Iowa

Iowa Boat Removal and Disposal

Twenty years of hauling junk boats out of driveways, marinas, and backyards. Firm quote before the truck rolls.

Licensed & Insured Iowa Statewide Fast Response

Title rules

Iowa requires a title for boats 17 feet and longer used mainly on its waters; canoes, kayaks, and inflatables are exempt regardless of length, as are USCG-documented boats.

Legal path

There is a legal path. The paperwork is on you.

Coverage

99 counties, 1026 cities we pick up from

Pricing

See how pricing works

Nobody plans on inheriting a boat in Iowa, but it happens more than people expect. It came with the house, or with an estate, and nobody in the family wanted the job. It sat through a season with a for sale sign and no calls. Somewhere in there the motor died, and fixing it cost more than the boat was worth. Eventually it stops being a project and becomes something in the way.

My crew handles boat removal for exactly that kind of unwanted boat, on a trailer or off. We load it and handle transport and disposal in one pass, running or not. Old boat removal does not require a working motor or a clean title. If the paperwork is missing, we still take it. Specifics further down.

How much does boat removal cost?

Starting from

$250

Junk boat on a trailer that rolls, with room for the truck to reach it. From there, four things move the number.

I will tell you which ones apply to yours before we schedule anything.

Size and type

A 14-foot aluminum fishing boat is one job. A 30-foot cabin cruiser is a different one. Length, beam, and weight decide the crew and the equipment.

Where it sits

Driveway on a trailer is the cheapest boat removal there is. On blocks in the backyard takes more work. In a slip, it needs a haul-out. Sunken, it needs recovery.

Condition

Engine already out is cheaper. Fuel still aboard, a hull full of rainwater, a trailer that will not roll: each adds handling.

Distance

Miles to the processing yard are part of the quote. Boat hauling cost scales with them.

Not sure which factors apply to your boat?

(877) 371-5145 Get free quote

Can it be free?

People ask about free junk boat removal. Sometimes the boat has enough going for it, a running outboard, decent aluminum, and we take it for nothing. Sometimes it does not, and there is a fee. We will tell you which one you have.

Our guarantee

The number is firm before the truck rolls.

Twenty years in, nobody has heard a different price at the curb.

Local read

What pricing looks like in Iowa

Iowa hands me the same mix I see in most lake states: driveway calls, lake-place pickups, and the occasional ramp haul-out. Since the run to the processing yard is usually short, the number depends more on the size of the boat and the shape it is in than on how far my truck travels. A boat still strapped to a working trailer moves faster and cheaper than one buried in brush. Spring de-winterizing and fall storage deadlines are when demand spikes, so I try to lock in dates early. I settle on a firm figure before dispatch and that figure doesn't move once the truck leaves the yard.

Junk boats we hauled out

Real crew snapshots from recent Iowa pickups. Watermarked photos are placeholders while we swap in the real jobs.

junk boat removal, 24 ft Bayliner cabin cruiser on a dead trailer — 24 ft Bayliner cabin cruiser, hauled from a side yard

junk boat removal, 16 ft aluminum fishing boat abandoned by a garage — 16 ft aluminum fishing boat, no trailer, loaded from the ground

junk boat removal, 26 ft cabin cruiser on stands in a storage yard — 26 ft cabin cruiser off jack stands at a storage lot

Junk boat pickup, salvage, and old boat removal

One boat, a whole yard, or an emergency. Old boat removal from a driveway or an estate. Junk boat pickup for the one that never sold. Marinas and boat yards call us to clear a season of abandoned slips in one visit. Insurance adjusters call after storms. My crew has floated sunken boats, hauled sailboats out of backyards, and moved a 40-footer through a neighborhood that was not built for it. One call covers removal, transport, and disposal. If it floats, floated, or was supposed to float, we haul it.

Getting rid of a boat legally in Iowa

State legal briefIowa

Reviewed August 25, 2026

Iowa requires a title for boats 17 feet and longer used mainly on its waters; canoes, kayaks, and inflatables are exempt regardless of length, as are USCG-documented boats. Anything shorter only needs registration, handled through Iowa's 99 county recorders under DNR rules.

Iowa requires a seller to hand the buyer a bill of sale and the signed registration or title, filed with the county recorder within 30 days. Without a title, Iowa runs a bonding process: a Request for Bonded Registration and/or Title, a DNR investigation of at least 12 weeks, and possibly a surety bond set at 1.5 times the boat's value for three years.

