The April inventory (it's the same every year)
- The balcony graveyard — frozen-cracked planters, weather-split chairs ($30 each), the grill that rusted shut ($59–$95).
- The entry casualties — salt-destroyed rugs ($92 rolled) and the mat-and-boot-tray pile (loose volume from $82).
- The February deaths — the snowblower ($88), the space heater, the humidifier that lost the war.
- The closet audit — bagged clothing purges from $132 for ten bags (donation-grade bags routed to donation).
- The basement dampness toll — whatever the winter moisture claimed downstairs.
Ward cleanups: use them, know their limits
Spring is when aldermanic offices shine — many wards run cleanup days, dumpster events and special collections in April and May. Check your ward's newsletter and 311; when the event matches your pile and your weekend, it's free and neighborly. The limits are structural: the event's date isn't your date, the accepted list excludes electronics and the odd stuff, and building-scale purges outgrow a community dumpster fast. Everything past those limits is what the flat pickup is for.
Spring purge pricing
| The purge | Flat price |
|---|---|
| Mixed pile — small / medium / large | $82 / $129 / $208 |
| Bagged purge — 10 / 20 bags | $132 / $259 |
| Rolled rug / dead snowblower | $92 / $88 |
| Balcony set — table / chairs / grill | $89 / $30 each / $59–$71 |
| Room-scale — quarter / half / full truck | $241 / $431 / $732 |
$100 minimum. Carried from the unit, balcony or basement — the contested spring alley never enters the plan. Donation-grade items routed to donation.
Frequently asked questions
Does Chicago have spring cleanup events for bulk junk?
Many wards run spring cleanup initiatives — dumpster days, neighborhood cleanups, special collections — but they're ward-by-ward, announced through aldermanic offices, and vary year to year in what they accept. Worth checking your ward's newsletter and 311 in March and April. What they consistently don't solve: electronics (Illinois landfill ban), building-scale purges, and anything on your schedule rather than the event's.
What does a spring cleaning junk pickup cost in Chicago?
Flat by volume: mixed piles $82 (small), $129 (medium), $208 (large); bagged purges $132 for ten bags, $259 for twenty; and when the purge fills rooms, truck rates take over — $241 quarter, $431 half, $732 full 16-cubic-yard truck. Winter's specific casualties price flat too: salt-ruined rolled rug $92, dead snowblower $88, the broken shovel-and-mat pile as loose volume.
What does the thaw reveal that needs hauling?
Every April the same inventory surfaces: the balcony graveyard (frozen planters, cracked furniture), the salt-wrecked entry rugs, the snowblower that died in February, the basement dampness casualties, and the closet of coats nobody wore. Winter hides accumulation; spring invoices it.
Can I put my spring purge in the alley?
Only within the rules — black-cart buildings, beside the cart, on collection timing, with a 311 request for real quantities. Spring is also when everyone ELSE purges, so legitimate set-out space is contested and lingering piles draw complaints fast. The flat pickup skips the whole competition — from your unit, on your date.