How Much Does Rubble Removal Cost in Cape Town?

A pile of broken paving, an old wall or a heap of branches tends to sit in the driveway for weeks because nobody knows what it'll cost to get rid of. With Top Trimmers it's simple: you pay by the load.

We charge R450 per load to take rubble and garden waste away on our large trailer. When the waste comes from a job we're doing for you, the removal is sometimes already part of the price. Quotes are free, and the quickest way to one is to WhatsApp us photos of the pile.

Rubble removal prices: R450 a load

How much does rubble removal cost in South Africa?

There's no single national price, because it depends on how much there is to move and how far it has to go. In Cape Town's northern suburbs, we charge R450 per trailer load, so the cost of clearing your rubble is simply the number of loads times R450, unless it's already in the price of a job we're doing.

What we'll load and take away

• Builder's rubble left after building or paving work, like broken bricks and old pavers.
• Garden waste: branches, palm fronds, hedge cuttings and green waste, as a job on its own or after we've worked in your garden.
• Mess left after a landscaping job or a big garden clean-up.

What decides the number of loads

• The size of the pile. This is the big one. One small pile may be a single load; an old wall or a whole driveway of pavers can be several. At R450 a load, the total follows the size of the pile.
• Whether it comes with a job. When the waste comes from work we're doing for you, like felling a tree or clearing a garden, the removal is sometimes already in the job price.
• What's mixed in. Tell us what's in the pile when you send photos, so we can tell you whether we can take it.

The hidden costs of a rubble pile

• Doing it yourself. Hiring a trailer or bakkie, loading it and driving to a drop-off costs time and money, and City drop-off sites have rules about what you can bring and how much. Check the City's drop-off facilities page before you load up.
• Waste left out of a quote. If someone is doing building, paving or garden work for you, ask whether taking the rubble away is included before they start.

Is cheap rubble removal worth it?

Only if you know where the rubble is going. A very cheap price can mean the load ends up on a verge or an open field, and dumping waste in a public place is against the law in Cape Town. In three months of 2023 the City issued 580 fines for littering and dumping. If you see dumping, you can report it to the City on 0800 110 077.

Ask whoever you hire where the waste goes, and be wary of anyone who won't say.

Three ways to keep the bill down

• Put it in one place. One pile near the gate or driveway is quicker to load than bits spread around the garden.
• Book it with the job. If we're already doing work for you, ask for the waste to go in the same quote. It's sometimes included.
• Show the whole pile. A photo with something for scale, like a wheelbarrow or a wall, helps us price it properly.

Paying by the load

You pay R450 for each trailer load, and when the waste comes from a job we're doing for you it's sometimes already in the price. Tylor prices it from your photos. The quote is free, and you'll have a reply within 24 hours of sending photos. You can pay by EFT or cash.

If there are any issues after the job, we're happy to come back and evaluate and correct whatever needs fixing.