We could not find a published statewide program in Iowa that pays to remove abandoned boats. A boat left on someone else's property instead falls under the general abandoned-property law, Chapter 556B: the property owner can remove and store it but must notify the county sheriff, who notifies the known owner by certified mail. If nobody claims it within six months, it can be sold, proceeds going to the county treasurer after expenses.

If the boat is not yours. Iowa's Chapter 556B does give you a path: notify the sheriff, get the owner notified, then wait out the claim period. The six-month wait and the paperwork are on you, not on whoever left the boat. If you would rather have it gone, removal is the shorter road. We handle Iowa pickups without a title.

Skip the paperwork.We take Iowa boats with or without titles. One call, one price.

(877) 371-5145 Get free quote

Counties We Serve in Iowa

We pick up boats across all 99 counties in Iowa. Cities below are the ones we reach most often; if yours is not listed, call and we will confirm coverage.

Adair County

Greenfield, Stuart, Adair, Fontanelle, Casey, Orient, Bridgewater

Adams County

Corning, Lenox, Prescott, Nodaway, Carbon

Allamakee County

Waukon, Postville, Lansing, New Albin, Harpers Ferry, Waterville

Appanoose County

Centerville, Moravia, Moulton, Mystic, Cincinnati, Exline, Unionville, Numa, Plano, Rathbun, Udell

Audubon County

Audubon, Exira, Kimballton, Brayton, Gray

Benton County

Vinton, Belle Plaine, Atkins, Urbana, Walford, Shellsburg, Newhall, Van Horne, Blairstown, Keystone, Norway, Garrison, Mount Auburn, Luzerne, Watkins

Black Hawk County

Waterloo, Cedar Falls, Evansdale, Hudson, Jesup, La Porte City, Elk Run Heights, Janesville, Dunkerton, Gilbertville, Raymond, Washburn

Boone County

Boone, Madrid, Ogden, Slater, Woodward, Sheldahl, Pilot Mound, Luther, Boxholm, Fraser, Beaver, Berkley

Bremer County

Waverly, Sumner, Denver, Tripoli, Readlyn, Plainfield, Frederika

Buchanan County

Independence, Fairbank, Winthrop, Hazleton, Quasqueton, Lamont, Brandon, Rowley, Aurora, Stanley

Buena Vista County

Storm Lake, Alta, Newell, Sioux Rapids, Lakeside, Albert City, Marathon, Rembrandt, Linn Grove, Truesdale

Butler County

Parkersburg, Shell Rock, Clarksville, Greene, Allison, Aplington, Dumont, New Hartford, Bristow, Aredale

Calhoun County

Rockwell City, Lake City, Manson, Pomeroy, Twin Lakes, Farnhamville, Lohrville, Lytton, Somers, Knierim, Rinard, Jolley, Yetter

Carroll County

Carroll, Manning, Coon Rapids, Glidden, Arcadia, Breda, Templeton, Halbur, Dedham, Lidderdale, Lanesboro, Ralston, Willey

Cass County

Atlantic, Griswold, Anita, Lewis, Massena, Cumberland, Marne, Wiota

Cedar County

Tipton, Wilton, West Branch, Durant, Clarence, Mechanicsville, Lowden, Stanwood, Bennett, Downey, Rochester

Cerro Gordo County

Mason City, Clear Lake, Nora Springs, Rockwell, Ventura, Thornton, Plymouth, Meservey, Rock Falls, Swaledale, Dougherty, Portland, Burchinal

Cherokee County

Cherokee, Marcus, Aurelia, Quimby, Cleghorn, Washta, Meriden, Larrabee

Chickasaw County

New Hampton, Nashua, Fredericksburg, Lawler, Protivin, Ionia, Alta Vista, North Washington, Bassett

Clarke County

Osceola, Murray, Woodburn

Clay County

Spencer, Everly, Royal, Peterson, Fostoria, Dickens, Webb, Greenville, Rossie, Gillett Grove

Clayton County

Guttenberg, Monona, Elkader, Strawberry Point, Edgewood, Garnavillo, McGregor, Marquette, Luana, Farmersburg, Volga, North Buena Vista, St. Olaf, Garber, Clayton, Osterdock, Elkport

Clinton County

Clinton, Maquoketa, DeWitt, Camanche, Wheatland, Grand Mound, Delmar, Lost Nation, Calamus, Charlotte, Goose Lake, Low Moor, Welton, Andover, Toronto, Big Rock

Crawford County

Denison, Dunlap, Schleswig, Manilla, Charter Oak, Dow City, Vail, Westside, Kiron, Deloit, Ricketts, Arion, Buck Grove, Aspinwall

Dallas County

West Des Moines, Urbandale, Waukee, Clive, Grimes, Perry, Adel, Dallas Center, Granger, Van Meter, De Soto, Redfield, Dexter, Minburn, Linden, Bouton, Dawson

