The levels of hoarding, and what they are for

This site connects you with independent hoarding cleanup providers near you. It does not do the cleanup itself.

The Clutter Image Rating

The Clutter Image Rating is published by the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF). It uses three sets of nine pictures, one set each for a kitchen, a living room and a bedroom. You look at each room in the home and choose the picture that is closest.

The IOCDF says rooms rated at picture 4 or higher indicate a probable hoarding problem. The pictures make the scale easy to use: there is no need for difficult words, and a person can rate their own home privately. The images are on the IOCDF site and are not reproduced here.

The Clutter-Hoarding Scale

The Institute for Challenging Disorganization (ICD), a nonprofit, publishes the Clutter-Hoarding Scale. The ICD describes it as an observational guideline for assessing homes only, and says it is not meant for clinical diagnosis. It has five levels, each with a color. Here is a short summary in our own words; the ICD’s quick reference guide has the full detail.

Level	In short
I, green	Little or no clutter.
II, blue	Some clutter. One main exit may be blocked, or smoke or carbon monoxide alarms may be missing or not working.
III, yellow	The turning point between a cluttered home and a hoarded one. There may be light structural damage or pests that can be heard.
IV, orange	Older structural damage, rodents in the attic, rotting food or visible mold. The ICD says this level needs a coordinated team.
V, red	The most serious level. The ICD calls for formal written agreements before any work begins.

The ICD also links levels to protective gear for anyone working in the home: light gear such as gloves and shoe covers at level II, a mask, goggles and coveralls at level III, and a respirator with heavy-duty gloves at level IV.

What a level is for

A level is a planning tool. It helps a provider, a therapist or a family understand what the work involves, so they can plan for safety, people, equipment and time. It can also help track progress: a kitchen that moves from picture 6 to picture 3 is a real achievement, even if it is not empty.

• For safety: higher levels point to fire risk, blocked exits, pests and mold, which come first.
• For planning: the level shapes how many people, how much gear and how many days a job needs.
• For progress: rating rooms again later shows change that is easy to miss day to day.
• For the right help: at the higher levels, the ICD points to a team that may include a therapist, an organizer and a cleanup provider.

What a level is not

A level is not a diagnosis. Hoarding disorder is a recognized mental health condition that only a qualified professional can diagnose, and the American Psychiatric Association describes it by a person’s difficulty parting with things, not by how a room looks on one day. A level is also not a verdict on anyone’s character. Homes fill up for many reasons, and a high level says nothing about a person’s worth.

Nor does a high level mean the home must be cleared all at once. The IOCDF says clean-outs done as a quick fix usually do not work, and the clutter often returns within months. The realistic goal, it says, may be a safe but still cluttered home, with the person involved in making the plan.

Rating your own home

If it is your own home, you can use the Clutter Image Rating privately, at your own pace, one room at a time. Some people find it a relief to put a number on something that has felt overwhelming for years. Others find it hard to look at. Both reactions are normal. If a room sits at picture 4 or higher, that is a reason to talk to someone, not a reason for shame. A therapist who treats hoarding, found through the IOCDF Find Help directory, can help with the reasons behind the clutter, and a respectful provider can help with the physical work, starting wherever you choose.

Using the scales kindly

If you are rating someone else’s home, it is kinder to do it with them than about them. Avoid using a level as a label, and avoid showing pictures in a way that feels like a test. Leading with safety, as the IOCDF advises, usually goes further: a clear exit and a usable kitchen matter more than a number. Our guide on how to help someone with hoarding covers how to have that conversation, and hoarder house cleaning, stage by stage explains how a cleanup is planned around the level of a home.