Start with the number of large items
Count sofas, mattresses, appliances, tables, cabinets and other large pieces first. These give a provider a quick picture of the project.
Then describe the smaller material
Use simple descriptions such as a few boxes, a garage corner, several bags or a room of household items. You do not need a perfect measurement.
Think about the space
For larger cleanouts, identify whether material fills part of a garage, a room, several rooms or an entire property. This helps communicate scope more clearly.
Include access information
Stairs, narrow hallways, gates, long walks to the truck and other access conditions can affect the labor involved even when the amount of material is modest.
Use photos instead of guessing
Several wide photos plus close-ups of unusual items are often more useful than trying to estimate an exact cubic-yard amount yourself.