Two people get two quotes for what looks like the same garage, and the figures are far apart. Neither is necessarily wrong. One was priced from a photo of the door, the other from a look at what sits behind it. That gap is the real subject of this guide to rubbish clearance cost in Sussex: a price is only as good as the picture of the job it was built from.
This post deliberately puts no price on a Right Turn job. A rough range printed on a page tends to be wrong for the pile in front of you, and Lewis would rather price the actual job. What it does cover is what moves a clearance price, how to read a quote, which published council charges you can use as a yardstick, and what to check on a carrier before your waste leaves the property.
Why one pile gets two different quotes
Quotes differ because each person prices what they were shown, so the first job is to show the whole pile and everything around it.
Rubbish clearance covers a wide spread of jobs: a garage that has filled for ten years, a loft with boards and boxes, a garden with cuttings and an old shed, building waste after a small project, or a mixed household load. Right Turn takes all of those. What they share is that the person pricing the job cannot see the problem unless you show it. A pile at the front gate is quick. The same pile at the end of a side passage, behind a locked gate, up two flights of stairs, is not.
Right Turn works from photos. You send wide shots of each area, the postcode and any access notes by WhatsApp, form, phone or email. Lewis reviews volume, access, parking and anything that needs a specialist route, then gives a clear price before you book. The word clear matters: no hourly meter and no surprise add-ons. It is not a rigid promise either, because photos can undersell a job. If the scope changes on the day, he explains and agrees any change with you before continuing.
If your quotes disagree, compare what each one assumed. Did they know about the second layer at the back of the garage? Did they know the loft hatch is the only way down? Did they include taking away everything, or only what is visible? Most gaps close once both people are pricing the same job.
The six things that move the price
Volume, weight, carry distance, parking, waste type and timing are the six drivers, and photos can show most of them.
The table lists each driver, why it matters to the person loading and what a photo should show. Nothing in it is a price. It is a checklist for describing the job well.
| Driver | Why it changes the job | What to show |
|---|---|---|
| Volume | More space filled means more loading and a larger share of the van | Wide shots of each area, with a gate or door in frame for scale |
| Weight | Soil, rubble, tiles and plasterboard are heavy for the space they take | Close shots of the dense material, and a note of roughly how many bags |
| Carry distance and stairs | Every metre and every step adds time and effort | The route out: loft hatch, steps, side passage, lift |
| Parking | A van that cannot stand close makes every trip longer | The street outside, plus any permit bay or restriction |
| Waste type | Fridges, mattresses, sofas and building waste follow their own disposal routes | The unusual items on their own, not buried in the pile |
| Timing | A narrow window or short notice limits how Lewis can plan the day | The dates you can do, and any deadline such as a key handover |
Volume gets most of the attention, but the other five explain most of the surprises. A small pile that is mostly rubble can be a harder job than a larger pile of light bags. A modest heap in a basement flat with steep steps can take longer than a bigger one on a drive. Our guide on what goes in one load in Lewes explains how to sort a mixed pile into groups so the load is easier to read.
Volume and weight
Space is what people notice, but a heavy load can be a bigger job than its size suggests.
Picture two piles of the same footprint. One is bin bags of clothes, boxes and soft furnishings. The other is broken paving, old bags of rubble and a few offcuts of plasterboard. The first is light and easy to move. The second is dense, tiring to carry and awkward to stack. Describing the material, not just the size, lets the quote reflect the real work.
Council tip rules show how seriously heavy waste is treated. Brighton and Hove's recycling sites accept rubble and soil only in small amounts, and the council page says rubble is limited to eight standard bags a month, with a maximum bag size of 50 litres. Plasterboard is limited to four sheets. Those limits are for residents making their own trips; bigger quantities need another route. Read the full list on the council's page on what the recycling sites accept.
Access, stairs and parking
The route between the waste and the van changes the time a job takes, so describe it as carefully as the pile.
