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Haulers

Estate cleanout in Stoneham, MA

A living room being sorted for an estate cleanout in an older Massachusetts house, boxes and a china cabinet

Why town services do not fit a full house

Casella takes one bulk item under 50 lbs per week, and trash is capped at 90 gallons. A house full of furniture and boxes would take months at that rate. Stevens Street is open only Monday morning, Wednesday afternoon and Saturday morning in season, and it is limited to Stoneham trash customers and requires a vehicle sticker. An out-of-town executor with a rental truck cannot use it at all.

Stoneham's Board of Health permits dumpsters at $40, but you still have to fill one, and the contractor who removes it must be permitted by the town.

Sorting a Stoneham house

Start with papers, jewelry and photographs, then mark what family wants. Good furniture can go to Mission of Deeds in Reading, which accepts donations the second and third Saturday of the month, or to the Habitat ReStore. Clothes and housewares go to Goodwill's staffed center in Winchester. What is left is ours: a half trailer is $319, three quarters $409 and a full trailer $519.

Older Stoneham homes tend to have full basements, attics and a one-car garage, so we quote walkthrough photos first and confirm the load size by text.

Timing around a sale

Realtors usually need the house empty before photos or a closing. Booking a day or two before the walkthrough gives time for a sweep afterward. Stoneham is a short drive from our Melrose base. If there is an appliance, we remove it and handle refrigerant recovery. Hazardous items such as paint and gasoline are not part of a load; Stoneham's DPW can tell you about its annual hazardous waste day at 781-438-0760. Keep papers, medications and anything with account numbers with the family. Loose paper left in a dresser drawer travels with the dresser, so empty the drawers of anything you need before the crew arrives.

A typical Stoneham cleanout, start to finish

  1. Two weeks before

    Family takes what it wants; start sorting papers and valuables.

  2. One week before

    Text us photos of each floor and the garage for a load estimate.

  3. Three days before

    Drop usable furniture and housewares at Mission of Deeds, Goodwill or the ReStore.

  4. Cleanout day

    Crew carries out everything left and loads the trailer.

  5. After

    Walk through with the realtor or attorney, then hand over keys.

Local resources in Stoneham

Donation, reuse and recycling options near the pickup. We are not affiliated with these; confirm hours and what they accept before you go.

Quick answers

Do you take an entire house in one day?

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Usually. A full trailer holds about 12 cubic yards, and a larger house takes more than one load.

Can the town help with a whole house?

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Not really. Casella takes one light bulk item a week and Stevens Street is open to residents only a few hours.

Do I need a dumpster permit?

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Only if you rent a dumpster. For a hauled-away load there is no town permit.

Sources

Rules, fees and hours change, so confirm with Stoneham before you go.

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