Terms of Service — Charm City Junk Removal

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern the junk removal services and the website provided by Charm City Junk Removal ("we", "us", "our"). By requesting a quote, scheduling service, or using our website or customer portal, you agree to these Terms. Please read them carefully.

1. Estimates and Quotes

All estimates and quotes are good-faith approximations based on the information you provide and are subject to confirmation on-site.
Quotes remain valid for the period stated on the estimate (typically 30 days) unless otherwise noted.
Final pricing may change if the actual scope of work differs from what was quoted — for example, additional items, heavier loads, longer carry distances, restricted access, or unexpected hazards.
Any change in price will be communicated and approved by you before the additional work is performed.

2. Your Responsibilities

You agree to provide accurate information about the items, location, and any access limitations.
You confirm that you own the items being removed or have the legal right to dispose of them.
You are responsible for securing pets, children, and valuables during the appointment.
You agree to be reachable by phone, SMS, or email on the day of service.

3. Prohibited and Hazardous Materials

Federal, state, and local laws strictly regulate the transportation and disposal of certain materials. For the safety of our crews, your property, and the environment, we cannot remove the following items as part of a standard junk removal job without prior written approval and, where applicable, specialized handling arrangements:

Hazardous waste — paint (liquid), stains, solvents, adhesives, pesticides, herbicides, pool chemicals, automotive fluids, motor oil, antifreeze, or any item labeled flammable, corrosive, toxic, or reactive.
Asbestos-containing materials — including suspected asbestos floor tiles, pipe wrap, popcorn ceilings, or insulation. These require a licensed abatement contractor.
Lead paint debris from pre-1978 structures unless properly contained and documented per EPA RRP rules.
Medical waste and biohazards — sharps, needles, used PPE, blood-soaked materials, pharmaceuticals, or anything regulated as red-bag waste.
Fuels and pressurized containers — gasoline, kerosene, diesel, propane tanks (full or partial), helium tanks, oxygen tanks, and fire extinguishers.
Ammunition, explosives, fireworks, flares, and weapons.
Radioactive materials, including some smoke detectors and industrial gauges.
Whole tires in quantities above local disposal limits, and freon-containing appliances that have not had the refrigerant professionally evacuated and tagged.
Items contaminated by mold, sewage, rodents, animal waste, or pest infestation beyond standard cleanouts. These may require specialized remediation.
Human or animal remains, and any item that is the subject of an active police, fire, or insurance investigation.

You agree not to misrepresent the nature of items to be removed, and to disclose any known hazards (lead, asbestos, mold, biohazard, etc.) when requesting service. If prohibited or hazardous items are discovered on-site, we may (a) decline to remove them, (b) leave them in place, (c) charge a trip fee, and/or (d) adjust the price to cover compliant disposal. You agree to indemnify and hold us harmless from any claims, fines, cleanup costs, or damages arising from undisclosed hazardous materials.

4. Property Access

You agree to provide reasonable access to the items being removed and to any required parking, driveway, gate, elevator, loading dock, or building access.
If we cannot safely access the work area at the scheduled time (locked gate, no answer, blocked driveway, unsafe stairs, etc.), we may reschedule the job or charge a trip fee. See our Refund & Cancellation Policy.
You are responsible for any HOA, condo, or building rules — including elevator reservations, certificate-of-insurance requirements, freight elevator hours, and move-out windows. Please share these in advance.
While we take care to protect your property, you acknowledge that minor wear (such as scuffs in tight passageways or marks on door frames) can occur during the removal of large or heavy items, and we are not responsible for damage caused by pre-existing structural issues, decayed surfaces, or items installed/built-in by a third party.