Davis County

Bloomfield, Pulaski, Drakesville, Floris

Decatur County

Lamoni, Leon, Grand River, Van Wert, Davis City, Decatur, Garden Grove, Weldon, Pleasanton, Le Roy

Delaware County

Manchester, Dyersville, Earlville, Hopkinton, Delhi, Colesburg, Ryan, Greeley, Dundee, Delaware, Masonville

Des Moines County

Burlington, West Burlington, Mediapolis, Danville, Beaverdale, Middletown, Oak Hills, Sperry, Yarmouth, Augusta, Kingston

Dickinson County

Spirit Lake, Milford, Lake Park, Arnolds Park, Okoboji, Orleans, Wahpeton, Terril, West Okoboji, Superior

Dubuque County

Dubuque, Asbury, Cascade, Epworth, Peosta, Farley, Worthington, New Vienna, Holy Cross, Luxemburg, Rickardsville, Sherrill, Bernard, Centralia, Sageville, Zwingle, Graf, Balltown, Durango, Bankston

Emmet County

Estherville, Armstrong, Ringsted, Wallingford, Dolliver, Gruver

Fayette County

Oelwein, West Union, Fayette, Elgin, Clermont, Maynard, Arlington, Hawkeye, Waucoma, Wadena, Westgate, St. Lucas, Randalia

Floyd County

Charles City, Rockford, Rudd, Floyd, Marble Rock, Colwell, Roseville

Franklin County

Hampton, Ackley, Sheffield, Dows, Latimer, Bradford, Coulter, Alexander, Chapin, Geneva, Hansell, Popejoy

Fremont County

Shenandoah, Sidney, Tabor, Hamburg, Farragut, Riverton, Randolph, Thurman, Percival, Anderson, Imogene, Bartlett

Greene County

Jefferson, Grand Junction, Scranton, Churdan, Paton, Rippey, Dana

Grundy County

Grundy Center, Reinbeck, Dike, Conrad, Wellsburg, Holland, Stout, Beaman, Morrison

Guthrie County

Guthrie Center, Panora, Lake Panorama, Bayard, Menlo, Yale, Diamondhead Lake, Bagley, Jamaica

Hamilton County

Webster City, Jewell Junction, Stratford, Ellsworth, Stanhope, Williams, Kamrar, Blairsburg, Randall

Hancock County

Forest City, Garner, Britt, Kanawha, Klemme, Corwith, Crystal Lake, Woden, Goodell, Duncan, Miller, Hayfield, Hutchins

Hardin County

Iowa Falls, Eldora, Hubbard, Alden, Radcliffe, Union, Steamboat Rock, New Providence, Garden City, Whitten, Buckeye, Owasa

Harrison County

Missouri Valley, Woodbine, Logan, Mondamin, Persia, Modale, Pisgah, Magnolia, Little Sioux, California Junction, River Sioux

Henry County

Mount Pleasant, New London, Winfield, Wayland, Salem, Olds, Hillsboro, Mount Union, Rome, Swedesburg, Westwood, Lowell, Trenton, Coppock

Howard County

Cresco, Riceville, Elma, Lime Springs, Chester

Humboldt County

Humboldt, Dakota City, Gilmore City, Bode, Livermore, Lu Verne, Renwick, Thor, Bradgate, Rutland, Hardy, Ottosen

Ida County

Ida Grove, Holstein, Battle Creek, Galva, Arthur

Iowa County

Williamsburg, Marengo, North English, Victor, Middle Amana, Amana, Ladora, Parnell, South Amana, Millersburg, Homestead, Conroy, High Amana, West Amana, East Amana

Jackson County

Bellevue, Preston, Sabula, Miles, Andrew, La Motte, Springbrook, Baldwin, Monmouth, St. Donatus, Spragueville

Jasper County

Newton, Mitchellville, Colfax, Monroe, Prairie City, Baxter, Sully, Kellogg, Lynnville, Mingo, Oakland Acres, Lambs Grove, Reasnor, Valeria

Jefferson County

Fairfield, Batavia, Libertyville, Maharishi Vedic City, Lockridge, Packwood, Pleasant Plain

Johnson County

Iowa City, Coralville, North Liberty, Tiffin, Solon, Lone Tree, University Heights, Swisher, Hills, Shueyville, Oxford, Frytown

Jones County

Anamosa, Monticello, Olin, Wyoming, Oxford Junction, Martelle, Onslow, Center Junction, Stone City, Morley

