How Much Do The Council Charge To Remove A Sofa: What To Expect

Getting rid of bulky waste is one of the most cumbersome tasks you might find yourself facing as a resident of London. Most councils offer internal collections for bulky items. Unlike regular household waste which your local council collects regularly, you will need to arrange with the authorities to come collect unwanted items that do not fit the everyday waste collection’s requirements for size and material separately. The council’s bulky waste service does not include certain items such as construction debris, large appliances, or hazardous materials. You will also need to pay an additional fee to bring the bulky item to the recycling centre. Recycling centres are a useful alternative if the council service is not available. So, the question is how much do the councils charge to remove a sofa or another bulky waste from the ground floor level of your property?

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The costs of bulky waste collections in London

There is no definitive answer to the question of how much you will have to allocate from your budget to have your council waste collection service collect bulky waste from your property. The reason for that is that every council charges a different amount. London councils charge different rates for these services. Factors that will form the final price include:

• The potential minimal charge of the collection service
• The timeframe for making a booking before the scheduled collection date
• The size and material of the sofa
• The location of your property and its peculiarities, such as if it is a gated property, how accessible the bin area is, whether or not it is close to a public highway
• Whether or not you will have other bulky waste items collected on collection day, such as washing machines and other appliances. Ensure that you prepare and place the items according to the specific guidelines for bulky household waste collections.

All of these factors may affect the complexity of the bulky household waste service you are about to receive, including the size of the collection crew that will be required to properly execute the job. Most councils collect a variety of items, including soft furnishings. To give you an idea about the price of the large items collection you might expect, the average price for commercial waste and bulky waste collections across all London counties is 29 GBP.

Some councils are more expensive than others for bulky waste collections

There are London councils where the costs of living are higher on average than the rest. This includes the various council taxes residents pay. These include the collection of furniture and bulky waste items of all types. For instance, residents of Richmond upon Thames may expect to spend 60 GBP on average for such a service, while the costs of bulky waste removal such as sofa collection in the Hounslow council’s area are around 50 GBP. Havering, Ealing, and Harrow are also in the top three most expensive London councils for bulky waste collection, with prices around 40 GBP on average. London councils often charge based on the type and number of items.

Other considerations 

When you call your local council to send a collection crew to collect your old sofa, there are a couple of things that you need to have in mind. First and foremost, ensure that the waste is collected by a licensed waste carrier for responsible disposal. Bulky items should be placed in a communal bin area if available. You can check with the Environment Agency or Love Junk for assistance in finding a licensed waste carrier. You will need to get the sofa outside.

Don’t expect to have the waste collectors come to your door and bring the furniture out themselves. You will be required to place the sofa in the bin area, or at least at the ground floor level. The second thing you should not be surprised about is that you will have to have patience. On average, bulky waste collection in London may take your council up to two weeks to complete. Getting the job done sooner is possible, but it will rely on you placing your order early, and when the earliest possible scheduled collection day is. Some parts of the year are quite busier for council waste collection crews than others, so it should come as no surprise if the process takes even longer than the average fortnight. If you have other electrical appliances, inform the council as they might have different guidelines.