How should I prepare a filing cabinet for removal?
Remove the records first, identify the cabinet type and show the exit route. An empty fire-resistant cabinet can still be exceptionally heavy. Provide the model label when available so the crew can review the handling rather than relying on its outside dimensions.
Free onsite estimate; approve the final price before loading. Acceptance and access must be confirmed.
JunkPDX provides paid hauling with free estimates for approved items. The independent programs linked here set their own prices, acceptance rules and schedules. A JunkPDX request does not arrange collection with another provider.
Have the business or household owner sort documents before pickup. Keep retained records and material awaiting confidential destruction outside the removal area. Ordinary junk hauling is not a certified records-destruction service, even when papers are inside an unwanted cabinet.
2
Show locks, drawers and construction
Photograph the front, side and label. State whether it is a tall vertical cabinet, a wide lateral model or a fire-resistant unit. Mention stuck drawers and missing keys before the crew arrives, and avoid forcing a lock yourself.
3
Check a reuse route
ReStore lists metal filing cabinets, while Community Warehouse excludes filing cabinets. Ask the selected recipient about your exact unit. Keep functional keys with an approved donation after all private contents have been removed.
4
Keep handling decisions with the collector
Do not extend multiple loaded drawers or try to lower a heavy cabinet down stairs. Send photos of thresholds, turns and the loading area. Ask whether the cabinet should remain intact; drawer-removal methods differ between models.
What affects cost
No truck-size guess required.
You don’t need to choose a truck size. Show us what goes. We’ll measure the load. Descriptions and photos help us plan, but are not a final quote. Price depends on truck space, weight, access, labor and special disposal. You approve the total before loading.
Do not include confidential records in the furniture pickup. Arrange an appropriate destruction service separately and release the cabinet only after the records owner approves.
Can a cabinet go to scrap recycling?
Ask an accepting recycler about its construction and any nonmetal lining. Do not assume a fire-resistant unit is equivalent to a thin steel cabinet or that scrap value covers collection.