Keokuk County

Sigourney, Keota, Hedrick, What Cheer, Richland, Delta, Keswick, South English, Ollie, Harper, Martinsburg, Webster, Kinross, Gibson, Thornburg, Hayesville

Kossuth County

Algona, West Bend, Bancroft, Swea City, Burt, Titonka, Whittemore, Wesley, Lakota, Fenton, Lone Rock, Ledyard, St. Joseph, Irvington, St. Benedict, Sexton

Lee County

Fort Madison, Keokuk, West Point, Donnellson, Montrose, Denmark, Sandusky, Mooar, Wever, Houghton, Franklin, St. Paul, Argyle

Linn County

Cedar Rapids, Marion, Hiawatha, Mount Vernon, Robins, Fairfax, Center Point, Ely, Lisbon, Palo, Central City, Springville, Alburnett, Coggon, Walker, Bertram, Prairieburg

Louisa County

Wapello, Columbus Junction, Morning Sun, Grandview, Columbus City, Letts, Fredonia, Oakville, Cotter

Lucas County

Chariton, Russell, Lucas, Williamson, Derby

Lyon County

Rock Rapids, George, Inwood, Larchwood, Doon, Little Rock, Lester, Alvord

Madison County

Winterset, Earlham, St. Charles, Truro, Patterson, East Peru, Macksburg, Bevington

Mahaska County

Oskaloosa, Pella, New Sharon, Eddyville, Fremont, Beacon, University Park, Rose Hill, Leighton, Barnes City, Keomah Village

Marion County

Knoxville, Pleasantville, Melcher-Dallas, Bussey, Harvey, Hamilton, Swan, Marysville

Marshall County

Marshalltown, State Center, Le Grand, Melbourne, Albion, Gilman, Liscomb, Rhodes, Laurel, Green Mountain, Haverhill, Clemons, Ferguson, St. Anthony

Mills County

Glenwood, Malvern, Emerson, Silver City, Hastings, Henderson, Pacific Junction, Mineola

Mitchell County

Osage, St. Ansgar, Stacyville, Mitchell, McIntire, Carpenter, Orchard, New Haven, Little Cedar, Mona, Otranto, Toeterville, Meyer

Monona County

Onawa, Mapleton, Whiting, Ute, Blencoe, Moorhead, Soldier, Castana, Turin, Rodney

Monroe County

Albia, Lovilia, Melrose

Montgomery County

Red Oak, Villisca, Stanton, Elliott, Grant, Coburg

Muscatine County

Muscatine, West Liberty, Kent Estates, Blue Grass, Walcott, Fruitland, Atalissa, Conesville, Nichols, Moscow, Fairport, Stockton, Montpelier

O'Brien County

Sheldon, Hartley, Sanborn, Paullina, Primghar, Sutherland, Archer, Calumet

Osceola County

Sibley, Ashton, Ocheyedan, Melvin, Harris

Page County

Clarinda, Essex, Coin, College Springs, Shambaugh, Braddyville, Yorktown, Northboro, Blanchard

Palo Alto County

Emmetsburg, Graettinger, Ruthven, Mallard, Ayrshire, Cylinder, Curlew, Rodman

Plymouth County

Sioux City, Le Mars, Remsen, Akron, Kingsley, Hinton, Merrill, Brunsville, Westfield, Oyens, Craig, Struble

Pocahontas County

Pocahontas, Laurens, Fonda, Rolfe, Palmer, Havelock, Varina, Plover

Polk County

Des Moines, Ankeny, Johnston, Altoona, Norwalk, Pleasant Hill, Bondurant, Polk City, Windsor Heights, Carlisle, Saylorville, Elkhart, Runnells, Alleman

Pottawattamie County

Council Bluffs, Carter Lake, Oakland, Avoca, Treynor, Underwood, Neola, Carson, Walnut, Shelby, Crescent, Minden, Macedonia, Hancock, Bentley, McClelland, Weston, Loveland

Poweshiek County

Grinnell, Brooklyn, Montezuma, Holiday Lake, Malcom, Deep River, Searsboro, Hartwick, Guernsey

Ringgold County

Mount Ayr, Diagonal, Clearfield, Kellerton, Tingley, Sun Valley Lake, Shannon City, Redding, Delphos, Maloy, Benton, Ellston, Beaconsfield

Sac County

Sac City, Lake View, Odebolt, Wall Lake, Schaller, Early, Auburn, Nemaha

Scott County

Davenport, Bettendorf, Eldridge, Le Claire, Park View, Buffalo, Princeton, Long Grove, Riverdale, Donahue, McCausland, Dixon, Maysville, Panorama Park, New Liberty, Argo, Plainview