5. Scheduling, Arrival Windows, Rescheduling, and Weather

Appointments are scheduled in arrival windows (typically 1–3 hours) rather than fixed times because traffic, prior jobs, and dump runs can shift our route.
We will notify you by SMS, email, or phone if our arrival is delayed or moved within the day.
Rescheduling by you: you may reschedule once at no charge with at least 24 hours' notice. Same-day reschedules made less than 24 hours before the arrival window may be subject to a rescheduling fee as described in our Refund & Cancellation Policy.
Rescheduling by us: if we need to reschedule due to crew, equipment, or routing issues, we will offer the next available time at no additional cost. Repeated reschedules on our side may be eligible for a service credit at our discretion.
Severe weather and unsafe conditions: we may postpone work in cases of heavy snow, ice, severe thunderstorms, hurricane warnings, flooding, or any condition that makes the job unsafe for crew or property. A weather reschedule does not incur a fee.
If you are not present at the scheduled window and have not authorized a "leave-out" curbside pickup, the job may be treated as a no-show and a trip fee may apply.

6. Additional Items and On-Site Approvals

If you decide to add items at the job site beyond the original estimate, our crew will provide an updated price before loading the additional items. By approving the updated price (verbally to the crew, in writing, by SMS, by signing in our app, or by replying to a digital estimate), you authorize the additional work and the additional charge. On-site verbal approvals are recorded in our job notes and are binding.

7. Photo Documentation

Our crew routinely takes before, during, and after photos of the work area, the load in the truck, and the disposal site. These photos are used for:

Operational quality control and crew training.
Verifying the scope of work that was actually performed.
Resolving customer disputes, damage claims, and chargebacks.
Documenting compliance with disposal, recycling, and donation regulations.
Supporting our insurance carrier in the event of a claim.

Photos are stored securely in our internal systems. We will not post identifying photos of your home, address, or belongings on social media or in marketing materials without your separate, opt-in consent. You may email hello@charmcityjunk.com at any time to request that a specific photo not be used externally or to request deletion of photos that are no longer needed for legal, accounting, or insurance purposes.

8. Communication Consent (Calls, SMS, Email)

By providing your phone number and email, you expressly consent to receive service-related communications from Charm City Junk Removal and our authorized agents (including our scheduling, dispatch, and AI-assisted phone answering systems) by SMS text message, email, autodialed or pre-recorded voice call, and live phone call at the contact information you provide.

Transactional messages include quote follow-ups, appointment confirmations, on-the-way alerts, invoices, payment receipts, and review requests. These may continue while you are an active customer.
Marketing messages are sent only with separate opt-in. You can opt out at any time by replying STOP to any text or by clicking "unsubscribe" in any email. Reply HELP for assistance.
Message frequency varies based on your job activity. Standard message and data rates may apply from your carrier.
Call recording: inbound and outbound calls (including AI-assisted calls) may be recorded and transcribed for quality assurance, training, and to follow up on your request. By continuing the call, you consent to recording.
Consent to receive these communications is not a condition of purchase — you may also reach us by phone or email to coordinate service manually.

9. Payment Terms, Deposits, and Late Fees

When payment is due: payment is due upon completion of the job unless other terms have been agreed in writing (for example, commercial net-15 or net-30 terms for approved business accounts).
Deposits: for larger jobs, multi-day projects, dumpster rentals, jobs requiring permits, jobs scheduled more than 14 days in advance, or jobs with significant disposal fees, a deposit may be required before we hold the date on our schedule. Deposits are typically 10–25% of the estimated total and are applied to the final invoice.
Deposit refunds: deposits are refundable in full if you cancel at least 48 hours before the scheduled arrival window, except where work has already begun (such as permit fees that have already been paid). After 48 hours the deposit may be retained to cover scheduling, restocking, and lost-route costs as described in our Refund & Cancellation Policy.
Accepted payment methods: major credit and debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, ACH bank transfer, and other methods supported by our payment processor (Stripe). Cash or check may be accepted at our discretion.
Authorization holds: we may place a temporary authorization hold on your card before service to verify funds. The hold is released and replaced by the actual final charge after the job is complete.
Disputed charges: if you disagree with a charge, please contact us first so we can review job notes, photos, and the signed estimate together. Filing a chargeback before contacting us may delay resolution.
Late fees: past-due balances may accrue late fees of up to 1.5% per month (or the maximum allowed by Maryland law, whichever is lower) and may be referred to a collection agency. You agree to pay reasonable collection costs and attorney's fees.

