What trash can cleaning costs in Horry County

If you are pricing trash can cleaning, you will find a wide spread. Some companies list a price, some say "call for a quote," and some add a drive fee once you are past the beach.

This guide gives you the 2026 ranges we see in Horry County, explains what pushes a price up or down, and shows how to compare quotes fairly. Our own posted prices are listed so you can check our numbers against the market. All dollar figures we quote for Carolina Can are sample prices.

Trash can cleaning cost in Horry County in 2026

Published local pricing runs about $40 to $50 for a one-time clean of a single can. Monthly service typically runs $12 to $25 per can. These are market ranges, so treat them as a guide and not a promise from any one company.

Why does the range vary? Cleaning companies use different equipment, different water temperatures and different routes. A crew that comes to one street a week prices differently from one that covers the whole county on the same day. A company with a truck-mounted washer that heats its own water has higher costs than one with a pressure washer and a garden hose, and the finished can reflects that.

Those numbers can look odd next to each other. A one-time clean costs more because the crew is making a stop for one can. A monthly plan spreads that stop over many visits, so the per-visit price drops.

• One-time clean: about $40 to $50 for one can.
• Monthly service: about $12 to $25 per can, per month.
• Quarterly visits: priced per visit, with fewer visits a year.

Where you live in the county usually should not change the price. Ask whether a company adds a drive fee for inland areas like Conway, Red Hill or Loris, or for the northern end of the county.

What our sample prices look like

We post our prices so you do not have to call to learn them. All of these are sample prices and the same across Horry County, with no drive fee.

• Monthly: $25 a month (sample) for the first can, $10 (sample) for each additional can.
• Every 3 months: $35 per visit (sample) for the first can, $12 (sample) for each additional can.
• One-time deep clean: $49 (sample) for the first can, $15 (sample) for each additional can. Maggot and heavy residue removal are included.
• Summer plan: $40 a month (sample) for the first can, cleaned every two weeks from June through September, then monthly from October or cancel.
• Recycling cart: add it to any plan for the additional-can price.

There is no contract. You can cancel by replying to a text or by calling. Monthly and quarterly plans renew until you cancel.

Here is a worked example. A household with one trash cart and one recycling cart on the monthly plan pays $25 (sample) for the first can and $10 (sample) for the recycling cart, so $35 (sample) a month. Over a year, that is twelve cleans of both carts. The same two carts on one-time deep cleans would cost $49 (sample) plus $15 (sample) each time.

In summer, the same household might choose the summer plan instead. The first can is $40 a month (sample) for two cleans a month, and the recycling cart is added at the additional-can price. That is a higher monthly bill for twice the cleaning, in the months when cans go bad fastest.

Monthly, every 3 months and one-time: which costs less

The cheapest plan depends on what you are trying to avoid. A single deep clean fixes a problem. A plan prevents one.

The every-3-months plan sits in the middle. It suits a household that bags carefully, keeps cans in the shade and mainly wants a regular reset. If your cans see summer sun and food waste, it usually leaves too much time between cleans, and the monthly plan or summer plan is the better value.

A rough way to think about it: a monthly plan costs less per visit than a deep clean, and it keeps the can from needing one. A household that books four one-time cleans a year pays more than one that signs up for quarterly visits.

What raises or lowers the price

Prices move for a handful of reasons. Knowing them makes quotes easier to compare.

• Number of cans. A second or third can is usually cheaper than the first, because the crew is already at your curb.
• Condition. Cans with maggots or caked residue take longer. Some companies charge extra. Ours includes maggot and heavy residue removal in the one-time clean.
• Frequency. More visits mean a lower price per visit.
• Recycling carts. Many companies charge the same as a trash can. We charge the additional-can price.
• Drive fees. Ask about them before you book. We do not charge one anywhere in Horry County.
• Season. Heat changes what you need, so we offer a summer plan with two cleans a month from June through September.

Bulk pricing exists for neighborhoods, and it matters in the planned communities across Carolina Forest, Longs and Socastee. When many homes join, the route is shorter and the price per home drops.

Here is how that works. When ten or more homes in a community sign up, our HOA pricing starts at $18 per home per month (sample). Rental hosts can book from $35 per clean per property (sample), timed to turnover days.

Is doing it yourself cheaper

On paper, yes. Soap, gloves and some water cost very little. In practice you also spend 20 to 45 minutes per can, plus drying time, and you need a spot where the runoff will not reach a storm drain.

Many people start with DIY and switch once the summer heat arrives. A can that needs scrubbing every two weeks takes a real chunk of your weekend. If your time is worth more than the monthly price, hiring it out wins.

Our how-to guide covers the DIY method in full if you want to try it first.

Do not forget what DIY leaves out. Home taps rarely reach the water temperature that kills fly eggs, and you are responsible for the dirty water. Keeping it out of the storm drains that feed the Waccamaw River and the Intracoastal Waterway means finding a lawn or gravel spot every time. A truck-mounted service captures that water for you.

What to ask before you book

• Is the price per can, per visit or per month?
• Do you charge a drive fee or a minimum for my ZIP code?
• What temperature is the water?
• Where does the wastewater go?
• Is there a contract, and how do I cancel?
• Do you send proof that the job was done?
• What happens if the can still smells afterward?

Ask for the answers in writing or by text. A company that is clear about price, scope and cancellation before the first visit is usually clear afterward too. Watch for vague phrases like "starting at" with no explanation, or a low headline price that leaves out recycling carts or heavy residue.

Our answers: 200-degree water, wastewater captured on the truck, no contract, a photo by text after every clean, and a free re-clean if you tell us within 48 hours.

Ready to price your own cans

If you have one trash can and one recycling cart, you can add them up from the list above in a minute. If you have a bigger setup or are unsure which plan fits, call (843) 222-0207, Monday to Saturday, 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

When you are ready, book your first clean and we will confirm the date by text within one business day.