Take Care Junk Hauling: Prices, Services and How It Works

What is Take Care Junk Hauling?

Take Care Junk Hauling is a small, owner-run junk removal company in the Sacramento region. A crew comes to your home or business, loads what you point to, and hauls it away, so you don't rent a truck, fill a dumpster or make dump runs. Its motto, printed on every page, is "Simply say take care & we'll take it from there."

The company describes its approach as "point-and-leave": you show the crew what goes, and it does the lifting from wherever the items sit, whether that's a back bedroom, an attic, a garage or a third-floor apartment. Nothing has to be dragged to the curb first. Its home page sums up its pitch in four promises: upfront pricing, clean trucks, no hidden fees and no tips expected.

Its work falls into five groups on the site:

• Residential junk removal: furniture, mattresses, appliances, yard waste and general household clutter.
• Cleanouts: garages, attics, storage units, estates, foreclosures, evictions and hoarding situations.
• Specialty and large items: hot tubs and spas, sheds, decks, playground sets, pianos and exercise equipment.
• Commercial work: office, retail and warehouse cleanouts, apartment turnovers and recurring pickups for property managers.
• Disposal: taking each load to the right facility, recycling metal and appliances, and donating usable items when it can.

Just as important is what it is not. The company says plainly that it is a junk removal service, not a construction and demolition hauler, a hazardous waste transporter or a biohazard cleaning company. Those limits are covered below, because they decide whether this is the right call for your pile.

Who owns Take Care Junk?

The site names Serge Pavlenko as the owner. Its "Junk Removal Experts" page says Serge has more than 12 years of construction, facility management and jobsite safety experience, and that an early job in junk removal showed him "how clearing clutter transforms a person's quality of life."

According to the same page, Serge holds:

• A Bachelor's degree in Construction Management (Engineering) with a minor in Business Administration from Sacramento State University.
• A C-5 Framing Contractor's License.
• OSHA-30 safety training.
• Past training in forklift operation, scaffolding awareness, flagging, and CPR and first aid. The page also lists HAZWOPER 40-hour training, marked as "historical, not used for hazardous waste today."

The page says his earlier roles included Field Engineer and Maintenance Director in assisted living. The home page adds that Serge "stays personally involved in quoting and running your job," so you are not handed to a call center. Customer reviews shown on the site mention Serge by name again and again, often alongside "his partner" or "his colleague," which fits the two-person crew the site describes.

The site does not name other staff, so if you want to know who will be on your job, ask when you book.

Is Take Care Junk legit?

This is a fair question for any hauler you find online, because a bad one can dump your things illegally. Here is what can be checked, and what is the company's own word:

• A published address and phone line. Every page lists 524 Houston St, West Sacramento, CA 95691, phone (916) 770-7619 and email tcjremoval@gmail.com. The contact page also lists support@takecarejunk.com. The owner's page notes that crews come to you and that "no physical office" visit is needed.
• A named owner with stated credentials. The owner is named, with his education and training listed (see above).
• Time in business. The company says it was founded in 2017. Its owner page also claims more than 3,000 jobs completed. These are the company's own figures.
• Licensing and insurance (company's claim). The site says it is "fully licensed and insured" and lists general liability insurance. It does not publish a license number or an insurance certificate. A C-5 framing license is a construction trade license, not a junk-hauling license, and the site does not give its number, so we could not match it in the Contractors State License Board (CSLB) lookup. If proof of insurance matters to you (it often does for landlords, HOAs and businesses), ask for a certificate before the job.
• Published reviews. The site shows "Rated 5.0 · 243 Google reviews + 100+ five-star reviews on Yelp" and says it is 5-star rated on Google, Yelp and Angie's List. Those figures are collected and displayed by the company. The reviews it quotes praise fast replies, on-time arrival, fair quotes and clean-up afterwards.
• A clear "no" list. A company that publishes what it will not do (mixed demolition debris, roofing tear-offs, hazardous waste, biohazard jobs) is easier to hold to its word than one that promises everything.

How much does Take Care Junk cost?

Take Care Junk prices most jobs by volume: the share of its truck your items fill. You get the number before anything is loaded. These are the figures published on the site when we checked on 19 October 2026.

What the price includes. The pricing guide says every quote covers all labor and lifting, loading and haul-away, dump and recycling fees, and clean-up of the area. The company says there is no separate dump fee, no fuel or travel surcharge inside its regular service area, no stairs or "heavy item" fee, and no rush fee for same-day jobs. Tips are "never expected."

What moves the number. Volume is the main factor. The site also lists weight and material (dense loads like concrete cost more to dispose of and can hit the truck's weight limit before it's full), access (a curbside pile is quicker than a long carry from a basement), and special-handling items such as refrigerators, TVs and mattresses. Jobs at the far edge of the service area may change, and the company says it will tell you upfront if they do.

