saved, And Why That Matters
IREP exists to keep things out of the landfill. Our four-color sorting system runs on every job, and on our Level 3 case study it kept 63% of the unit out of the waste stream.
This unit was different. Food waste, pet waste and contamination had soaked into the furniture, fabric and boxes. Nothing met our standard for donation or resale, and the crew made the call that every hero has to make sometimes: health and safety come first.
The circular economy only works when what goes back into the community is safe to use. That is why we would rather tell you the honest number than a pretty one.
On a Level 2 or Level 3 unit, all four bags fill up. Catch a unit early and furniture, housewares and clothing can go to local charities and our resale shop instead of the landfill.
Warning Signs A Unit Is Heading Toward Level 4
Level 4 units rarely happen overnight. These are the signals property teams tell us they noticed, looking back.
One Day, Start To Finish
The unit was leveled from photos as a Level 4, and the crew and vehicles were sized before arrival.
Every room documented before a single item moved. Hazards flagged first, including food waste and pet waste.
Three 2-person crews worked the unit room by room. Loose debris was hand-bagged and furniture carried out, filling a full truck and trailer plus a second load.
When the crew found a deceased pet, they paused, coordinated with animal control for its removal, and then continued.
Every room cleared, swept and photographed again. Before-and-after photos sent the same day for the resident file.
Level 4 Questions We Get Asked
How is a Level 4 trash out priced?
The same way as every trash out: hauling on measured volume, plus labor by the minute per 2-person crew, plus published surcharges for items like mattresses. A Level 4 costs more because the labor is heavier, not because of a hidden fee. You get a firm number before we start.
Will anything be donated or recycled from a Level 4 unit?
Sometimes, but not often. We sort every job, and if something is clean and safe, it goes to donation, resale or recycling. In most Level 4 units, contamination means the honest answer is very little. Calling at Level 2 or 3 is how you get the diversion numbers.
What happens if the crew finds an animal in the unit?
The crew stops work in that area and coordinates with animal control. They do not handle it themselves. We let you know right away so the property can document it.
Do I need to be on site?
No. Most property managers leave access instructions and get before-and-after photos texted when the job is done. Free on-site estimates are always available if you would rather walk the unit with us.
How fast can you clear a Level 4 unit?
This 880 square foot unit was cleared in one day with a 6-person crew. Larger units or units with special conditions may take longer. We will give you an honest timeline before you book.
Can you invoice the property instead of taking a card?
Yes. W-9, certificate of insurance and net terms are available, and we can be set up as an approved vendor the same week.
Call In The Cleanup Crew
Price It Yourself
Enter square footage and load level. This job's estimate landed within 3% of the final invoice.
Open The EstimatorFree On-Site Estimate
We walk the unit and hand you a firm number. Recommended for every Level 4 and multi-unit turn.
Book A Walk-ThroughJust Call Us
Writ tomorrow? Turn deadline Friday? Call and we will tell you honestly whether we can hit your date.
Call 512-587-2186More From The IREP Playbook
Don't Let Your Unit Become Level 4.
Text us photos of any unit that worries you. We will level it for free, give you a firm price, and get it turned before it costs you more. Woman-owned, Austin since 2012, and serving all of Central Texas.
Property, resident and crew identifying details removed. Volume, timing and pricing figures are from the actual job record. Weight is estimated from volume.
irepjunkremoval.com · 512-587-2186 · [email protected]