Shelby County

Harlan, Elk Horn, Earling, Irwin, Defiance, Panama, Portsmouth, Westphalia, Tennant, Kirkman, Corley, Jacksonville

Sioux County

Sioux Center, Orange City, Rock Valley, Hawarden, Hull, Alton, Boyden, Hospers, Ireton, Granville, Maurice, Matlock, Chatsworth

Story County

Ames, Nevada, Huxley, Story City, Roland, Gilbert, Maxwell, Colo, Cambridge, Zearing, Collins, McCallsburg, Kelley

Tama County

Tama, Toledo, Traer, Dysart, Gladbrook, Garwin, Chelsea, Clutier, Montour, Elberon, Lincoln, Vining

Taylor County

Bedford, New Market, Gravity, Blockton, Sharpsburg, Conway, Athelstan

Union County

Creston, Afton, Lorimor, Cromwell, Arispe, Thayer, Kent

Van Buren County

Keosauqua, Farmington, Birmingham, Bonaparte, Milton, Stockport, Cantril, Douds, Leando, Mount Sterling

Wapello County

Ottumwa, Eldon, Agency, Blakesburg, Kirkville, Chillicothe

Warren County

Indianola, Milo, Hartford, New Virginia, Cumming, Martensdale, Lacona, St. Marys, Ackworth, Spring Hill, Sandyville

Washington County

Washington, Kalona, Wellman, Riverside, Ainsworth, Brighton, Crawfordsville, West Chester

Wayne County

Corydon, Seymour, Humeston, Allerton, Lineville, Promise City, Clio, Millerton

Webster County

Fort Dodge, Gowrie, Dayton, Coalville, Badger, Otho, Lehigh, Callender, Duncombe, Barnum, Harcourt, Moorland, Clare, Vincent

Winnebago County

Lake Mills, Buffalo Center, Thompson, Leland, Rake, Scarville

Winneshiek County

Decorah, Calmar, Ossian, Spillville, Fort Atkinson, Ridgeway, Burr Oak, Castalia, Jackson Junction

Woodbury County

Sergeant Bluff, Moville, Sloan, Lawton, Correctionville, Anthon, Pierson, Danbury, Salix, Bronson, Hornick, Cushing, Smithland, Climbing Hill, Oto

Worth County

Northwood, Manly, Fertile, Kensett, Grafton, Joice, Hanlontown, Bolan

Wright County

Eagle Grove, Clarion, Belmond, Goldfield, Woolstock, Rowan, Galt

Boat removal across Iowa

Top 19 cities by population. 1026 cities covered across Iowa.

Davenport Sioux City Ankeny Ames Council Bluffs Dubuque Urbandale Marion Cedar Falls Bettendorf Marshalltown Mason City Waukee Ottumwa Clinton Burlington Muscatine North Liberty Altoona

Boat removal in Iowa: what owners ask

How do I get rid of an old boat in Iowa?

In Iowa, get rid of a boat by selling it if the engine runs, donating it to a group that accepts hulls, hauling it to a salvage yard for scrap value, or handing it to a removal service. My crew handles the last one.

How much does boat disposal cost in Iowa?

The cost of boat disposal in Iowa depends on the boat's size, its condition, how far the crew hauls it from a lake property or driveway, and the shape the trailer is in. Check the pricing section above for the actual numbers behind those factors.

Where can I dispose of a boat in Iowa?

In Iowa, boats get disposed of at salvage yards, through metal recyclers, or by a removal service, since driveway and lake-place pickups make up most of the work here, with an occasional ramp haul-out. Landfills refuse hulls, so a boat dump is not an option.

Can I get free junk boat removal in Iowa?

Free junk boat removal in Iowa depends on salvage value: if the motor, aluminum, or parts are worth enough on their own, my boat removers take the boat at no charge instead of billing you for the haul.

Are there boat salvage yards near me in Iowa?

Yes, Iowa has boat salvage yards near its lake regions, but most boat junkyards will only accept a boat that arrives on a trailer, so anything still sitting on a ramp or lakeside lot usually needs a removal service to get it there first.

How do I dispose of a fiberglass boat in Iowa?

Fiberglass boats in Iowa cannot go into a regular landfill because the material will not break down. My crew cuts the unwanted boat into sections and hauls those pieces to facilities designed for fiberglass, which makes the whole job a removal-service task.

Can you remove a boat without a title in Iowa?

Yes, I can remove a boat without a title in Iowa, since the titling rule there reaches only larger boats, while canoes, kayaks, and similar craft stay exempt. These abandoned boat removal calls are common, and the legal section above spells out what applies.