How our pricing actually works (and what the service minimums mean)

Bin cleaning pricing in the Tri-Cities is all over the map. We’ve seen quotes range from $12 to $40 a cart for the same service. So let me explain how we price, and why ours looks the way it does.

The actual numbers

Our pricing model has three knobs and that’s it:

1. Number of carts. Trash cart, recycling cart, yard waste cart — each one prices the same. Most Kennewick households have two (trash + recycling), most Pasco households have three.
2. Frequency. Monthly is our cheapest per-clean rate. Every 8 weeks is a touch higher per-clean (smaller volume on the truck per day). Quarterly is the highest per-clean (we still have to drive to Richland whether we clean one cart or twelve).
3. One-time vs recurring. A one-time clean is roughly 1.6× the monthly per-clean rate, because we’re routing out to your house with no route density to amortize the drive.

That’s the whole math. We do not charge extra for “deep clean” or “deluxe treatment” — there’s one level of clean, and it’s the only one we offer. A 200°F hot-water blast plus a biodegradable sanitizer either gets the cart clean or it doesn’t.

Why recurring plans have a short service minimum

Recurring service works best when the route is predictable, so our recurring plans start with a short service minimum — a few visits to get your cart on a real cadence before you change things up. It keeps pricing fair and stops a one-off signup from using a recurring rate for what’s really a single clean. Here’s how we think about it:

• It keeps us honest. A recurring plan means we’re earning the next cycle every cycle. Skip a clean and the cart smells the next month — you tell us, we re-route, we don’t lose the account.
• It stays flexible after the minimum. Once you’ve met the minimum you can change cadence, pause for the winter when carts barely fill up, or pause during a remodel when the cart is full of drywall and not really our business.

You’ll see the exact service minimum for each plan — and manage or change your plan — on your booking page when you sign up.

What we don’t charge for

A few things customers ask about often:

• Curbside pickup of the cart from behind a gate. If we can roll it ourselves, it’s included.
• Extra rinse after a particularly nasty haul (rotten meat, a smashed produce delivery). Tell us before the route and we’ll add it.
• Switching plans. Move from monthly to quarterly mid-year? No fee, takes effect on the next cycle.

Where the price actually lands

We’re typically the middle of the pack on price for the Tri-Cities, not the cheapest. The cheapest providers in Pasco are running cold-water rinses with retail-grade pressure washers — fine for visual mess, useless on the biofilm. We’re not trying to compete with that. We’re trying to make the cart not smell.

If you want the specific dollar figure for your address, the easiest path is getting a quote. We’ll text it back the same day.

See also

• Bin cleaning in Kennewick, WA — what’s included and what’s not
• Bin cleaning in Pasco, WA — three-cart households and route-density pricing
• Pressure washing in the Tri-Cities — bundle with a bin cleaning visit and save a stop