PCS Move

A PCS (Permanent Change of Station) move is a mandatory military relocation where a service member and their family transfer to a new duty station. The military executes over 400,000 PCS moves annually, and each one creates junk removal demand on both ends — cleanout at the departing home and debris removal at the new location. Most PCS orders include a 2-to-4-week clearance window, making speed your competitive advantage.

PCS season runs from May through September, with June and July being the absolute peak months. Roughly 60-70% of all annual PCS moves happen during this five-month window. Near a mid-size base, that means demand for junk removal spikes 3-4x above your winter baseline. Start your marketing push and crew hiring by April so you're fully staffed before the first wave hits.

Partner with base housing offices and military-friendly realtors before PCS season starts — ideally by March. Ask the housing office about their vendor referral process and get on the approved list. Join military spouse Facebook groups near your base and offer helpful advice before promoting your services. One realtor handling 60 PCS transactions per year can send you 10-15 cleanout leads at zero ad cost.

Typical PCS move-out cleanouts run $250-$500, and move-in jobs average $150-$350 for packing material and leftover furniture. Full-house cleanouts for families leaving base housing can reach $800-$1,500. The average PCS junk removal ticket across both move-in and move-out sits around $350. Flat-rate packages convert better than hourly estimates because PCS families prioritize price certainty on tight timelines.

A mid-size base like Fort Cavazos processes roughly 8,000 PCS moves per year. At a realistic 3-5% capture rate, that translates to 240-400 junk removal jobs annually. At a $350 average ticket, you're looking at $84,000-$140,000 in PCS-related revenue from a single base. Larger installations like Fort Liberty or Joint Base Lewis-McChord can push those numbers even higher during peak summer months.