Storage unit cleanouts
Burbank, North Hollywood and the Valley
“We had 3 large storage units emptied and needed two large trucks.”
5.0 on Google from 463 reviews
How do I empty a storage unit fast?
Open the unit, take a photo from the door, and text it with the facility's address. We text back a price, meet you or the facility manager at the time you pick, empty the unit, and sweep it out. Customers have had packed units cleared in 15 minutes to an hour. If you have several units, we'll bring enough truck.
What we take
- Everything in the unit, or everything except what you mark
- Furniture and mattresses
- Boxes, bins and bags
- Appliances and electronics
- Shelving
Ask us first
- We don't take paint, chemicals (like motor oil and solvents), tires, asbestos, medical waste, ammunition or propane tanks, empty or full. We'll point you to the right drop-off.
How it works
Most jobs go from first text to swept-up driveway the same way.
How much does storage unit cleanout cost?
Pricing is based on how much truck space your items take up, plus labor. Free photo quotes by text: send photos and get an exact price. Stairs, long carries and heavy material like concrete or dirt change the number. Your quote includes loading, hauling, disposal and sweep-up. The price we quote is the price you pay.
Text us a few photos and your ZIP. You get a price back by text, and that's the number you pay unless what's there is different from what was in the photos.
Fastest quote: text photos of your items to (909) 566-3090.
Most storage units get emptied for the same reason: the monthly rent has outlasted the value of what's inside. The job itself is usually quick. What slows it down is the facility's own logistics, so plan those first.
What's included, step by step
- Photo from the door. Roll up the door, take one photo from the aisle and one from just inside, and text them with the facility address and unit number.
- Price by text. Tell us about more than one unit, upper floors or elevators so the price covers them.
- Access. Settle with the facility how the crew gets in: you meet them, the office adds them to the access list, or you share a code.
- Pull what you're keeping. Take it home first, or stack it at the front with a marker.
- Empty and sweep. Everything else is loaded, and the floor is swept so you can hand the unit back.
Before you book
- Call the office: gate hours, access list, truck clearance, elevator or loading area, and move-out condition.
- Confirm the unit number and whether you'll be there.
- Take out paperwork, photos, jewelry and hard drives you want to keep.
- Look for anything that shouldn't be in a truck: fuel cans, propane, paint, pool chemicals, batteries.
- Plan the move-out notice with the facility so you're not billed for another month.
- Bring your lock key, or cut the lock ahead of time if the key is lost.
California and LA rules that apply
Units rented for years often hold things that were put away and forgotten, and California's disposal rules still apply to them once they come out:
- Hazardous waste, including old cleaners, solvents and pool chemicals, can't go in the garbage.[1]
- Propane and camping gas cylinders are on the state's banned-from-trash list.[1]
- Paint can't go in the trash even when it's dried out.[2]
- Every kind of battery is banned from household bins.[1]
- TVs, monitors, laptops, printers and phones are banned from the trash.[1]
A free S.A.F.E. Center can take the hazardous items from any LA County resident, up to 15 gallons or 125 pounds a visit.[3],[4] The two in the Valley are on Randall Street in Sun Valley and Balboa Boulevard in Northridge, open weekends 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.[3],[5]
Old computers and hard drives from storage may still hold tax records and photos. LASAN recommends wiping personal data before e-waste is recycled.[4]
What affects the price
- Unit size and how full it is. A 5×10 with a few boxes and a packed 10×30 are different jobs.
- Number of units, and whether they're at the same facility.
- Access. Ground-floor drive-up units are the quickest. Interior units with elevators and long hallways add labor.
- Heavy items. Safes, gym equipment and appliances weigh more than furniture of the same size.
- Mattresses, electronics and appliances, which each have their own disposal path.
