Two companies can price the same-looking pile very differently because they are not quoting for the same job. Before judging the gap, check that both quotes cover the same items, the same access and the same disposal route.

Five reasons for a big gap

1. They priced different loads

One quote may cover the bags in the main photo while the other includes the sofa behind them. Ask both companies to confirm the same written list of items and bag numbers. Don’t let the phrase “mixed waste” hide items that need a separate route.

Upholstered seating is a common example. In England, Environment Agency guidance says waste sofas and armchairs containing persistent organic pollutants (POPs) must not go to landfill, should not be mixed with other waste and must be destroyed, usually by incineration. A collector that has allowed for that route may quote more than one that has treated the sofa as ordinary general waste.

2. They assumed different access

Carrying from inside, stairs, a long walk to the van and dismantling all take time or extra crew. A kerbside-only quote is not comparable if you cannot get the waste outside yourself.

3. Their rounds are different

One company may already have work nearby while another needs a dedicated trip. That can legitimately change the price. It should not quietly change what is included.

4. One quote is incomplete

Check disposal, VAT, minimum call-out charges and possible extra trips. Ask whether each figure is fixed for the listed load or an estimate that may be adjusted on arrival. A low starting price with open-ended extras is less predictable than a higher complete quote.

5. Only one charges VAT

A business must register for VAT once its taxable turnover goes over £90,000 in 12 months. A VAT-registered collector adds VAT to its price; a smaller unregistered one cannot. At the standard 20% rate, an illustrative net price of £100 becomes £120 with VAT, so VAT alone can explain part of a gap.

Check the business behind each quote

In England, the duty-of-care code says a householder using a private collector should check it holds an up-to-date upper-tier waste carrier registration, starting CBDU, on the Environment Agency’s public register. Do this for both quotes. A company that cannot or will not give you its registered business name and number is a concern whatever its price.

Ask about the biggest cost

If the prices are still far apart after you have lined up the scope, ask each company what its largest cost is for this job. You don’t need its margins. You do need to know whether it has included work the other quote left out.

The bottom line

Pick the quote that fits the job, the timing and your budget once both describe the same work. An identical description of what will happen matters more than the headline figure.

Sources

This guide draws on the following sources, checked on 30 September 2026:

• GOV.UK (Environment Agency), “Manage waste upholstered domestic seating containing persistent organic pollutants (POPs)”
• GOV.UK (Defra), “Waste duty of care code of practice, section 5.4”
• GOV.UK (HMRC), “Register for VAT”

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Compare Waste Removal is an independent guide. We may earn a fee from some links; this never affects what we write. This is general information, not legal advice.