Please note: this page contains reviews and opinions sent in by Berkeley Parents Net subscribers. Your own experience may be different. Please always check references before hiring!

We have a bunch of junk in our driveway that needs to be hauled away. Most of it is just household items, but there are some old, rusted bicycles, some concrete and even a broken down sofa-bed. Can anyone recommend a reliable crew to haul the debris away? We live in north Berkeley. Thanks in advance!

Re: Landscaping on a budget & removing grass
I would recommend FastHaul (1-800-919-4285 or 1-800-919-HAUL or www.fasthaul.com). They are great. I've used them twice now on two straightforward home/garden jobs. Both jobs involved removing concrete sidewalks around my house and a concrete planter. I could have had them lay stepping stones and help with yardwork, but my husband and I decided we'd take that on. Fasthaul was reliable, on-time, efficient, courteous and fast! They may be suited for your jobs. camille

I have found a great person for Hauling right here on BPN. Gil Moaz at Gil's Hauling. He is extremely quick to respond to phone calls, his prices are fair (considering there are no more close dumps, only sorting facilities) and his crew does the most amazing post-job clean-up. Often times, he leaves the area where the junk pile was, cleaner than before the junk was there. I absolutely recommend him without reservation and I have used him 5 times already. Call Gil at: (510) 665-9128
Hunter

We recently hired Rogelio Gutierrez to haul away some yard debris, as well as several yards of dirt. He was punctual and reliable, communicated clearly, and offered a very fair price (we'd gotten a few other bids as well, and his was by far the least expensive). He can be reached on his cell at 510-913-0233. Paula B

My husband and I would like to recommend a demolition and hauling company called Santana Hauling (510) 772-9279 or (510) 376-7299. We had a lot of concrete, gravel, shrubs, trees, and a 25 ft retaining wall removed. I contacted every demo & hauling company that was recommended on BPN and their quotes were almost twice as much as Santana Hauling. Santana Hauling also removed a huge garage from my neighbor's sideyard (that is how we discovered them), and the workers were courteous, quick, and cleaned up leaving the site better than before. The owner is named Santana. Lee

I moved into a house with a huge yard which had been untended for years. Robert Datta responded to my craigslist posting for help, and the place has been transformed. His card reads: dirt rock lumber scrap metal tree removal decking fencing general debris appliance furniture soft demolition weekly monthly svc. garage clean-out basement clean-out. He is conscientious and responsible and has 2 young children of his own. The numbers are 847-5882 and 524-7652. Linda

I would like to find someone to do a dump run for me (one truck-load worth of stuff). Can anyone recommend someone they've used before? I'd be willing to pay $50 - $75 for the run (plus dump fees). clay

for those who are in need of hauling and demolition ... there a company named x-1 hauling , the owner (matt) is very reasonable , he does demolitions , concrete and dirt removal , bobcat service etc.he is licensed & insured, his number is 510-978-9010, my husband is a contractor and has been using this guy for over five years. ritz

I'm looking for an updated recommendation for someone to haul away junk. Lots of cardboard and misc. items too large for a trash can. Thanks sharon

We have a bunch of junk in our sideyard that needs hauling away. Size-wise, it is ~4 large garbage bags full, with nearly half of it large pieces of polystyrene, so it is not heavy, but it our bulky trash pickup day is 6 months away, and we are sick of looking at it. Any recommendations of someone who is willing to take such a small job? I cannot fit it into my car to take it somewhere myself. Thanks! Ellen

For a Father's Day surprise for my better half, I would like to arrange to hire someone to come and haul away to the dump old stuff (some construction debris, old cement, a sink...and no, it doesn't have to be done ON Father's Day!) that is piling up in our yard. There are maybe two small-pick-up-sized loads, and the hauler is welcome to ''salvage'' anything that we have labeled junk. I checked the website and only got one viable name; I would love to have recommendations of who to call for a reasonable estimate (and maybe even who to avoid)? Thanks! Karen

This message is directed at Karen, who wants to get rid of a yard full of lava rocks, and anyone else in a similar situation. The solution is simple: post a ''Free Lava Rocks!'' ad on Craig's List, a free online advertising and community resource in the Bay Area. The URL is http://www.craigslist.org. Choose the ''east bay'' Craig's List in the upper right corner; then click the ''barter/swap/free'' option under the ''Sale/Wanted'' category. My front yard, about 20' X 20', was a good four inches deep with lava rocks until last month. I ran my freebie ad on a Monday; by Friday, almost all of the rocks were gone, taken by folks who wanted 'em. The rocks went to new homes, rather than the landfill, and I didn't have to pay a nickel to have them removed. Fabu all around! Cathy

Someone to tear down an old garage

We are looking for someone to tear down two small structures on our property: an old garage and a dilapidated cottage. Any recommendations forsomeone who can do this and haul it all away while they're at it? -Margaret