Before you hire a pet waste removal company, check for seven things: liability insurance and WSIB coverage, a background-checked crew, off-site waste disposal included in the price, no long-term contract, a specific written guarantee, a verifiable track record of reviews, and clear published pricing. Any company that can’t answer all seven without hesitation is a risk you’re taking on, not a chore you’re handing off. Here’s why each one matters and how to check it before you sign up.
1. Liability insurance and WSIB coverage
Someone is walking into your yard, near your fence, your gate, sometimes your kids’ play equipment or your pool. If that technician gets hurt on your property, or damages something while they’re there, insurance is what protects you—not them.
Ask directly: “Are you insured, and are your workers covered by WSIB?” A real company answers immediately with a number. The Poop Valet carries $2 million in commercial liability insurance and is WSIB covered. If a company hesitates, changes the subject, or says “we’ve never had a problem,” that’s not the same as being insured.
2. A background-checked, trained crew
You’re giving someone gate access to your property, often while you’re not home. Every Poop Valet technician passes a background check before their first shift, goes through training on our cleaning standard, and shows up uniformed in a marked vehicle—so you know exactly who is supposed to be in your yard.
A lower-cost competitor built on word-of-mouth and a bucket in the trunk isn’t necessarily unsafe, but it also isn’t vetted. That’s a real trade-off, not a small one, and it’s worth deciding on purpose rather than by accident.
3. Off-site waste disposal included in the price
This is the question people forget to ask, and it’s one of the most important. Some quotes look cheap because the waste never actually leaves your property—it goes into your garbage bin, your green bin, or gets moved to a corner of the yard you don’t use. That doesn’t solve the problem. It just relocates the smell and hands the actual disposal chore back to you.
Every Poop Valet visit includes hauling the waste off-site, at no extra charge. Ask any company you’re considering exactly where the waste goes after they scoop it. If the answer is vague, the price is probably vague too.
4. No long-term contract
A contract that locks you in for a year removes your leverage the moment service quality slips. The Poop Valet doesn’t use contracts. Every visit has to earn the next one, and you can change frequency, pause, or cancel anytime. That structure only benefits you if the company is confident enough in its own service to operate without it—which is exactly the kind of company you want scooping your yard.
5. A specific, written guarantee—not a vague promise
“Satisfaction guaranteed” printed on a truck doesn’t mean anything on its own. Ask what happens, specifically, if a visit misses a spot. Is there a defined process, or does it depend on who answers the phone that day?
Our Clean Paws Guarantee is a specific promise: if a visit misses a spot, contact us within 24 hours and we come back and re-scoop the yard at no charge. No credit negotiation, no ticket number, no waiting for the next scheduled visit. A guarantee you can describe in one sentence is one you can actually hold a company to.
6. A verifiable track record
Reviews can be faked, but a large, consistent volume of them over years is much harder to manufacture than a handful of five-star ratings from last month. The Poop Valet has 250+ five-star reviews across Google and Facebook, with a 5.0 average on 240+ Google reviews. Before you hire anyone, actually open their review profile—don’t just glance at the star count on the homepage.
7. Clear, published pricing
“Call for a quote” with no published numbers usually means the price depends on how the conversation goes, not on a fixed rate card. The Poop Valet publishes every price, by frequency and dog count, so you can see the exact cost before you ever talk to anyone. If a company won’t show you a number until they’ve got you on the phone, ask yourself why.
How to put this checklist to use
Before you commit to any pet waste removal company, ask these questions in order:
- Are you insured, and is your crew covered by WSIB?
- Is the crew background-checked and trained?
- Is the waste hauled off-site, included in the price?
- Is there a contract, or can I cancel or change frequency anytime?
- What exactly happens if a visit misses a spot?
- Can I see your actual reviews, not just a star rating?
- Can you show me your price before I book anything?
A company that answers all seven without hedging has earned a real look. One that dodges two or three of them is telling you something, even if it never says it directly.
We cover the pricing side of this in more detail in our 2026 pricing guide, and the reliability side in The Reliability Standard.
See how The Poop Valet answers every question
Ready to see it for yourself? Browse our published prices, read how the process actually works, or get your free quote in under a minute.
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
What should I look for in a pet waste removal company?
Check for liability insurance and WSIB coverage, a background-checked and trained crew, off-site waste disposal included in the price, no long-term contract, a specific written guarantee, a verifiable track record of reviews, and clear published pricing. A company that can answer all seven directly is worth hiring.
Are dog poop removal companies insured?
Not all of them. Ask directly and expect a specific number. The Poop Valet carries $2 million in commercial liability insurance and is WSIB covered, protecting your property and covering our crew while they're on it.
Does it matter if the waste is hauled away or left in my bin?
Yes. Some lower-priced services leave the waste in your garbage bin, green bin, or a corner of the yard instead of removing it from the property, which just moves the chore and the smell back onto you. Every Poop Valet visit includes off-site disposal at no extra charge.
Should I sign a contract for pet waste removal?
You don't need to. The Poop Valet operates with no long-term contracts—you can change frequency, pause, or cancel anytime. A company confident in its service shouldn't need a contract to keep your business.
How do I know if a pooper scooper service is actually reliable?
Ask what happens specifically if a visit misses a spot, and look for a defined, written answer rather than a vague promise. Then check their actual review history, not just the star rating on their homepage. Our own standards are detailed in The Reliability Standard.
How much does professional dog poop removal cost?
Weekly service starts at $24.75 per visit ($107.25 a month) for one dog, with bi-weekly, twice-weekly, bucket, one-time, and spring cleanup options also available. See full published pricing or get your free quote for an exact number.
The Poop Valet Dog Waste Removal Service
Serving Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge & Guelph
#1 in the #2 business.
