Junk removal companies typically will give an estimate once they see the items you want to be moved. You have to schedule an appointment for a crew to arrive at your home or business, show them the items, and have them give you an estimate on the spot. And, even then, the final price can be slightly higher than what you were quoted if the items are heavier than the crew expected or they encounter difficulties.
LoadUp takes the opposite approach, giving you the final price before booking your appointment. When you book—online, by text, or over the phone—you tell them what you need to be moved to get an instant quote. We love how straightforward this model is. However, LoadUp does have some shortcomings as a newcomer in the junk removal industry, namely its limited services. Here’s a guide to what you need to know about LoadUp, including pricing and services.
What is LoadUp?
LoadUp is a full-service junk removal company founded by George Workmon in 2014 because he felt the junk removal industry needed more transparency. Most companies send a crew to a home or business to determine how much space the customer’s items will take up in volume in the back of their truck. Then, and only then, will they give the customer an estimate.
Workman believed pricing should be provided upfront when the customer books their appointment. He based LoadUp’s prices on the number and type of items picked up, not how much space they took up in the truck. As a result, LoadUp’s website claims it can charge 20 to 30 percent less than other companies.
Additionally, LoadUp prides itself on offering completely contactless junk removal. You can book your pick-up date online, by text, or over the phone and pay for it then. If you bring the items from inside and set them out in front of your house, LoadUp will remove them and text you when they are gone. You don’t even have to be home.
While the company excels at junk removal, it provides limited services otherwise. Residential customers can hire LoadUp to assemble furniture, playsets, and other items, but the company doesn’t offer moving or demolition services, such as cabinet removal. The benefits for businesses are just as limited. LoadUp will haul away items one time or remove junk on an ongoing basis, at one location or nationally.
Atlanta-based LoadUp has locations in 49 states and more than 170 cities. Instead of franchising, it works with independent contractors, who choose when and how much they want to work. The business model is similar to Uber. A few reviewers complain that these contracted loaders don’t arrive on time or at all, but overwhelmingly, most are impressed with how hard-working and professional they are.
LoadUp is committed to donating and recycling as much as possible. After LoadUp completes its furniture removal, it contributes undamaged, stained, and broken items to local charities and thrift stores. The remaining items are recycled depending on what materials they are made of. Items made of metal, wood, and natural materials can usually be recycled, while those made from compressed wood or particleboard cannot.
To promote eco-friendly practices, LoadUp Junk has set a goal to donate or recycle 90 percent of its donations in every major city by 2022. Although it has donation partners nationwide, it continues to add more partners to optimize its ability to donate and recycle. Some of the non-profits LoadUp works with include:
- The Furniture Bank of Metro Atlanta
- The Mustard Seed of Orlando
- The Revenant of Atlanta GA
- American Cancer Society
- Habitat for Humanity
- Goodwill
- Teen Challenge
- Good Samaritan
- The Salvation Army
- Our Hope Thrift Store