Free city options vs. paying a hauler
Free city programs aren't built for storage units, because they collect from homes. In the City of LA, bulky pickup happens at the curb of a LASAN-served home on trash day,[6] so you'd have to move everything home first. City of LA residents can also bring bulky items to LASAN's free Saturday drop-off events at the East Valley yard in Sun Valley and the West Valley yard in Northridge on scheduled dates.[6]
Doing it yourself with a rental truck is the other route. Sunshine Canyon Landfill in Sylmar accepts public drop-offs without an appointment,[7] but every load is billed at a one-ton minimum,[8] untarped loads cost extra,[8] and you're asked to bring a completed Origin Report Form.[7] Closer options are limited: Burbank's landfill isn't open to the public,[9] Chiquita Canyon in Castaic stopped taking waste in January 2025,[10] and Scholl Canyon in Glendale takes waste only from certain nearby cities.[11] Add the truck rental, fuel and a day of lifting, and the comparison in junk removal vs. a DIY truck rental is worth a look. The dumps and landfills guide has the full list.
A hauler makes the most sense when you want the unit empty before the next billing date and don't want to rent a truck to do it.
Working with Ricardo at Legacy Junk Removal was great. He was super responsive, flexible in his schedule, and gave me a great price for a clean-out of a storage unit I had rented (the best price from three services I got quotes from). The …
Text photos for a priceor call (909) 566-3090
Where it goes afterward
Storage units tend to hold furniture that was worth keeping once, so some of it can be donated. We donate items that are in fair shape so they get a second life, and recycle what we can. When your items are donated, you'll get a donation receipt from the drop-off location within 14 business days. Charity rules vary a lot: The Salvation Army schedules pickups by ZIP code and generally takes unbroken furniture and working appliances,[12] Habitat LA ReStores take furniture with no broken or missing pieces,[13] and Pickup Please only takes what one person can carry.[14] Mattresses go to Bye Bye Mattress sites,[15] electronics go to e-waste recycling,[16] and the rest is disposed of as regular waste.
Related guides and areas
- Step by step: the storage unit cleanout guide
- Doing it yourself: junk removal vs. a DIY truck rental and dumps and landfills near the Valley
- Furniture worth passing on: donation centers and pickups in the Valley
- Single items: couches, mattresses and TVs and electronics
- Area pages: Burbank, North Hollywood, Van Nuys, Sun Valley and Glendale
- Related services: garage cleanouts and furniture removal
What customers said about this job
These guys were so quick and efficient! Had a storage unit filled with huge items, we had it scheduled and finished within an hour. These guys are the real deal and at an affordable price! Storage unit was in Burbank and Brian and Carlos were there ASAP, took them 15 minutes! Super friendly and overall totally worth it!
I had a great experience with Legacy Junk Removal. Ricardo was very helpful and communicative. They worked with our schedule, which was very important. We had 3 large storage units emptied and needed two large trucks. Ricardo and his team were quick and efficient. We will definitely use them again in the future.
Where we do this
Based in North Hollywood, working mostly within 10 miles: the east and central San Fernando Valley and the neighborhoods just over the hill.
Storage unit cleanout: questions
Do I need to be at the storage facility?
Usually someone has to open the unit or put the crew on the facility's access list. Call the office first and ask how they handle it; some let the renter authorize a hauler by phone. Share the gate code, unit number and any lock details when you book.
What should I ask the storage office before cleanout day?
Ask about gate hours, whether a box truck fits through the gate and to your row or elevator, whether you need to add anyone to the access list, what condition they want the unit left in, and whether they have a dumpster you're allowed to use. Every facility sets its own rules, so the office's answer is the one that counts.
Can you empty more than one unit?
Yes. One customer had three large units emptied in one job, which took two trucks. If your units are at different facilities, tell us all the addresses and unit numbers up front so the route and truck space are planned together, and give each facility's office notice that a crew is coming.
How long does a storage unit cleanout take?
A single unit is often cleared in under an hour. One customer in Burbank had a unit full of large items emptied in about 15 minutes. Upper-floor units that need an elevator, long hallways and packed units with many small boxes take longer.
Will the unit be swept out?
