Before a junk haul or a move-out cleanout, boxes help you sort what keeps, what donates, and what leaves for good. You don't need a warehouse of brand-new cartons to stage a garage in Arvada or a basement in Lakewood. Denver metro neighbors give away boxes every week — and a few paid ones cover the heavy stuff.
We're Troops Junk Removal — veteran-owned, serving Arvada, Denver, Golden, Wheat Ridge, and nearby. We haul junk and help with move-out clearouts. This guide is about packing/declutter boxes, not selling you a moving crew.
Free box sources across Denver / Arvada
Craigslist Denver free section. Search "moving boxes." Listings regularly appear in Denver, Westminster, Arvada, and surrounding suburbs — grab them quickly.
Buy Nothing / neighborhood Facebook groups. Arvada, Wheat Ridge, Lakewood, and Denver neighborhood groups post flattened stacks after unpacking. Post an Ask with your city and how many you need.
Facebook Marketplace + Nextdoor. Filter free; confirm dry cardboard before you drive I-70 or across town.
Liquor stores. Ask after delivery days for sturdy bottle boxes with intact bottoms. Locals often recommend calling larger spirits shops; dividers help when you're boxing glassware before a cleanout.
Apartment complexes & move-out weekends. End-of-month turnovers leave piles. Ask leasing before taking from recycling rooms.
U-Haul Take-A-Box Leave-A-Box + Box Exchange. Ask company-owned centers; Box Exchange covers peer giveaways metro-wide.
Recycling / reuse — call first. Some facilities allow reuse areas; many do not. Call before you assume you can pull cardboard. Never take from locked or posted dumpsters.
Price check for the boxes you still buy
National online list prices as of Oct 28, 2026 (America/Denver):
Prices below are national / online list prices captured on Oct 28, 2026 (America/Denver). Retail prices change often and can differ by zip code, store, dealer vs. corporate location, and promotions. Always verify the live price at checkout (or in-store) before publishing or quoting a number to customers. This content is for general education; we are not affiliated with U-Haul, Home Depot, Lowe's, Amazon, or other retailers mentioned.
| Size | U-Haul (single / bundle ea.) | Home Depot | Lowe's | Amazon Basics |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small | $1.77 (25-pack ≈ $1.39 ea) | $1.98 | ~$1.85 | Part of kits (see below) |
| Medium | $2.27 (20-pack ≈ $2.04 ea) | $2.28 | — re-check the live product page or in-store tag | 15-pack S/M $44.87 (≈ $2.99/box) |
| Large | $2.87 (15-pack ≈ $2.48 ea) | $2.98 | ~$2.48 | 30-pack S/M/L $69.29 (≈ $2.31/box) |
| XL / wardrobe | Wardrobe small $16.95 | XL $3.48 | XL — re-check live price | Wardrobe packs vary |
Sources: uhaul.com, homedepot.com, lowes.com snippets, amazon.com — researched Oct 28, 2026 (America/Denver). Lowe's medium/XL need a live product-page or in-store re-check before you buy. U-Haul dealer stores may price higher than corporate online list.
Free / nearly free from retailers: U-Haul's Take-A-Box Leave-A-Box and Box Exchange are still active (tip article updated May 6, 2026). Unused new boxes: U-Haul and Home Depot advertise buy-back / unused returns with receipt.
For decluttering, you often need fewer boxes than a full household move — but you still want strong smalls for books, tools, and donation loads that will be lifted repeatedly.
Sort first, then box
- Keep / donate / trash piles before you tape a single carton.
- Use free mediums for linens and closet clutter headed to donation.
- Use sturdier paid smalls for heavy keepers.
- Stage junk for haul-away separately so boxes aren't filled with items you're paying someone to remove.
Boxes to skip (even if they're free)
- Moisture-stained produce boxes (pest + weakness risk).
- Open liquor trays without bottoms — don't stack them in a truck.
- Grease, soft corners, torn handholds, damp-garage smell.
- Banana boxes with large cutouts.
- Chemical, paint, or oil residue.
Keep only clean, dry cartons that close fully and still feel solid.
Declutter-day box kit (Denver metro)
You usually need fewer cartons for a junk/declutter job than for a full household move:
- 10–25 free mediums from Arvada / Wheat Ridge / Lakewood Buy Nothing or Craigslist for donate piles.
- One short stack of paid smalls for heavy keepers (books, tools, vinyl) — U-Haul small $1.77 or Home Depot $1.98 (Oct 28, 2026 snapshot).
- No need for wardrobe boxes unless you're staging hanging clothes for a move-out sale.
- Stage junk separately from boxed keepers so the haul crew isn't sorting cardboard mid-job.
- Front Range dry air is kinder to cardboard than humid coasts — still keep boxes off wet garage floors after snow melt.
If you're clearing a whole garage before a dump run, boxes for the keep pile save more time than they cost — even when most of them were free.
When the sorting is done and you need the leftovers gone — furniture, mattresses, garage piles, move-out junk — call Troops Junk Removal at (720) 223-1224 or book at troopsjunkremoval.com. We'll clear what doesn't belong at the next address so you can focus on what you're keeping.