How to Choose a House Clearance Company in Ireland

October 5, 2026

When you hire a house clearance company you are handing over the contents of a property, often a family home, and trusting the people who take it away to deal with it properly. In Ireland there is also a legal side that many people only discover after something goes wrong: the waste that leaves your property has to be collected by someone who is permitted to collect it.

This guide covers how to check that a company is properly permitted, what a sensible quote looks like, twelve questions worth asking before you book, and the warning signs that should make you pause. It is written for householders, executors and landlords alike, and none of it requires any specialist knowledge. Most of the checks take a few minutes and can be done from your phone.

Why the Permit Matters

Under the Waste Management Act 1996, a business that collects or transports waste for payment must do so under a waste collection permit. The relevant provision, section 34 of the Act, says a person other than a local authority must not collect or transport waste for reward or in the course of business except under and in accordance with a permit. A house clearance involves exactly that: furniture, household contents and general waste are collected from your property and carried away.

Why should that matter to you rather than just to the company? Because the waste starts out as yours. Local authorities say so plainly. Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council advises householders to check that a collector is permitted, says a reputable collector can produce a copy of their permit on request, and warns that someone using an unauthorised collector may face a fine on conviction and could be left liable for clean-up costs if the waste is dumped. MyWaste.ie, the national waste information site, gives the same advice and cautions against unofficial "man in a van" collection services. If a load ends up fly-tipped, it is your name that may be traced back through the contents.

For a deeper look at how the permit system works, see our separate explainer on waste collection permits explained.

How to Check a Waste Collection Permit

The National Waste Collection Permit Office (NWCPO) keeps an online register of permitted collectors. Checking a company takes only a few minutes:

1. Ask for the permit number. Any permitted business will have one and should give it to you without fuss. It is often shown on their website. (Ours is shown in the footer of every page on this site.)
2. Look the company up on the NWCPO permit search. You can search by company name, and the register lists the council areas and waste types each collector is permitted to handle.
3. Check the name matches. The name on the permit should match the business you are dealing with. A trading name that does not appear anywhere is worth asking about. (This site is operated by Krystal Klean Express Limited, which is why the permit is in that name.)
4. Check the area and the type of waste. A permit covers particular council areas and particular kinds of waste. A clearance involves household and bulky waste in your county, so the listing should reflect that.
5. Check it is current. Ask for the permit number again if you are unsure, and be wary of anyone who cannot produce one when you ask.

If a company cannot or will not give you a permit number, that is your answer. There are plenty of permitted companies to choose from.

Insurance: Ask and Ask for It in Writing

A clearance involves carrying heavy furniture through a home, down stairs and out of doors. Things occasionally get damaged: a banister, a door frame, a wall in a narrow hallway. Ask whether the company carries public liability insurance and ask them to send you proof by email. A genuine company will do this readily. It is especially worth doing for apartments and rented properties, where a building's management company or a landlord may ask who is responsible for damage to common areas.

What a Proper Quote Looks Like

You will see a wide spread of prices when you compare quotes, and the difference is rarely down to one company being greedy and another generous. It usually comes down to what has been assumed. Our own guides on what drives the cost of a clearance in Dublin and the full picture across Ireland go through the factors in detail. For comparing quotes, a few things are worth pinning down:

• What is being cleared. Whole property, certain rooms, or the attic, garage and shed as well? The quote should say.
• How the price was reached. A quote based on photos, a video or a visit is far more reliable than a figure given over the phone to a vague description.
• Whether disposal is included. Ask directly. A quote that leaves out disposal costs may grow later.
• Whether VAT is included. Ask whether the price is the final figure you will pay.
• What happens if the job turns out bigger or smaller. The sensible answer is a conversation before anything changes, not a surprise on the day.
• Access assumptions. Parking, stairs, lifts and long carries all affect the work. If your property has restricted access, check that it was taken into account.

The more accurate the information a company has, the more accurate the quote. That is why we ask for photos or a short video of each room and any attic, garage or shed. It shows the volume, the access and any large or heavy items, and for most jobs it means we can price accurately without a visit.