Getting a firm price. The quickest way is to text a photo of the pile to (916) 770-7619. The site says it often quotes from the picture "within minutes." The crew then confirms the price on site before touching anything. If the pile has grown since your photo, you hear the new number first, and the estimate is free with no obligation if you say no.

Payment and financing. The site does not publish which payment methods it accepts and does not offer financing or payment plans. Ask on the call how you can pay. The commercial pages mention "flexible invoicing" for property management companies; ask about terms if you're booking for a business.

Discounts, referrals and how to pay less

• Book online, save $20. The company calls this "the one standing discount we offer." It applies when you book through the site instead of by phone.
• Referral program: $25 each. If you refer someone and they complete a qualifying appointment, you both get $25 off a future service. Discounts are applied after the referred customer's job is done. Homeowners, renters, landlords, realtors, property managers and repeat commercial clients can take part, and you can refer more than one person.
• No senior or veteran discount. The site says it does not run one. Instead, it offers to help you size the job to your budget: tell the crew what you can spend and it will suggest what to include so the load lands in that tier, or quote a partial clearing now and the rest later.
• No formal price-matching. The company says quotes are rarely comparable, but if you have a written all-in quote, it will tell you whether it can beat it.

The site's own tips for paying less: break down what you can (flat-packed shelving and broken-down boxes take less space), combine everything into one pickup instead of two minimum loads, pull out items you want to donate or sell first, and stage the pile somewhere easy to reach.

Residential junk removal, item by item

Through 2026 and into 2027 the site also runs a fall and winter page for seasonal jobs: leaf and yard clear-ups, garage clear-outs before the rains, holiday declutter, post-holiday TVs and appliances, and storm debris haul-away (downed branches, broken fencing and soaked yard debris).

Cleanouts: garage, estate, hoarding, eviction

Garage, attic, shed and storage unit cleanouts. The FAQ says a full single-car garage typically takes one to two hours with a crew and costs $300 to $1,000. You don't need to sort first; if you want to save money, pull out what you're keeping or donating and the crew takes the rest.

Estate cleanouts. For executors, adult children clearing a parent's home and realtors with probate listings. The family keeps what it wants first (walk the house and mark or move it), and any estate sale or family pick-up should happen before cleanout day. The crew clears what is left and leaves the home "broom-clean." It flags jewelry, cash, photos and paperwork rather than hauling them. Most homes are cleared in a single day; larger or hoarding-level estates may take two to three days. The company says it can coordinate with a realtor's lockbox and with probate attorneys, and can send before-and-after photos to family members who live out of the area. It takes usable furniture to a charity drop-off when it can but does not promise item-by-item donation, and any tax receipt comes from the charity, not from Take Care Junk. The site also has a series of guides for families, executors and trustees.

Hoarding cleanouts. The hoarder cleanout page describes a four-step process: a confidential call, an on-site assessment with a written plan and price, a room-by-room cleanout with the homeowner or family, and a final walkthrough. Items are sorted into keep, donate (when time and space allow), recycle and dispose, and the crew sets aside photographs, documents, financial records, jewelry and keepsakes. A family member, therapist or social worker is welcome at the walk-through and on the day. One of the company's trailers is unmarked, and you can ask for it. The crew hauls moldy furniture, spoiled food and small amounts of pet waste, but it does not take jobs involving human blood, human waste or dead animals, and it does not remove mold from walls or ceilings. Those jobs need a biohazard cleaning company. Projects typically run $2,000 to $10,000 or more and can take one day or several. This guide is not medical or mental health advice; if someone you love is struggling with hoarding, talk to a licensed clinician.

Eviction and foreclosure cleanouts. The company clears units after evictions and properties after foreclosure for landlords, property managers and banks. California has rules about how long a landlord must store a former tenant's belongings before disposing of them; this guide is not legal advice, so check the timeline with your attorney or property manager before you book.

Senior downsizing. The site says a large share of its work is helping older homeowners clear a garage, downsize before a move or empty a parent's house, with the price fixed before the crew starts.

Hot tubs, sheds, decks and pianos

Hot tubs and spas. Two-person spas, eight-person tubs, swim spas, inflatable and portable spas, and built-in units. The crew cuts the shell, cabinet and frame into sections small enough to carry through a gate, so fencing stays up. A typical removal takes two to four hours. Two things are on you: the hot tub page says a licensed electrician must disconnect the 220 to 240 volt circuit first ("We do not perform electrical work"), and the tub must be fully drained before the appointment. The metal frame, motor and pump go to metal recycling; the company says the acrylic shell and foam generally can't be recycled locally. The concrete pad under the tub is a separate job, so mention it on the call if you want it gone. Surrounding decking, steps, the cover and a gazebo can go on the same trip.

