Written by Chris Smith · Illustrative case study
The situation
After a week of heavy rain, a homeowner at a property in Highland Park found his back fence line buried under blown roofing and sheeting, water-damaged carpet and furniture and soaked cardboard and stock. His green bin takes about a wheelbarrow at a time, and the council bin day was a fortnight away.
Why the customer needed help
Their main worry wasn't the cost. It was not knowing what could legally go where, and not wanting to damage the house getting it all out. Both of those are part of the job for us.
What was at the property
By my count there were blown roofing and sheeting, water-damaged carpet and furniture and soaked cardboard and stock, along with the usual loose odds and ends that build up around a job like this. It's typical of what we see from storm-affected homes.
Working in Highland Park
Highland Park is a hilly residential pocket with large blocks and views. Highland Park mixes established homes, units and local businesses, so jobs range from single items to full house and office cleanouts. We plan around driveways, unit car parks and loading zones so the truck is close to the load.
The initial assessment
I arrived at the property and the first thing I noticed was the access. Before I look at the pile, I walk the route it has to travel: doorways, steps, the driveway slope, overhead wires, where the truck can park. For this job I paced it out and worked out we'd need about two-thirds of the tipper.
How the job was planned
I gave them a fixed price there and then, based on volume, and explained what was included: fallen vegetation removal, damaged fence and roofing clearance and water-damaged goods removal. They said yes on the spot, so we planned to load in one visit rather than two.
Preparation
We checked the weather, laid out the straps and blankets for anything worth saving, and agreed a hand signal for "stop" because the truck was right on the road.
Step 1
Step one was clearing a working space. We shifted the easy, loose items straight onto the truck so we had room to manoeuvre around the awkward ones.
Step 2
Step two was the stuff in the hard-to-reach spots: the top of the garage racking, under the house, behind the water tank. That's usually where the surprises live, and this job was no different.
Step 3
Step three was the clean-up. Once the last item was out, we swept the floor, raked the ground where needed and walked the customer through the space to make sure nothing they wanted had gone.
Removal, sorting and loading
On the truck, heavy and flat things go on the bottom, long things go along the sides, and anything fragile for donation rides at the front where there's less bounce. Recycling stays in its own section so it can come straight off at the transfer station.
From the truck it went to a licensed transfer station, where recyclables were dropped off separately, and anything usable went to a local op shop before the tip run.
Challenges we ran into
The ground was boggy from the rain, and the truck couldn't get anywhere near the back of the block without sinking.
How we handled them
We parked on the street and barrowed it out in short runs along boards, which kept the lawn from getting torn up.
Completion and final result
When the last load was strapped down, the space was empty and swept. The customer walked through with me, signed off, and paid the price we'd agreed at the start, not a dollar more.
What I learned
What stuck with me was how much of it could be reused. People expect storm Debris Removal to mean everything goes to landfill. On this job, close to a third of it went somewhere useful.