Access is the part customers most often leave out, because they stopped noticing it years ago. Tell the person quoting about steps at the front, a narrow side gate, a loft ladder, a lift that is out of order, or a long walk from the door to where a van can stand. If the van cannot park close, say so, and say whether the street has resident permit bays or other restrictions. Lewis considers parking when he reviews the photos, and it is easier to plan for if he knows early.
The same applies to what you leave for the council. Brighton and Hove asks you to put items on your driveway or in your front or back garden, easy to reach, or just inside your front door if you have no outside space. Leaving them on the road or pavement counts as fly-tipping, and the council says you could be fined £400. The page is here: large and electrical household items collection.
What kind of waste it is
Ordinary household rubbish is the easiest to price; items with their own rules need flagging first.
Furniture, bags, boxes, garden cuttings and general household clutter are straightforward. Several other items take their own disposal route, which affects the work. Fridges and freezers, mattresses and sofas are the usual examples, and we have a guide for each: fridge and freezer disposal, mattress disposal and sofa disposal in Brighton and Hove. Show them separately in your photos.
Some things Right Turn cannot take at all: hazardous or flammable materials, gas bottles, chemicals, asbestos, clinical or medical waste, illegal items, live animals and anything not agreed before the job. Be honest about them up front. If you suspect asbestos, for example in old garage roof sheets or textured coatings, do not break it up. The Brighton and Hove council page says its Hove site takes up to four bags of bonded asbestos, wrapped thoroughly and twice in plastic, with two pieces of ID, and that the Brighton site does not accept asbestos. Larger amounts need a registered waste carrier for asbestos.
Three routes, and what each one asks of you
Council collection, a tip run and a registered carrier each trade money against time and effort, and only the first two have published prices.
It helps to see the alternatives side by side. The details below are Brighton and Hove's; other Sussex councils set their own rules and charges, so check yours.
- Council bulky collection. Brighton and Hove prices by item count: £25 for one item and £45 for two, rising with each extra item. You phone to book, pay by card, and the council says bookings are currently three to four weeks ahead. If the items on the day differ from what you described, the crew may not collect them and will give an updated quote.
- Your own tip run. No collection fee is listed on the council's recycling site pages, but you need a suitable vehicle and proof of residence. Luton vans, box-body vans, flatbeds, tippers and trailers over 1.2 metres are among the vehicles the council says it does not allow, and trailers are not permitted at the Brighton site. Read the access rules before you load.
- A registered carrier. You send photos, get a clear price, and the waste is taken from where it sits. This is the route for a big pile, a heavy one, or one you cannot move yourself. Right Turn does it with Lewis, who runs every job personally.
For a worked comparison of the first and third routes, see council bulky waste vs a man and van. If the pile is really a flat or a house, the cost guides for a flat in Hove and a house in Brighton are closer to your job.
How to read a quote
A good quote says what it covers, what it excludes and when it can change, in terms you could repeat back.
- What is included? Loading, carrying, taking away and disposal, or only some of those.
- What does it assume? The volume, the route and the parking should match what you described.
- What would change it? Ask what happens if there is more than the photos show, and how the change would be agreed.
- Is there a meter? Right Turn has no hourly meter. A rate that runs by the hour can drift upward.
- Who is taking it? Ask for the carrier's name and registration number, then check them before they come.
- What is left behind? Right Turn leaves the property swept, and gives a waste receipt and relevant waste record on request.
Use the same description with every firm you ask. If you send photos to one and a vague text to another, the comparison tells you nothing.
Check the carrier before the waste leaves
Householders have a duty of care, and handing waste to an unregistered carrier can lead to a fixed penalty.
GOV.UK says that if you use a private business for waste collection, you must check it is on the register of waste carriers. It also says you could be fined if you give your household waste to someone not legally allowed to take it, and that the fine can follow if something fly-tipped is identified as yours. See GOV.UK on getting rid of household waste.
The government's guidance for councils on household waste duty of care notices sets the default fixed penalty at £200 (with a full range from £150 to £600). It also lists what helps a householder show they took reasonable steps: a record of the checks made, including the operator's registration number, and a receipt carrying the registered operator's business details. The guidance is here: household waste duty of care fixed penalty notices.
