Hoarding cleanup: what it covers, what it costs and who pays

What hoarding cleanup is and when to call

Hoarding cleanup, also called hoarder cleanup or a hoarder house cleanout, is the planned clearing of a hoarded home room by room, with spoiled food and waste removed as biohazards and each room cleaned once it is clear. The owner or the family decides what stays. Calls to Biohazard Cleanup Now are answered 24/7.

Hoarding cleanup starts with a walkthrough and a plan. Items are sorted into keep, donate, recycle and discard, documents and valuables are set aside, and trash, spoiled food and animal waste are removed as biohazards. Once the rooms are clear, floors, walls and fixtures are cleaned and disinfected.

Hoarding cleanup is priced by the size of the home, the volume of items and whether biohazards are present. Ask for the scope and price in writing before work starts.

When the home belongs to a family member, that person keeps a say in what stays. A clinician or a local hoarding task force can help with the reasons behind the hoarding; the cleanup takes care of the home.

• A walkthrough and a plan agreed with the family or owner before anything is moved
• Items sorted into keep, donate, recycle and discard, with the owner's say on what stays
• Trash, spoiled food, animal waste and other biohazards removed and bagged
• Floors, walls and fixtures cleaned and disinfected once the rooms are clear
• Documents, photos, cash and valuables set aside and handed back
• The scope and price in writing before any work starts, when you ask

When to call for hoarding cleanup

• Exits, stairs or hallways are blocked; at the upper levels of the clutter scale, piles create fall and fire hazards.
• Human or animal waste, rodents or spoiled food are present.
• An eviction, a code citation, a sale or a return from hospital has a date.
• Can usually wait a day: clutter that blocks no exits, with no waste, odor or pests (levels 1 and 2 on the clutter-hoarding scale); the cleanout can be scheduled.

Before you call

Having these ready makes the first call short and the written scope accurate.

• Talk with the person who lives in the home first; the cleanup goes better when they agree to the plan and keep the say over what stays.
• Know who can approve the work: the owner, a guardian, an executor or the landlord.
• List what has to be found: wills, deeds, bank papers, photos, cash or jewelry.
• Note any deadline, such as an eviction, a code citation, a sale or a return from hospital.
• Say whether animals live in the home and how they can be moved.
• Check whether water and power work and where a truck or dumpster can park.

What moves the price

Two jobs of the same kind can differ in price for these reasons.

• Floor area: HomeGuide prices hoarding cleanup at about $1 to $2 per square foot.
• How deep the clutter is and how many rooms it fills; a typical home with no biohazards runs $1,000 to $4,000.
• How many loads have to be hauled, at $150 to $350 per load.
• Biohazards such as human or animal waste, sewage or a death in the home, which add $1,500 to $5,000.
• Crew hours: hoarding crews bill $25 to $150 per hour.
• Odor treatment where spoiled food, waste or animals left a smell.

Who pays for hoarding cleanup

Homeowners and renters policies set their own limits, and the adjuster decides what a policy covers. Call your insurer before the work starts, and keep photos and receipts.

In a rental, the lease and state law decide whether the landlord or the tenant arranges and pays for cleanup. After a death, the estate or the family usually arranges it.

Many states run a crime victim compensation program that may reimburse crime scene cleanup for eligible victims. Programs differ by state in what they cover. Deductibles are never waived or rebated.