Twelve Questions to Ask Before You Book

1. What is your waste collection permit number?
2. Are you insured, and can you send me proof?
3. Can I have the quote in writing, with what it covers?
4. Is disposal included in the price, and is it the final price including VAT?
5. Will you work from photos or a video, or do you visit first?
6. How many people will come, and how long do you expect the job to take?
7. What happens to my items afterwards? Is anything donated or recycled?
8. Where does the waste that cannot be reused or recycled go?
9. Can I mark items to keep, and what happens if I find something valuable?
10. Do I need to be there on the day, or can I arrange access and leave you to it?
11. What access or parking do you need, and how do you handle a building with a lift or loading rules?
12. What happens if the job turns out different from what we agreed?

You do not need to ask all twelve of every company. But a company that answers clearly and without defensiveness is usually the one that runs its jobs the same way.

Warning Signs

• No permit number, or reluctance to share it. This is the most important one.
• A single price quoted over the phone with no questions asked. Nobody can price a clearance without knowing what is there and how it is reached.
• Pressure to decide today. A fair price is still a fair price tomorrow.
• Vague answers about where things go. If nobody can say what happens to the contents, you cannot be sure it is being handled lawfully.
• A price that keeps changing. Changes can be legitimate when the job genuinely differs from what you described, but they should be discussed with you first.
• Nothing in writing. Even a short message confirming the scope and the price protects both sides.

Man and Van, Skip or Clearance Company?

These are different services and suit different jobs. A skip suits someone who wants to do the loading themselves. A man and van can suit a single bulky item. A clearance company deals with a whole property, including the sorting and the heavy lifting, and takes responsibility for what happens to the contents. We compare the options in more detail in man and van vs a house clearance company and skip hire vs a clearance service. Whichever you choose, the permit question applies to anyone who collects waste from you for payment.

Valuables, Keepsakes and Privacy

Ask how the company handles items you may want to keep. In a family home, small things such as papers, photographs, jewellery and keepsakes are easy to overlook in a full house. We set aside anything that looks like it might matter so the family can look through it before it goes, and you are welcome to mark items or be there on the day. If you are clearing after a death, our guide for families, clearing a loved one's home, goes into this in more depth.

“Ciprian and the team at Krystal Klean did a great job clearing out the house, they were very polite, arrived on time and took the headache away from my family having to do the clear out, would highly recommend the service”

— Richard Case, Google review

How We Work

HouseClearances.ie is run by Ciprian and a small crew and is operated by Krystal Klean Express Limited, an authorised waste carrier holding Waste Collection Permit No. NWCPO-25-13287-01. We are fully insured, every quote is free and without obligation, and we price from photos or a short video where we can. We do not use a fixed price list because no two properties are the same. Items in usable condition are set aside for donation or resale where that is realistic, and what remains is disposed of through licensed waste transfer stations. You are welcome to look our permit up yourself.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a man and van need a waste permit to take house clearance waste?

Anyone who collects or transports waste for payment or in the course of business needs a waste collection permit, whether they describe themselves as a clearance company, a man and van or a rubbish removal service. You can check any of them on the NWCPO register.

Can I just ask to see the permit?

Yes. Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council says a reputable collector will be able to produce a copy of their permit on request. It is a normal question and a good company will not mind.

Should I pay a deposit?

That is a matter between you and the company, but it is reasonable to ask why a deposit is needed and to get it in writing. For most clearances there is no need to pay anything before the work is done and agreed.

What if I am not in Ireland when the clearance happens?

Many people arranging a clearance for a relative or a rented property are not on site. Arrange access, agree what is to be kept and ask for photos or confirmation on completion. Many of our clients are executors, landlords or family members who arrange access and let us get on with it.

Is the cheapest quote the best one?

Not necessarily. A very low quote can mean disposal costs have not been allowed for, or that waste is not going through a permitted route, which leaves you exposed. Compare what each quote includes, not just the number at the bottom.

Sources: Waste Management Act 1996, section 34 (Law Reform Commission revised acts); MyWaste.ie, waste collection permits; Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, waste collection permits; NWCPO permit search. Rules and penalties can change, so check the current position on the official sites.

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