Why can't a refrigerator just be wheeled out?
A refrigerator that has run for twenty years still has surprises in it. Food spoils, the freezer turns into a block of ice, and the drip pan holds water that goes everywhere the moment the unit tilts. The doors swing open on a dolly, the compressor side is the heavy side, and a full-size model is a two-person job before it ever reaches a step.
If you can, unplug it a day ahead, prop the doors open so the freezer can defrost, and lay towels down. Then comes the path. A kitchen in an older Bergen County house can have a doorway that is narrower than the refrigerator looks, and a basement or garage fridge adds a staircase on top of that.
How the crew takes a refrigerator out
Send a photo of the refrigerator and a quick look at the route, or give an item list. The estimate comes from that, and the final price is confirmed on site after the crew has walked the path. They do all of the lifting, loading and hauling, then sweep the floor where the unit stood, and you don't need to be home once access is confirmed.
A customer in Ridgefield put it plainly: "Junk Doctors did a great job cleaning 30 years worth of junk out of my parents' house, including tools, furniture, and even a refrigerator. Four guys, four hours, and two trucks. They got it done." Nanda Kamat's job was a whole house, and the refrigerator was one line on a long list.
What it costs and where the old unit goes
A refrigerator falls under the single item pickup price of $185 to $250, which covers one or two items. A large side-by-side or a chest freezer can pass 150 lb, and extra-heavy items, oversized units or difficult access may increase the price. Labor, loading, hauling, disposal fees and sweep-up are included, and there is no hourly rate.
Working units are donated whenever possible, and the rest are recycled. Empty the food out first, and set aside anything stored beside it in the garage, because the crew will not take wet paint, chemicals, fuel, gasoline, propane tanks, pesticides, asbestos, medical waste or unknown liquids. Same-day or next-day pickup is often available, seven days a week.
