A junk removal estimator visits homes and businesses to price the jobs too big or too odd to quote by phone: whole-house and estate cleanouts, hoarding cleanups, and light demolition such as sheds, decks and hot tubs. They turn what they see into truckloads and crew hours, close the sale on site and book the crews.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, waste collection companies · BLS, May 2025
Annual pay: 10th percentile $39,450, middle half $46,300 to $80,490, 90th percentile $103,530. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
Reports to
General Manager (Branch)
Department
Sales
Schedule
Weekdays in the field, some Saturdays · Daily driving across the territory, with evening or weekend visits when that is the only time a customer can meet
Serve as a key representative for our junk removal services by conducting on-site estimates, educating prospects on value-added services, closing jobs, and upselling additional clean-out and light demolition services. Drive revenue growth and customer satisfaction through professional presentations, in-depth service knowledge, and exceptional follow-up practices. Contribute to the success of the company by exceeding sales targets and fostering long-term customer relationships.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Conduct thorough on-site assessments to accurately estimate job scope and cost.
Educate prospects about the benefits of our junk removal and add-on services, including clean-outs and light demolition.
Close sales by effectively communicating service value and addressing customer concerns.
Identify and upsell additional services to maximize customer satisfaction and revenue potential.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Schedule and complete on-site estimates with potential clients.
Follow up on leads and engage with prospective customers throughout the sales process.
Provide detailed service explanations and competitive pricing information during customer meetings.
Document customer interactions and update sales pipeline in the CRM system regularly.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Number of on-site estimates completed per week: 15 estimates.
Sales closing rate: Achieve a minimum of 70% conversion rate.
Additional services upsold per month: At least 25% of total jobs.
Customer Satisfaction Rating: Maintain an average rating of 4.8 stars or higher.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Minimum of 2 years in sales, preferably in home services or related fields.
Strong communication and interpersonal skills coupled with a customer-first mindset.
Proven ability to conduct in-person client presentations and deliver persuasive estimates.
Familiarity with basic sales software and proficiency in maintaining detailed records.
6. Preferred Experience
Prior experience in junk removal, home improvement, or demolition services.
Demonstrated success in meeting or exceeding sales targets in a competitive market.
Experience using CRM systems to track leads, customer interactions, and sales performance.
Background in outdoor field sales with a strong track record in direct client engagement.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to walk and stand for extended periods during on-site visits.
May require lifting up to 25 pounds of equipment or materials occasionally.
Capable of working in various weather conditions during outdoor site assessments.
Frequent travel between customer locations and company operations may be required.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typical work hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Occasional evening or weekend appointments may be required based on customer availability.
Travel within the assigned territory is expected on a daily basis.
Work is performed in a dynamic environment that includes both office and outdoor settings.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Base salary range: $40,000 - $55,000 per year, commensurate with experience.
Commission structure and performance-based bonuses available.
Comprehensive benefits package including Health, Dental, and Vision coverage.
Additional benefits include 401k with company match, paid time off, and professional development opportunities.
10. Company Culture and Overview
We foster an inclusive and collaborative environment where every team member is valued.
Our mission is to provide exceptional home service solutions, with a strong focus on quality and customer satisfaction.
We invest in the growth and development of our employees through ongoing training and advancement opportunities.
Join a passionate team dedicated to excellence, innovation, and community impact.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
Need help filling this role? HireBus posts the ad, Iris interviews every applicant by phone before you do, and you decide who to hire. Start hiring now
A remodeling estimator prices what will be built. A junk removal estimator prices what will leave: how many truckloads, how heavy, how hard to reach, and how much has to be sorted on the way out.
Quoting in truckloads
The trade sells by truck space, such as a quarter, half or full load, with added charges for material dense enough to hit the weight limit first. On a whole-house job the estimator walks every room, attic, crawl space and shed, turns the contents into loads and crew hours, and adds time for stairs, long carries and sorting donations from trash. Writing the quote in the same fractions the crews use heads off arguments on the day.
A sale made in the home can be canceled
Most cleanouts a homeowner agrees to at home are door-to-door sales under the FTC rule, even when the customer invited the estimator over. The buyer can back out until midnight at the end of the third business day. At signing, the estimator tells the buyer about that right out loud, then hands over the dated contract and the cancellation notice in duplicate, all in the language used for the sales talk. Purchases made mainly for business use aren't covered. Source: 16 CFR 429.0, Cooling-Off Rule definitions (Cornell LII).
Tear-outs in older homes bring lead rules
Pulling painted cabinets, paneling, trim or a porch out of a home built before 1978 disturbs paint. EPA's general rule is that a firm paid to disturb paint in that housing must be certified. Tearing out painted parts is covered, however small the area. Before quoting any tear-out, the estimator asks when the home was built, and leaves that work off the quote unless your company is certified or testing has shown the paint isn't lead-based. Source: U.S. EPA: Renovation, Repair and Painting Program for contractors.
When the outside sales exemption fits
Federal law exempts some salespeople from minimum wage and overtime. Their main duty must be making sales or getting signed contracts, and they must routinely do it at customers' homes or businesses. There is no salary test. Writing up their own quotes and planning their route count as sales work. Quoting by phone from an office or a home base does not. An estimator who mostly measures and leaves the close to someone else may not qualify, and state law can be stricter. Source: 29 CFR 541.500, outside sales employees (Cornell LII).
