Junk Removal & Farm Cleanup around Lethbridge and Pincher Creek

Guide

Cleaning up an acreage or farmyard: junk, scrap and bins

Old machinery, scrap piles, sheds full of decades of stuff and a yard full of debris: here's a plain-language checklist for choosing between a junk crew, a bin and a scrap buyer, and getting rid of it all safely and legally.

1. Pick the right kind of help
2. Sort it before it goes
3. Selling scrap metal
4. Taking down sheds, barns and old buildings
5. Where it goes, and paying for the work

Pick the right kind of help

• Scrap metal buyers come out for old machinery, implements, vehicles, fencing, wire and steel. Many pick up for free, or pay you, when there's enough metal to make the trip worthwhile. Some have a minimum load for a farm cleanup, so ask before you book.
• Junk removal crews do the loading for you and haul everything away in one visit, which suits household junk, a garage or shed cleanout, or an estate.
• Bins let you load at your own pace over days or weeks. Ask about the bin sizes, the rental period, whether disposal is included or charged by the tonne, and what can't go in the bin.

Sort it before it goes

• Keep metal separate from wood, concrete and general junk. A separate scrap pile is easier to sell or give away, and keeps a bin's weight (and price) down.
• Electronics, paint, tires and used oil can go to recycling depots and Recycling Roundups across Alberta. Call the depot to confirm hours first. Alberta Recycling: depot finder for electronics, paint, tires and used oil
• Fridges, freezers and air conditioners contain refrigerant and usually cost extra to dispose of. Fuel, chemicals and batteries need special handling, so tell your hauler about them up front.

Selling scrap metal

• Alberta's scrap metal rules require dealers and recyclers to record the seller's name, address and government-issued photo ID, the vehicle used to bring the metal in, and a description and price of the metal, and to pay by a traceable method rather than cash. Alberta: scrap metal transactions
• Ask the buyer how they weigh the metal, whether they pay upfront or after it's weighed, and whether they clean up the site when they're done.

Taking down sheds, barns and old buildings

• Asbestos was used in building materials until about 1990, including insulation, drywall mud, floor and ceiling tiles and textured finishes. For buildings from before the early 1990s, have suspect materials tested before you tear anything out, and hire a qualified contractor to remove asbestos. Alberta Health Services: asbestos information (PDF); Alberta Asbestos Abatement Manual.
• Ask whether the crew carries liability insurance and WCB coverage, and get a WCB clearance letter before work starts and before you pay. WCB-Alberta: clearance letters
• Look up before raising a dump box or loader near overhead power lines, and keep well back from them.

Where it goes, and paying for the work

• Get a written quote. If a business agrees a cleanup or demolition job with you at your home and takes money before the work is finished, Alberta requires it to hold a prepaid contracting licence. Alberta: prepaid contracting licence; Service Alberta: find out if a business is licensed; Alberta: hiring a contractor.

General information only, not legal or safety advice. Rules differ by municipality: confirm with your county, your hauler and the Province of Alberta. Sources checked October 14, 2026.