Junk Removal & Moving in Chilmark & Aquinnah - What Up-Island Actually Takes
Up-island is a different job than down-island, and if you live in Chilmark, Menemsha, or Aquinnah you already know why: the driveway is a quarter mile of dirt, the nearest neighbor is a stone wall away, and half the houses sit empty from October to May. This is the honest guide to getting junk hauled or a move done up-island - including the parts most companies won't tell you, and the times you're better off handling it yourself. We're Better Call Bosko, and we run up-island every week.
Getting rid of junk up-island: your real options
Do it yourself at the up-island drop-off (cheapest, if you're able). Chilmark and Aquinnah residents can use the up-island facilities through the regional refuse district, plus the main facility on Edgartown–West Tisbury Road for larger loads. With a pickup, the strength, and one or two items, this is genuinely your cheapest route. Bring your sticker, check the current hours (they're limited up-island), and know that bulky items carry separate fees. See the transfer station guide.
Hire it out (when DIY stops making sense). The drop-off route falls apart when you don't have a truck, the items are heavy or upstairs, it's a whole houseful, or you're off-island. Up-island is where this matters most, because the drive alone eats an afternoon and the dump run has to be timed to limited hours.
Why up-island access is the whole job
Down-island the challenge is parking; up-island it's reaching the house at all - long dirt driveways, low canopy, soft mud-season shoulders, and gates or stone walls that decide what size vehicle can reach the door. A photo of your driveway and approach is as useful as a photo of the junk. This is also why you've heard "we don't go out that far" from others; for us it's a normal week.
The empty-house reality
A huge share of up-island homes are seasonal, so often something needs handling while the owner's in Boston or New York. We coordinate by text with you, a caretaker, or a key/code; send photos before, during, and after; and handle common winter jobs - clearing a barn or shed, swapping a dead appliance, moving furniture for a renovation, storm-prep, and receiving deliveries the big carriers won't finish (see white glove delivery). Loop your caretaker into one text thread and most jobs are solved before we arrive.
How we price it
No chart, because an honest up-island quote depends on access, volume, stairs, and the drive. We look first - photos, sometimes a quick video - then give one clear number before any work. No remote-area surcharge games; the drive is our problem, not a hidden line item. Fully insured.
Quick answers
Do you come to Aquinnah and Menemsha, or just Chilmark? All three, weekly.
Rough driveway or mud season - will a truck make it? Send a photo of the approach and we'll match the vehicle.
A job while I'm off-island for winter? Yes - key, code, or caretaker, with photos at every step.
Extra charge for being far out? No surcharge games.
Cheapest way to lose one item up-island? If you can lift it and have a truck, the up-island drop-off.
Get a clear quote before we start
Text photos of the job to (970) 376-8687. We'll look at what you've actually got, ask what we need to ask, and send back a clear quote before any work begins - the number we quote is the number you pay. Or call - a human named Bosko answers. Fully insured. Serving all of Martha's Vineyard, including Chappaquiddick.