10. Cancellations and Refunds

Cancellations, rescheduling, no-shows, deposit retention, trip fees, and refund requests are governed by our Refund & Cancellation Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference. In the event of any conflict between these Terms and the Refund Policy regarding cancellations, the Refund Policy controls.

11. Insurance, Liability, and Limits

We carry general liability insurance covering our crews while on your property. A certificate of insurance can be provided to your building, HOA, or property manager on request.
Property damage claims must be reported to us in writing within 72 hours of the job completion, with photos of the damage. Claims reported after this period may be denied because we cannot verify the cause.
Cap on liability: to the maximum extent permitted by law, our total liability for any claim arising out of or related to the service — whether in contract, tort, negligence, or otherwise — is limited to the amount you paid for the specific job at issue.
Removed items: we are not liable for items unintentionally removed if they were left in clearly marked "remove" piles, in a designated cleanout area, or otherwise reasonably appeared to be junk. Please double-check piles before our crew loads them and remove anything you wish to keep, including cash, jewelry, documents, and keepsakes. Once items leave the property, recovery from a transfer station is rarely possible.
Pre-existing conditions: we are not liable for damage caused by pre-existing structural issues, hidden defects, decayed wood or drywall, faulty fixtures, or items previously installed in an unsafe manner.
Excluded damages: to the maximum extent allowed by law, we are not liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including lost profits, loss of business, or loss of data.
Force majeure: we are not liable for delays or failures caused by events beyond our reasonable control, including severe weather, acts of God, governmental orders, civil unrest, transportation system failures, or pandemics.

12. Right to Refuse Service

We reserve the right to refuse, stop, or suspend service — without refund of work already performed — if conditions are unsafe, if items are misrepresented, if undisclosed hazardous materials are present, if a customer or other person on-site behaves abusively, threateningly, or under the influence toward our team, or if continuing the work would violate any law or insurance requirement. A trip fee may apply.

13. Dispute Resolution and Governing Law

Informal resolution first. If you have a concern, please contact us first by email or phone so we can try to resolve it directly. Most issues are resolved within a few business days.
Mediation. If a dispute cannot be resolved informally within 30 days, you and we agree to attempt good-faith, non-binding mediation in Baltimore, Maryland with a mutually agreed mediator before pursuing other legal remedies. Each party pays its own mediation costs unless the mediator orders otherwise.
Binding arbitration / small claims. If mediation does not resolve the dispute, either party may bring the claim in a Maryland small claims court (for claims within its jurisdictional limit) or submit it to binding arbitration administered under the Commercial Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration Association, seated in Baltimore, Maryland. Arbitration is conducted by a single arbitrator and the decision is final and enforceable in any court of competent jurisdiction.
No class actions. To the extent permitted by law, you and we agree that disputes will be resolved on an individual basis and not as a class, collective, or representative action.
Governing law and venue. These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Maryland, without regard to conflict-of-law rules. Subject to the mediation and arbitration provisions above, the exclusive venue for any court proceeding is the state or federal courts located in Baltimore, Maryland.
Time limit. Any claim arising out of these Terms or the service must be filed within one (1) year after the claim arose, or it is permanently barred, unless a longer period is required by Maryland law.

14. Website and App Use

You agree to use our website and customer portal only for lawful purposes.
You agree not to attempt to access other customers' accounts, scrape our content, or interfere with our systems.
All content on our website (logos, photos, copy) is the property of Charm City Junk Removal or its licensors and may not be reused without permission.

15. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page reflects the latest revision. Continued use of our services means you accept the updated Terms.

16. Contact

Questions about these Terms? Email hello@charmcityjunk.com or call (410) 555-0144.