The garage is full and the house is hot
Here is how a lot of Dallas calls start. The two-car garage has not held a car in ten years. The attic is packed. The hallway is down to a path. And sometime in July, the air conditioner quit, or it is running but cannot keep up because the vents and the return are blocked by stacks.
North Texas heat makes everything in a hoarded home worse. Food spoils faster. Odor gets stronger. An attic in August can be well over 120 degrees, and anything stored up there (paper, clothes, old holiday decorations) can bake, warp or draw pests. For an older person living in that house, a house with no working AC is a health risk, not just an inconvenience.
So on hot-weather jobs, crews start early in the morning and take the attic before the afternoon. We pace the work so nobody gets hurt. If the AC unit or ductwork needs repair once things are clear, that is outside what we do, but your project manager can connect you with trusted local professionals.
Most homes here sit on a slab, with no basement. That means everything ends up in the garage, the attic, the spare bedrooms and sometimes a backyard shed or two. We plan the job around those spaces.
HOA letters and city code
In Frisco, McKinney, Plano and a lot of newer Rockwall and Forney neighborhoods, the HOA is often the first to notice. A letter shows up about the garage door that stays open, boxes on the porch or a yard that has gone untended. In older parts of Dallas without an HOA, it is usually a neighbor calling 311.
The City of Dallas Code Compliance department takes those 311 reports. Frisco has a Code Enforcement Division that handles debris, nuisances and substandard structures. Plano's property standards inspectors look at things like accumulated trash and unsanitary conditions.
If you have one of these letters, take a picture and send it with your first call. Your project manager will read what is being asked, note the deadline and plan the first visit around it. A lot of the time the outside is what the HOA or city cares about most, and getting the garage and front of the house cleared can take the pressure off while the inside is done at a calmer pace.
If an older parent is living in it
Texas Adult Protective Services, part of the Department of Family and Protective Services, looks into abuse, neglect and self-neglect of adults 65 and older and adults with disabilities who live in the community. The state says most of the cases APS investigates involve self-neglect, and it names hoarding as one serious form of it.
You can report to the Texas Abuse Hotline at 1-800-252-5400, any time, or online at txabusehotline.org when it is not urgent. The DFPS Adult Protective Services page explains what happens after a report. If someone is in danger right now, call 911 first.
A report does not force anyone out of their home. APS cannot remove a person or require services unless very specific emergency conditions are met and a court agrees. What it can do is connect your dad with help he may need. We can work alongside that, on the house itself.
If you want to learn more about hoarding disorder itself, the International OCD Foundation has good material for families. It is a recognized condition in the DSM-5 and affects an estimated 2 to 6 percent of adults.
What a first day looks like
On the first day, the crew does not start by throwing things away. They start by talking with your mom about what she wants to find and keep. Then they clear a safe path from the front door to the main rooms and set up three zones: keep, donate and discard.
Anything personal gets set aside in its own box for the family. That includes photos, mail, checks, cash, jewelry, military papers and anything with a name or account number on it. Old mail gets shredded only after the family says it can go.
Most Dallas jobs need at least one roll-off dumpster. A 30-yard dumpster is a steel box about 22 feet long that sits in the driveway. Your project manager orders it, places it where it will not crack the driveway or block the street and swaps it out when it is full.
You can read more about how the whole process works on our hoarding cleanup page.
Where it all goes
We donate and recycle what we can, then haul the rest to permitted landfills and transfer stations.
- City of Dallas: Trash from Dallas homes can go to the McCommas Bluff Landfill on Youngblood Road or one of the city's transfer stations. Dallas residents hauling their own household waste can use them at no charge with proof of address.
- Collin County cities: Plano, Frisco, McKinney and much of the county send waste through North Texas Municipal Water District transfer stations to the 121 Regional Disposal Facility in Melissa.
- Household chemicals: Old paint, pool chemicals and cleaners go to household hazardous waste programs, not the dumpster. Dallas County runs a Home Chemical Collection Center on Plano Road.
- Donations: Good furniture, appliances and building materials can go to the Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity ReStore, which offers free pickup for items in good shape, along with local thrift stores and churches.
You never have to load a truck or drive to the dump. That is our part.
Probate is different in each county
If a parent has passed and the house is part of an estate, someone usually needs court approval to act for the estate before the home is cleared or sold. Dallas County has three statutory probate courts that handle estates. Collin County has its own Probate Court No. 1 in McKinney. In Rockwall and Kaufman counties, start with the county clerk's office, which can tell you where estate cases are filed.
We are not lawyers and will not give legal advice. We do keep a careful eye out for wills, deeds, titles, life insurance papers and bank statements, and we hand those to the family or the executor before anything leaves the house.
Cities and neighborhoods we serve
A local project manager covers:
- Dallas County: Dallas (Lake Highlands, Oak Cliff, Pleasant Grove, Preston Hollow, Lakewood, Casa View), Garland, Mesquite, Richardson, Irving, Carrollton, DeSoto, Duncanville
- Collin County: Plano, McKinney, Frisco, Allen, Wylie, Prosper, Murphy
- Rockwall County: Rockwall, Heath, Royse City, Fate
- Kaufman County: Forney, Terrell, Kaufman, Crandall
Cost, financing and getting started
We do not publish prices. A one-story ranch in Mesquite with a full garage and a two-story home in Frisco with every room packed are not the same job. The volume of stuff, the amount of sorting, the level of cleaning and odor work, and access all change the price. Our cost page walks through each factor. Financing is available.
If you are still trying to figure out how to talk with your parent about any of this, our page on helping a family member is a good place to start.
Common questions
Can you work in the Dallas summer heat?
Yes. We start early, take the attic and garage before the afternoon heat, and pace the crew so nobody overheats. If the home has no working AC, your project manager will plan around that and talk with you about safety for the person living there.
Will the HOA or neighbors find out details?
We keep it low-key and private and do not discuss the job with neighbors. If the HOA has already sent a letter, we can focus first on what they asked for so the pressure eases while the rest of the work continues.
Do you handle homes with animal waste or a bad smell?
Yes. Pet and human waste, rodent droppings and heavy odor are normal work for us. We remove soiled materials, clean and sanitize, and work on the odor until the home is livable again. If there are still live animals in the home, your project manager can connect you with trusted local professionals.
Who do I call if my dad is not safe in his house?
Call the Texas Abuse Hotline at 1-800-252-5400, which is open all day and night, or report online at txabusehotline.org if it is not urgent. Adult Protective Services looks into self-neglect for adults 65 and older and adults with disabilities. If he is in danger right now, call 911.
Can you clear a parent's home during probate?
Yes. We work around the timeline the court and your attorney set, and we set aside wills, titles and financial papers for the executor. We can also prepare the home for sale with a full deep clean.