How much does hoarding cleanup cost?
How much does hoarding cleanup cost?
$1,000 – $4,000 total average cost
$25 – $100 average cost per hour
Hoarding cleanup cost
Hoarding cleanup costs $1 to $2 per square foot or $1,000 to $4,000 total. The average cost to clean a hoarder house depends primarily on the home’s size and condition. Professional cleaning services may charge an hourly rate of $25 to $100 per hour instead of a flat rate.
| Square feet | Average total cost |
|---|---|
| 500 | $500 – $1,000 |
| 800 | $800 – $1,600 |
| 1,000 | $1,000 – $2,000 |
| 1,500 | $1,500 – $3,000 |
| 2,000 | $2,000 – $4,000 |
| 2,500 | $2,500 – $5,000 |
| 3,000 | $3,000 – $6,000 |
Hoarding is a compulsive habit of retaining items regardless of value. This psychological condition can lead to health concerns for the individual and their family. After a certain point, the safest option is professional cleaning.
Cleaners typically give an estimate after a thorough on-site evaluation. The longer the hoarding has been going on and the more items have accumulated, the higher their estimate will be.
Hoarder cleanup cost factors
The following factors impact the cost to hire professional cleaners for a hoarding problem:
Home condition: If there are any bugs, rats, and stuck-on messes, the job will take longer and cost more. If you only need to dispose of cluttered belongings and not any complex problems, it’ll cost less. Some people hoard food, trash, or pets, which are much harder to deal with.
Disposal: Professional cleanup companies typically include the cost of disposal in their quotes. On its own, junk disposal costs $150 to $350 per load.
Duration: In some cases, the person responsible for the hoarding will want to be involved and sort through everything, which means the job will take longer.
Experience: Companies that specialize in hoarding cleanup tend to cost more than a handyperson or maid service, but they have more experience with the specific messes and concerns that may arise from hoarding and may get the job done faster.
Biohazards: Certain materials require special handling. Biohazard cleanup costs $1,500 to $5,000 on average and includes removing chemicals or microbes from a sewer spill, flood, death, pet waste, or disease outbreak.
If the hoarding is isolated to one area of the house, you can hire basement cleaners or garage cleaners instead of cleaning the whole house.
Severity
The severity of the hoarding will impact your overall cost. According to the Clutter-Hoarding Scale from the Institute For Challenging Disorganization, the five levels of hoarding are:
| Clutter / hoarding level | Description |
|---|---|
| Level 1: Low |
|
| Level 2: Guarded |
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| Level 3: Elevated |
|
| Level 4: High |
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| Level 5: Severe |
|
Add-ons
Some high-effort services like carpet cleaning, grout scrubbing, or garage cleaning cost extra, depending on the company. Bundling these services with the same company usually costs less than hiring separate companies:
Tile and grout cleaning costs $250 to $700 on average.
Carpet cleaning costs $40 to $90+ per room.
Renting a carpet cleaner costs $30 to $125 per day.
Other cleaning services
If you need help cleaning your home but aren’t sure whether it would qualify as a hoarding cleanup, you may want to get estimates from standard home cleaning companies. They can provide one-time cleaning services as well as regular weekly, monthly, or annual cleaning.
| Cleaning type | Average total cost | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Standard house cleaning cost | $120 – $280 | Sweeping, dusting, vacuuming, and disinfecting |
| Deep cleaning cost | $230 – $600 | Standard services plus window washing, cleaning the refrigerator, cleaning under furniture, scrubbing tile and grout |
| Move-out cleaning cost | $150 – $500 | Standard or deep cleaning and carpet cleaning to get home back to like-new condition |
Some non-profit organizations or government programs offer free cleaning services for qualified individuals.
Hoarding cleanup FAQs
What is hoarding cleanup?
Professional hoarding cleanup is a discreet service that helps a hoarder or their family dispose of trash and get their home back into a more livable condition. In some instances, the homeowner has a psychological condition that leads them to hoard, while in others they’re not physically able to clean.
How long does hoarding cleanup take?
Cleaning a hoarder’s house is a complicated project that takes 1 to 5 days, depending on the size and condition of the home and how many people are on the cleanup team.
Should I be there during a hoarding cleanup?
Whether or not you want to be present is up to you. Some people want to be there to make sure the cleaners handle their belongings with care. For others, it’s easier to be away because the process is emotionally difficult or stressful.
No matter what you decide, be sure to communicate clearly and make sure the cleaners have access to your property. Professional cleaners typically don’t clean a home without the knowledge or consent of the owner.
Getting quotes from cleaning services
Follow these tips to find the best one-time house cleaning services near you:
Get in-person quotes from 3 or more licensed, insured cleaning companies.
Read cleaning companies’ reviews on HomeGuide and Google.
Ask for before-and-after pictures of past jobs.
Discuss your cleaning needs with them.
Get a written estimate with a list of the included services.
Questions to ask cleaning companies
Ask these questions to ensure you choose a cleaning service with the necessary experience:
How much experience do you have with hoarding cleanup?
Do you have a business license and insurance?
What kind of training do you and other employees have for this?
Can you give me any testimonials from clients?
Do you bring your own cleaning supplies for this?
Will I have to rent a dumpster or hire a junk removal service, or do you cover that?
What services does this estimate include?
What happens if there’s hazardous waste or pests?
What kind of safety measures does your company follow?
Do you offer any kind of guarantee?
Using our proprietary cost database, in-depth research, and collaboration with industry experts, we deliver accurate, up-to-date pricing and insights you can trust, every time.