Sheds. Wood, metal, plastic and resin, and larger custom-built sheds. The crew dismantles the shed, hauls the debris, recycles metal parts and leaves the yard clear. The shed page says small detached sheds often don't need a removal permit, but one attached to the house, wired for electricity, on a permanent foundation or over certain size limits may; check with your city.

Decks, pergolas and playgrounds. Full or partial deck removal, hot tub decking, patio covers, pergolas, railings and stairs, plus swing sets and playground structures. Roofing on a small shed, pergola, carport or awning that the crew is removing is fine.

Pianos. Upright, spinet, console, baby grand and grand pianos, plus digital pianos and organs, removed from upstairs rooms and tight spaces with the right equipment.

Prices for these jobs are quoted per job after photos or a visit. Different pages on the site give different ballpark ranges, so rely on the firm quote rather than a range you read online.

Commercial and property-manager work

For businesses, the company lists office cleanouts and business closures, warehouse haul-aways, retail store and fixture removal, apartment complex clean-ups and turnovers, storage unit cleanouts, commercial appliances, pallets and old inventory, and recurring pickups across multiple properties. It also takes contractors' single-material loads: metal only, concrete only, or clean wood only.

• Scheduling: evening, early-morning and weekend pickups to avoid disrupting staff, tenants or customers.
• Quotes: text photos for a fast estimate, or book an on-site walkthrough for larger projects; a written estimate is available when you need one.
• Recurring clients: may qualify for volume-based pricing and priority scheduling during busy turnover periods.
• Realtors and property managers: listing-prep cleanouts before photos and showings, move-out clean-ups and multi-unit turnovers, plus a referral partnership.

What it won't do for businesses: mixed construction and demolition debris (including drywall and tenant-improvement tear-outs), house roof tear-offs, dirt and heavy fill, food waste and other organics, a whole office's worth of electronics, and regular weekly garbage service. In the City of Sacramento, businesses arrange regular collection with a franchised hauler.

What Take Care Junk won't take

The site keeps a full "What We Don't Take" page. In short:

The company also does not disconnect or cap water or gas lines, and does not do electrical work. If something hazardous ends up in your pile by mistake, the site says the crew will set it aside, tell you where it needs to go, and still take everything around it.

Where your junk goes: donation and recycling

Take Care Junk is careful about what it promises here. Its pages say it donates "when we can" and recycles "what we can," and that donation is not guaranteed on every job: in busy season there is not always time or room to hold items back, and charities turn down more than people expect. Metal and appliances go to recyclers, mattresses to a mattress recycler when possible, electronics to e-waste recyclers, and mixed household junk mostly goes to the transfer station. The FAQ says the company keeps out of the landfill "what we reasonably can rather than promising a fixed diversion rate."

If a particular piece must be donated, the site's advice is to take it to the charity yourself or tell the crew before the job so it can say whether that is realistic. The company says its eco-friendly approach costs nothing extra.

Where it works, and hours

The company is based in West Sacramento and covers about a 50-mile radius across five counties:

• Sacramento County: Sacramento, Elk Grove, Citrus Heights, Rancho Cordova, Carmichael, Arden-Arcade, Fair Oaks, Orangevale, Antelope, North Highlands, Rio Linda, Folsom, Gold River, Florin, Natomas and South Sacramento.
• Placer County: Roseville, Rocklin, Lincoln, Granite Bay and Auburn, plus Loomis, Penryn, Newcastle and Colfax.
• Yolo County: West Sacramento, Davis and Woodland, plus Winters and Clarksburg.
• El Dorado County: El Dorado Hills and Cameron Park, plus Placerville, Shingle Springs and Diamond Springs.
• Solano County: Vacaville, Fairfield and Vallejo, plus Rio Vista and Suisun City.

The company says the price is the same in every city it serves, with no travel surcharge in its core area. If your town isn't listed, call and ask.

Hours: Monday to Saturday, 7 AM to 9 PM. Sunday is closed, though the same-day page says Sunday jobs "can sometimes be arranged in advance." The booking form offers morning (7 to 11 AM), midday, afternoon and evening (5 to 8 PM) windows.

Can Take Care Junk come today?

Often, yes. The company says it holds same-day slots open instead of booking every truck out a week ahead, and that in most of the Sacramento area a call or text before roughly 3 PM is a safe bet. Same-day is easiest in Sacramento, West Sacramento and the inner suburbs; outlying towns depend on where the trucks already are, and may be next morning instead.