No promises about donation write-offs
Customers often ask whether the dresser they're giving away is a tax write-off. IRS rules allow a deduction for used household goods only if they are in good used condition or better, apart from a narrow exception that needs a qualified appraisal. The estimator can say which charity or recycler items will go to. Whether to claim a deduction, and for how much, is up to the customer and their tax adviser. Source: IRS Publication 526, Charitable Contributions.
How much junk removal estimators make
The closest BLS group for junk removal estimators is sales representatives of services. Sales representatives of services who work for waste collection companies earned a median of $30.23 an hour ($62,870 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s below the $69,990 median for sales representatives of services in all industries. About 4,250 of the 1,256,010 sales representatives of services in that survey work for waste collection companies.
Estimators here earn a base salary, with commission and bonuses on top, per the Drive template. Say in the written plan whether commission is figured on the quoted price or on what the crew collects once the last load is out.
Waste collection companies
$62,870$62,870 median Middle half $46,300–$80,490 10th–90th $39,450–$103,530
All industries
$69,990$69,990 median Middle half $47,670–$100,480 10th–90th $37,980–$148,840
$25k$50k$75k$100k$125k$150k$175k
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Waste collection companies
$39,450
$46,300
$62,870
$80,490
$103,530
All industries
$37,980
$47,670
$69,990
$100,480
$148,840
BLS doesn’t publish pay for junk removal companies on their own. These figures cover waste collection, which include them. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Sizes a room's contents in truckloads by eye and checks it with a tape
Stays patient and kind at estate and hoarding visits, where the seller may be grieving
Writes quotes that list what goes, what stays and what is excluded
Keeps a full calendar and chases each open quote until it closes or dies
Licensed to drive, since the job means visits across the territory every day
Teach these on the job
Your truck sizes, price sheet and heavy-material charges
Which items your donation and recycling partners accept
How to spot jobs that need lead-safe work, a dumpster or a specialist
Your quote app, CRM and photo standards for every estimate
The cancellation forms and when they apply
Estimators quote from a tablet or phone in the same CRM or field service software the call center uses, with photos attached to every job, and carry a tape measure, a flashlight for attics and crawl spaces, and contracts the customer can sign on screen. Tell candidates whether you provide the vehicle and a fuel card.
Junk removal estimator interview questions
Two of the 6 questions we'd ask, and what a strong answer sounds like. Ask every candidate the same questions, and rate each answer on your own before you compare notes.
Situational · Family decision-makers
A family wants a parent's house cleared fast, but the siblings disagree on what to keep. How do you handle the estimate and the job?
A strong answer: Is patient and kind, confirms who signs, gets a written keep list before the crew arrives, and schedules after the family agrees.
Behavioral · Learning from lost sales
Tell me about an estate or commercial clean-out bid you lost. What did you change in your next bids?
A strong answer: Names the real reason, such as slow follow-up, an unclear scope or price, and a specific change like same-day written quotes or photo-based scopes.
Count a season of your own visits before setting targets, because estate and commercial walk-throughs take far longer than a single garage.
Number of on-site estimates completed per week
Visits with a written quote saved in the CRM, counted by week. Track whole-house and commercial walk-throughs separately, so a week of big jobs doesn't look slow.
Sales closing rate
Quotes that became booked jobs divided by quotes given, over a month. Tag lost jobs by price, timing or competitor so coaching aims at the real cause.
Additional services upsold per month
Jobs where the customer added work beyond the first request, such as another room, a shed teardown or a sweep-out. Read cancellations and complaints to confirm the extras were wanted.
Customer Satisfaction Rating
Survey and review scores on jobs this estimator sold, set beside how closely the final loads matched the quote. A big gap between quote and invoice drags ratings down fastest.
Crew leaders price small jobs at the door, and many companies stop there. Big jobs are different. A crew sent for one load that finds four loses the day, and a cleanout priced blind can lose money. An estimator gives the customer a firm number before a date is set and keeps loaded trucks from waiting while someone haggles. The call center's handoff list decides which calls go to the estimator.
How much does a junk removal estimator make?
Sales representatives of services who work for waste collection companies earned a median of $30.23 an hour ($62,870 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $46,300 and $80,490 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and overtime.
How should an estimator handle a hoarding cleanout?
Meet the person who lives there, not only the relative who called. Walk the home with them, agree on what must be saved, and quote in phases if the job will take several days. Note anything that needs a biohazard cleaner, such as animal waste or bodily fluids, and refer that part out unless your company is set up for it.
What should a written junk removal estimate include?
The rooms and items included, what stays, and the number of truckloads expected, with the price for each added load. List charges for heavy material, items you won't take, where donations and recycling will go, the date or window, and who signs. Attach the photos. For a sale made in the customer's home, include the cancellation notice.
What should the estimator ad say about walking and weather?
The template mentions walking and standing for long stretches and working in any weather. Put that as the work: walking basements, attics, garages and yards, climbing stairs, and sizing up a pile outside in rain or heat. EEOC guidance says questions about whether an applicant can stand or walk are off limits before an offer unless they are about the job's tasks. Ask whether they can do the site visits, with or without an accommodation.
How do I interview an outside sales estimator?
Show photos of a crowded basement and garage and ask for a quote in truckloads, with crew size and hours. Then play the customer: say a competitor quoted far less and ask why yours is higher. Good candidates explain what is included instead of cutting the price. Ask how they followed up on quotes that stalled in their last job.
