Cost guide

How much does a trash can cleaning trailer cost?

Real listed prices from trailer builders, used listings and parts stores, checked October 21, 2026.

Updated October 21, 2026

The short versionNew turnkey trailers listed for $24,999 to $70,000. A cold-water trailer is the cheapest finished option, at about $25,000 to $30,000 plus freight. A DIY setup can start under $10,000 in parts, but it needs a heavy-duty trailer and a way to catch the wastewater. Used units are rare and often not cheaper.

New turnkey trailers

Prices listed on each builder's website on October 21, 2026. Freight, tax and options are usually extra.

Builder and model	Price	What you get
Kraken Industries, Eco Kraken (cold)	$24,999	Their lowest-priced trailer
The Bin Trailer / Clean Bin Trailers, Single Cold	$29,999	Cold water, up to 4,000 PSI, Honda engine, manual lift, 275-gal fresh tank, wastewater tank
The Bin Trailer, CA Single Cold	$34,999	California-compliant engine and pump
Kraken, Trailer Combo Single / Double	$39,999 / $44,999	Hot water, 250-gal fresh and 250-gal grey tanks (closed loop), 5.5 GPM at 3,000 PSI
The Bin Trailer, Double Hot	$45,999	Tandem axle, diesel burner for hot water, two-bin lift
The Bin Trailer, CA Double Hot	$54,999	California-compliant hot-water double
Garbage Can Cleaning, assisted-lift trailers	$55,000–$61,000	380-gal tank, 5.5 GPM at 4,000 PSI hot water, gas-strut lift
Garbage Can Cleaning, hydraulic trailers	$63,000–$70,000	Push-button hydraulic lifters

Financing is common. Clean Bin Trailers lists about $603 a month for the $29,999 trailer.

Truck setups

Pod or skid on your own truck: Kraken lists truck pods at $27,999 (cold) and $31,999 (hot). Garbage Can Cleaning lists a truck skid at $40,000. The truck isn't included.
Used complete trucks we found asked $68,000 (a 2011 Ford E-450) and $95,000 (a 2019 Isuzu, later cut to $89,000 and sold).

Used trailers

They're hard to find, and the ones listed weren't cheap: a 2023 dual-bin trailer was listed at $47,500. One 2024 unit at auction was described with an engine that "would crank but would not run". Inspect in person, run it, and check the pump hours.

DIY: what the parts cost

Listed retail prices on October 21, 2026. Check current prices before you buy.

Part	Price	Notes
Gas pressure washer, 4,000+ PSI, 4 GPM	$1,099–$1,979	Cold water. Honda GX390 engines are common
Hot-water pressure washer	about $5,300	Hot water cuts grease and dried-on grime faster
Water tank, 200–225 gal (one for clean, one for grey)	$1,000–$1,203 each	Two tanks if you capture wastewater
Trash can wand (rotating head)	$1,093	Cleans the inside without lifting by hand
Wash containment mat	about $494	Catches runoff at the curb
Heavy-duty trailer	varies	See the weight warning below

Weight warning: water weighs about 8.34 pounds a gallon. A full 225-gallon tank is about 1,877 pounds, already more than a typical 1,500-pound 5x8 utility trailer can carry. With a second grey-water tank, you need a heavier tandem-axle trailer and a vehicle that can tow it.

Before any trailer or vehicle, the main parts above add up to roughly $4,700 to $6,000 for cold water with two tanks. Add insurance and a business license (see the startup guide).

Don't skip wastewater

Dirty wash water can't go into the street or storm drain. The EPA defines anything other than stormwater entering the storm system as an illicit discharge, and cities enforce this with fines. Spokane's 2025 guide for mobile washers sums it up as "only rain goes down the storm drain". Every setup needs a way to catch and dispose of grey water properly, usually a grey-water tank emptied into a sanitary sewer where allowed. Rules are local, so call your city's stormwater department before you start.

Which should you pick?

Testing the idea: a DIY cold-water setup on a properly rated trailer. Prove people will pay before spending $30,000.
Committed, residential route: a cold-water turnkey trailer, financed, once you have enough monthly customers to cover the payment.
Restaurants and commercial: hot water, because grease doesn't come off well with cold.

Work out whether the payment makes sense with the profit calculator.

FAQs

How much is a trash can cleaning trailer?

New turnkey trailers we found listed for $24,999 to $70,000 on October 21, 2026. Cold-water single-bin trailers start around $25,000 to $30,000; hot-water and hydraulic-lift trailers run $40,000 to $70,000.

Can I build my own trash can cleaning trailer?

Yes, many owners start that way, but price out a trailer heavy enough for the water. Water weighs about 8.34 pounds per gallon, so a 225-gallon tank alone is close to 1,900 pounds, more than a light 5x8 utility trailer can carry.

Do I need a wastewater tank?

Yes. Wash water is not allowed into storm drains. The EPA treats it as an illicit discharge, and cities enforce that locally. Plan for a grey-water tank or reclaim system and check your city's stormwater rules.

Is a used bin cleaning trailer cheaper?

Not always. The one used trailer we could confirm, a 2023 dual-bin unit, was listed at $47,500, more than the cheapest new cold-water trailers, and an auction unit was listed with an engine that wouldn't run. Inspect any used unit in person.