Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Job price
$390
Load size
6.0
Estimated dump fee
$68
Total job cost (labor + dump)
$150
Gross profit
$240
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One click, a permanent link with your numbers baked in.
How to use this
- 1Enter truck capacity (yd³).
- 2Enter load size (fraction of truck) (%).
- 3Enter your price per cubic yard ($).
- 4Enter landfill/transfer fee per ton ($).
- 5Enter estimated weight per yard (lb).
- 6Enter labor hours (load + drive + dump).
- 7Enter crew cost per hour ($).
- 8Read your job price on the right — it updates as you type.
- 9Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Junk removal pricing lives or dies on getting the dump fee estimate right. Underestimate the weight or load fraction and you eat the loss at the transfer station. This calculator takes the load size as a fraction of your truck's cubic yard capacity, applies your per-yard labor and overhead rate, and adds the actual per-ton or per-yard disposal fee so the final price covers both hauling and dumping.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Truck capacity: 15 yd³
- Load size (fraction of truck): 40 %
- Your price per cubic yard: 65 $
- Landfill/transfer fee per ton: 75 $
- Estimated weight per yard: 300 lb
- Labor hours (load + drive + dump): 1.5
- Crew cost per hour: 55 $
Results
- Job price: $390
- Load size: 6
- Estimated dump fee: $68
- Total job cost (labor + dump): $150
- Gross profit: $240
What each field means
Inputs
- Truck capacity (yd³)
- The truck capacity used in the calculation, measured in yd³. Starts at 15 yd³ so you have a working example on load.
- Load size (fraction of truck) (%)
- The load size (fraction of truck) used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 40 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 5–100 %.
- Your price per cubic yard ($)
- The your price per cubic yard used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 65 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Landfill/transfer fee per ton ($)
- The landfill/transfer fee per ton used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 75 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Estimated weight per yard (lb)
- The estimated weight per yard used in the calculation, measured in lb. Starts at 300 lb so you have a working example on load.
- Labor hours (load + drive + dump)
- The labor hours (load + drive + dump) used in the calculation. Starts at 1.5 so you have a working example on load.
- Crew cost per hour ($)
- The crew cost per hour used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 55 $ so you have a working example on load.
Results
- Job price
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Load size
- Returned as a decimal number. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Estimated dump fee
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Total job cost (labor + dump)
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Gross profit
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
How do I estimate load fraction on-site accurately?
Eyeball it against the truck's visible bed markers, most junk trucks have quarter-load lines painted inside. A single recliner and a few boxes is typically an eighth load; a studio apartment clean-out with furniture is usually a half to full load. Under-quoting the fraction is the most common reason junk removal jobs lose money.
Why does density matter more than volume for pricing?
Dump fees are almost always charged by weight (per ton), not by volume, while you sell by the yard. A truckload of couch cushions and cardboard weighs far less per yard than a truckload of roofing shingles or dirt, so using a single flat price-per-yard without adjusting for material type on heavy jobs will underprice construction debris and drywall.
What's a typical price per cubic yard in this industry?
Most markets run $50-$100 per cubic yard depending on region and material type, with a full 15-yard truck often priced $500-$800. Heavy or hazardous items (tires, mattresses, e-waste, paint) usually carry a flat surcharge on top of the per-yard rate because disposal facilities charge extra for them.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
Related tools
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Cubic Yard Dump Fee Pricing Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/dump-fee-cubic-yard
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/dump-fee-cubic-yard" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cubic Yard Dump Fee Pricing Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Cubic Yard Dump Fee Pricing Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/dump-fee-cubic-yard) (2026).