- Register as a sole proprietor or incorporate with BC Registries (~$40–$380)
- File your Surrey business licence (~$85/yr)
- Get general liability insurance
- Set your rates ($150–$650+ per load by volume)
- Build a brand, website, and online booking
- Set up card payments and simple bookkeeping
- Launch a Google Business Profile focused on Surrey
Surrey's market has a shape of its own, and a junk removal business here works differently than it would one city over. Surrey generates the region's most junk: construction debris from the building boom, acreage clean-ups, tenant turnovers, and illegal-dumping cleanups for property owners. Volume market, truck-economics game.
Why Surrey specifically
Where the work is: Get on landlord and property-management lists for turnover clear-outs across the city. Neighbourhoods like Fleetwood, Cloverdale, South Surrey each have their own client base — your Google Business Profile and local pages should name them.
What it costs to start in Surrey
| Item | Typical range |
|---|---|
| BC business registration (sole prop) | ~$40 |
| Name request fee | ~$30 |
| Surrey business licence | ~$85/yr |
| General liability insurance | $500–$1,200/yr |
| Equipment & supplies | $5,000–$15,000 (truck or trailer setup, dollies, straps, dump account) |
| Branding, website & booking setup | $0 DIY – $3,000+ agency |
Government fees change — confirm current amounts with BC Registries and the City of Surrey. Surrey's business licence is among the region's cheapest (~$85/yr) and is filed through the city's online services portal.
What you can earn
Junk Removal rates in Metro Vancouver commonly run $150–$650+ per load by volume. A solo operator with a steady calendar can realistically build toward $7,000–$14,000+ per month solo with a truck and tight routing — results vary with your niche, your area, and how established you look. No certification required; transfer-station accounts and disposal fees are the real operating cost.
Let's name it
The thing that stops most Surrey starters isn't cost — it's this. “What if I quote a load wrong, or get stuck with hazardous items?” Volume-based pricing photos, an exclusions list, a waiver, and insurance keep surprises off your margin — every Prontco launch includes them.
Talk it through on a free callTrue Cost of Launching Calculator
Before you quote your first job in Surrey, work out what launching actually costs you — then price so the work covers it. Real 2026 Canadian rates, every source listed.
Run the numbers →Your first clients in Surrey — the junk removal playbook
- Pitch builders and framing crews on scheduled site debris runs — recurring contract revenue.
- Target acreage properties in Cloverdale/South Surrey for barn and yard clear-outs — premium full-day jobs.
- Get on landlord and property-management lists for turnover clear-outs across the city.
The shortcut
You can do all of this yourself over a few weeks of evenings. Or Prontco does the whole thing in about 10 business days — registration, your Surrey licence filing, brand, website with booking, payments, accounting setup, and 30 days of launch support. You own every account. From $997.
Related guides
How to start a junk removal business in BC · How to start a business in Surrey · The complete BC startup guide · Free calculators & checklists