Size matters too. A couch, appliance or rental turnover is routine same-day work. A full four-bedroom estate or a hoarding cleanout usually needs a scheduled day, and the company says it will tell you that upfront rather than book you quietly for later in the week. Same-day jobs are priced exactly like scheduled ones, with no rush fee.

What happens, step by step

1. Get a quote. Text photos to (916) 770-7619, call, fill in the quote form, or book online (and save $20). Only name, phone and email are required on the booking form; you can add the type of job, a preferred date and time, your address, a budget range and photos.
2. Confirm a time. The booking page says the company confirms "within the hour during business hours," by text or call. Mattress customers get a call 15 to 30 minutes before arrival.
3. Prepare. Have appliances disconnected, hot tubs drained and electrically disconnected by an electrician, and hazardous items set aside. Point to or sticky-note what goes; set aside items for donation so they go in last.
4. Price confirmed on site. The crew looks at the actual pile, confirms the price, and waits for your go-ahead. Someone should be there at the start to approve the estimate; outdoor pickups can sometimes be done without you.
5. The crew loads. A two-person crew does all the lifting and carrying, from any room or floor. The FAQ says most jobs take 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on volume.
6. Sweep and haul. The crew sweeps the area and takes the load to the right facilities.

Guarantees, cancellations and other policies

• Upfront price. "The price we quote is the price you pay." The price changes only if the scope changes, and you hear the new number before work starts.
• Satisfaction and damage. The owner's page lists a "100% satisfaction guarantee" and a "damage-free promise." The site does not publish the details of either, so ask what they cover.
• Cancelling or rescheduling. The FAQ says you can cancel or reschedule without penalty by calling (916) 770-7619, though a same-day cancellation may make it harder to rebook quickly.
• No tips expected. The company says its pricing already covers the crew.
• Clean trucks. The site says its trucks are maintained and "leak-free" and that the crew sweeps up before leaving.
• Discretion. One trailer is unmarked and available on request.
• Insurance. The site lists general liability insurance. Ask for a certificate if your building, HOA or business requires one.

How it compares with other ways to get rid of junk

Who it suits, and who should look elsewhere

Questions to ask before you book

1. Based on my photos, which load tier do you expect, and what is the firm price range?
2. Is anything in my pile on your "won't take" list, and where should that go?
3. Do I need to disconnect, drain or prepare anything before you arrive?
4. Which payment methods do you accept, and when do I pay?
5. Can you send a certificate of insurance (for my HOA, building or business)?
6. Can I use the $20 online discount and a referral credit on the same job?
7. If donation matters to me, which items can you realistically donate on this job?
8. For a hot tub, shed or deck: is the concrete pad or footing included, or a separate quote?

How to get started

1. Take a few photos of what needs to go, including how the crew will reach it.
2. Text them to (916) 770-7619 for a quick quote, or call during working hours (Monday to Saturday, 7 AM to 9 PM).
3. To save $20, book online with your preferred date and time window.
4. Check the What We Don't Take list and set aside anything on it.
5. Read the pricing guide so you know roughly which tier to expect.

Visit Take Care Junk Hauling

Frequently asked questions

Sources

All pages checked on 19 October 2026.

1. Take Care Junk Hauling, home page: takecarejunk.com
2. About Take Care Junk Hauling: takecarejunk.com/about-us/
3. Meet Serge Pavlenko (Junk Removal Experts): takecarejunk.com/about-our-junk-removal-expert/
4. Junk Removal Cost & Pricing Guide: takecarejunk.com/junk-removal-cost-pricing-guide/
5. Affordable Junk Removal Sacramento: takecarejunk.com/affordable-junk-removal-sacramento/
6. FAQ: takecarejunk.com/faq/
7. What We Don't Take: takecarejunk.com/what-we-dont-take/
8. Junk Removal Services: takecarejunk.com/junk-removal-services/
9. Areas We Serve: takecarejunk.com/areas-we-serve/
10. Same-Day Junk Removal: takecarejunk.com/same-day-junk-removal-sacramento/
11. Book online: takecarejunk.com/book/
12. Contact: takecarejunk.com/contact/
13. Reviews: takecarejunk.com/reviews/
14. Referral Program: takecarejunk.com/referral-program/
15. Cleanout pages: Estate, Hoarder, Garage, Eviction, Senior downsizing
16. Item pages: Mattress, Appliance, TV & e-waste, Yard waste
17. Specialty pages: Hot tub & spa, Shed, Deck, Piano, Specialty & large items
18. Commercial pages: Commercial junk removal, Property managers & realtors, Construction debris: what we take
19. Eco-Friendly Junk Removal: takecarejunk.com/eco-friendly-junk-removal-sacramento/
20. Contractors State License Board, license check: cslb.ca.gov