TL;DR
The cost of a full boarding kennel cleanout is driven by how many runs come out and whether the flooring and fixtures go too. Sanitize before anyone starts hauling. Most of the metal has scrap value that can offset part of the bill.
Kennels are one of the few commercial cleanouts where the cleaning has to come first. Crates, gates, and run panels hold organic waste in every seam, and no reputable crew wants to load soiled hardware into a truck with household furniture behind it. Getting the order right saves money and keeps the job from turning into a health complaint.
How Do You Get Rid of Old Dog Kennels?
Old dog kennels come out in three layers: loose crates and gear first, then bolted run panels and gates, then fixed items like flooring, drain covers, and grooming stations. Metal panels and crates go to a scrap yard. Plastic crates and bedding go to disposal. The fixed items usually need tools and a second crew member.
Most boarding facilities underestimate the panel count. A twelve-run kennel is not twelve items. Each run is typically four to six panels, a gate, and a set of clamps, which means a small facility can produce more than eighty separate pieces of chain link before you touch anything else.
Count the runs, multiply by five, and you have a rough piece count to hand a hauler. That single number changes a quote more than almost anything else you can tell them.
Sanitation Comes Before Hauling
Wash down and disinfect every run, crate, and drain before the removal crew arrives. Dry the surfaces if you can. This is not a nicety. Soiled kennel hardware can be refused at a scrap yard, and it will absolutely be refused for donation or resale.
Bag and seal soiled bedding, towels, and pads separately from the hardware. If your facility used medicated pads or handled any injections on site, keep those items out of the general waste stream. Needles and lancets follow their own path, and sharps have their own rules that a junk crew cannot legally shortcut.
Food bins are the other common miss. Half-full bags of kibble draw rodents into a truck and into whatever facility receives the load. Empty them, or send them to a shelter before cleanout day.
Crate and Run Teardown
Wire crates fold flat and stack tightly, which is good news for volume. Hard-sided plastic airline crates do not nest well and eat truck space fast. Separate the two types before the truck shows up so the flat metal can go in low and the bulky plastic high.
Chain-link run panels are heavy and awkward. A standard six-foot panel is a two-person carry, and the clamps rust into place. Budget time for a grinder or a reciprocating saw on any panel that has been outdoors for more than a few seasons.
If your runs sit on a poured slab with anchor bolts, decide early whether the bolts get cut flush or ground out. Cutting is fast. Grinding flush costs more labor but leaves a slab you can actually reuse. The same trade-off shows up when removing a backyard dog house or kennel at a much smaller scale.
Fixtures, Flooring, and Equipment
Grooming tubs, drying stations, and stainless prep tables are the highest-value items in most kennels. Stainless holds resale value if the surface is intact, and even damaged stainless scraps well. Pull these before general demolition so they do not get dented in the pile.
Rubber kennel matting is bulky, heavy, and rarely recyclable once it has been in service. Epoxy-coated flooring usually stays unless the building is being gutted. Sealed drain covers and grates are metal and go with the scrap.
Cooling fans, heat lamps, and wall-mounted controllers are electronics or mixed metal, not general trash. Clearing a kennel has a lot in common with clearing out clinic equipment, where the medical and the mechanical get sorted apart from the furniture.
What a Kennel Cleanout Costs
Industry Baseline Range
| Junk removal (not cleanout-specific) | Industry baseline range |
|---|---|
| Most homeowners, per load | $150 to $350 |
| Full national range | $70 to $570 |
Source: HomeGuide, "Junk Removal Prices" national cost guide.
These are industry baseline ranges for planning only and may not reflect Otesse's price. Otesse pricing is calculated for your specific home and ZIP code, so enter your ZIP in the price box on this page for your instant price.
Current Market Reality
Real quotes tend to land above baseline because kennel work is labor-heavy rather than volume-heavy. Cutting bolts, grinding clamps, and carrying panels burns crew hours that a straight furniture haul never touches. Disposal fees on soiled bedding and rubber matting also run higher per ton than clean construction debris. Broader commercial junk removal pricing follows the same pattern.
How the common situations compare, from lower to higher cost:
| Scope | Relative cost (lower to higher) |
|---|---|
| Crates, bedding, and loose gear only | Lowest |
| Small facility, up to 12 runs plus fixtures | Lower |
| Mid-size facility, 12 to 30 runs plus flooring | Higher |
| Full gut with grooming and mechanical equipment | Highest |
Every home is different, so enter your ZIP in the price box on this page for your instant price.
Getting Scrap Value Back
Chain link, wire crates, gates, stainless, and steel frames are all sellable metal. On a mid-size kennel that pile can be substantial. Two options work: haul the metal yourself and keep the proceeds, or ask the removal company to credit scrap value against the invoice.
Ask which model a hauler uses before you book. Some quote a flat price and keep the metal. Some deduct estimated scrap. Neither approach is wrong, but the difference can be several hundred dollars on a large teardown.
FAQ
How much does it cost to remove old dog kennels?
Cost depends on run count, fixtures, and flooring. A crates-and-bedding-only job is the cheapest version. Full gut jobs with grooming equipment and mechanical systems run higher than that.
Do I have to clean the kennels before junk removal?
Yes. Wash and disinfect runs, crates, and drains first, and bag soiled bedding separately. Scrap yards can refuse contaminated metal, and haulers will not load organic waste alongside other items. Cleaning first also protects your resale and donation options.
Can old dog crates be donated instead of hauled?
Clean, undamaged wire and plastic crates are often welcomed by shelters and rescue groups. Rusted crates, bent gates, and broken latches are usually declined. Call ahead, because most rescues have limited storage and will only take what they can place quickly.
Is chain-link kennel fencing worth anything as scrap?
Yes. Chain link, gates, and steel frames are all recyclable metal with real scrap value. On a facility with twenty or more runs, that value can offset a meaningful share of the removal bill. Ask your hauler whether their quote already accounts for it.
How long does a boarding kennel cleanout take?
A small facility with a dozen runs is typically a one-day job for a two- or three-person crew. Larger kennels with flooring, grooming stations, and mechanical equipment often run two to three days, especially when anchor bolts have to be ground flush.
Getting It Hauled Away
If you are closing, relocating, or rebuilding a boarding facility, the removal is straightforward once the sanitation is done and the piece count is honest. Otesse junk removal can take it from there. Enter your ZIP in the price box to see which services are available at your address.
Send a run count and a few photos and you will get a real number instead of a guess.