Yes, so you can hand it back and stop the next month's rent. Ask the office what they want done with your lock and whether they do a final check before closing the rental. If you can't be there at the end, ask the crew for a photo of the empty unit to show the office.
I want to keep a few boxes. How does that work?
Pull them to the front of the unit or into your car before the crew starts, or be there to point them out. Anything marked stays; everything else is loaded. If you're not sure what's in some boxes, the crew can open them for you at the door as they go.
Can I take the stuff to the dump myself with a rental truck?
You can, but check the landfill first. Sunshine Canyon in Sylmar lets the public drop off without an appointment but charges every load a one-ton minimum, adds a charge for untarped loads, and asks for an Origin Report Form. Burbank's landfill isn't open to the public, Chiquita Canyon has closed, and Scholl Canyon only takes waste from certain cities.
Can the City pick up things from a storage unit?
Not at the facility. City bulky pickup collects at the curb of the home it serves, so items would have to go home first. City of LA residents can also bring bulky items to LASAN's free Saturday drop-off events at the East Valley and West Valley yards on scheduled dates.
Will a charity pick up donations from my storage unit?
Some charities pick up by ZIP code, like The Salvation Army, but several expect items outside at street level or on a ground floor, including St. Vincent de Paul and Habitat LA. Pickup Please takes only items one person can lift and doesn't take couches, mattresses or TVs. Call the charity and ask about a storage facility address before you book.
What about the mattress in the unit?
Mattresses and box springs can go to a Bye Bye Mattress drop-off site for free, regardless of age or condition. They're a common storage-unit item, so include them in your photos. Bed frames aren't part of the program and go with the furniture.
There are old computers and hard drives in the unit. What should I do?
Pull out anything with personal data first. LASAN advises wiping data before recycling electronics, and TVs, monitors and computers can't go in the trash in California. If you want to keep the drives, set them aside before the crew starts.
Sources
Last reviewed: September 2026. Rules, fees and hours change; check with the city or program before you go.
- [1]Waste Banned from the Trash — CalRecycle (calrecycle.ca.gov)
- [2]FAQs — PaintCare (paintcare.org)
- [3]East Valley: Randall Street S.A.F.E. Center, LA Sanitation & Environment (sanitation.lacity.gov)
- [4]S.A.F.E. Centers (Household Hazardous Waste Disposal), LA Sanitation & Environment (sanitation.lacity.gov)
- [5]North Valley: Nicole Bernson S.A.F.E. Center, LA Sanitation & Environment (sanitation.lacity.gov)
- [6]Schedule a Bulky Item Pickup, LA Sanitation & Environment (sanitation.lacity.gov)
- [7]Drop-off Information, Sunshine Canyon Landfill (sunshinecanyonlandfill.com)
- [8]Disposal Costs, Sunshine Canyon Landfill (sunshinecanyonlandfill.com)
- [9]Fact Sheet: City of Burbank Landfill #3, LA County Public Works SWIMS (pw.lacounty.gov)
- [10]Using Chiquita, Chiquita Canyon (chiquitacanyon.com)
- [11]Scholl Canyon Landfill (home) (schollcanyonlandfill.org)
- [12]Salvation Army Thrift Store and Donation Center FAQs (satruck.org)
- [13]Donate Building Materials, Appliances, & More, Habitat for Humanity Greater LA (habitatla.org)
- [14]Acceptable Donations, Pickup Please (pickupplease.org)
- [15]Mattress Disposal in California — Bye Bye Mattress (byebyemattress.com)
- [16]Electronic Waste Management — CalRecycle (calrecycle.ca.gov)
- [17]Donation of Goods, St. Vincent de Paul of Los Angeles (svdpla.org)
- [18]Schedule A Pickup, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles (habitatla.org)
- [19]Frequently Asked Questions — Bye Bye Mattress (byebyemattress.com)
Facilities and organizations mentioned are general local information, not Legacy Junk Removal partners.
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