Checking takes a minute. Open the Environment Agency public register, search by business name or registration number, and choose the upper tier for a business collecting waste. Right Turn holds waste carrier licence CBDU621046, and you should look it up rather than take our word for it. Keep a photo of the entry with your quote.
Get a quote that holds up
Send wide photos of every area, the postcode, access notes and your dates, then compare quotes on identical information.
Walk the property once before you send anything. Photograph each area from the doorway so the whole space is in frame, then take close shots of heavy material and anything unusual. Note stairs, gates and parking. Tell the quoter what must go and what stays, because a half-cleared garage with a few things left is a different job to an empty one. If you have already tried to move some of it yourself, mention it.
Photos are enough for a clear price, so you do not have to arrange a visit. Send them by WhatsApp, but remember that is only one route: you can also use the contact page, phone 01273 981001, or email lewis@rightturnremovals.co.uk. Many customers prefer to talk it through, and that works just as well.
If the job turns out to be bigger than a rubbish clearance, such as a full property after a bereavement or a tenancy ending, the house clearance page explains that service, and the services page lists everything else Lewis covers, including home removals. For help choosing between providers in general, read our guide to choosing a registered clearance firm in Brighton, and for furniture on its own, getting rid of old furniture.
The last point is the most useful one. A price is a description of work. Give a thorough description and you get a price you can rely on; give a thin one and you get a number that may move on the day. That is the whole difference between a quote that looks low and one that holds.
Rubbish clearance cost in Sussex: FAQ
How much does a rubbish clearance cost in Sussex?
There is no honest single figure, because the price follows volume, weight, access, parking and waste type. Right Turn gives a clear price from your photos, agreed before booking, with no hourly meter. Council charges are published and can serve as a yardstick.
Does Right Turn charge by the hour?
No. The promise is a clear price with no hourly meter and no surprise add-ons. If the scope changes on the day, Lewis explains and agrees the change with you before continuing.
Do I need a visit to get a quote?
No. Photos of each area, the postcode and access notes are enough. Send them by WhatsApp, the contact form, phone or email, and Lewis will review volume, access, parking and anything needing a specialist route.
What waste can Right Turn not take?
Hazardous or flammable materials, gas bottles, chemicals, asbestos, clinical or medical waste, illegal items, live animals and anything not agreed before the job. Tell Lewis about anything unusual when you send photos.
How do I check a waste carrier is registered?
Search the Environment Agency public register of waste carriers by business name or registration number. GOV.UK says you must check a private business is on the register. Right Turn's registration number is CBDU621046.
What does Brighton and Hove council charge for bulky collection?
The council page lists £25 for one item and £45 for two, rising with more items, and says bookings are currently three to four weeks ahead. Check the page before booking because charges can change.
Can I take rubble or plasterboard to the tip myself?
In small amounts. Brighton and Hove's page allows eight standard rubble bags a month and four sheets of plasterboard, and refuses trade or builder's waste. Larger quantities need another route, so tell Lewis what you have.
What happens if there is more than the photos show?
Lewis explains the difference and agrees any change with you before continuing. It is why wide shots of every area, including the back of a garage or the far end of a loft, help.
What customers say about Lewis
Google reviews of Right Turn's service.
We recently used Right Turn Removals to remove some loft boards from our loft, and we couldn't have been happier with the service.
Done far more than expected and i was really pleased. No pressure my end they made the move so easy I would highly recommend them. Rate was really good and service was impressive.
Lewis was great. Good contact and good price. Will use Right Turn removals again!
Sources checked 2 November 2026: Brighton and Hove City Council: large and electrical household items collected; Brighton and Hove City Council: what the recycling sites accept; Brighton and Hove City Council: access to the recycling sites; GOV.UK: get rid of household waste; GOV.UK: household waste duty of care fixed penalty notice guidance; Environment Agency: register of waste carriers, brokers and dealers. Council pages, the GOV.UK pages and the Environment Agency register were opened on 2 November 2026. Charges and tip rules can change, so check each page before you book or travel. Other firms' prices were read for the search review but are not quoted, and only Brighton and Hove council rules are covered.