By city
Free bulky pickup programs around Sacramento
| Where you live | What you get |
|---|---|
| City of Sacramento | City of Sacramento residential customers get two free household junk pickup appointments per year, available February through October (appointments stop in mid-October for leaf season). Appliances and e-waste are booked separately, also free, twice a year, year-round. Book through 311 or Sac311.org; piles can be no larger than 4 × 4 × 9 feet and go out no earlier than 24 hours before the appointment. |
| Sacramento County (unincorporated areas) | Households in unincorporated Sacramento County get one curbside bulky waste pickup per 12 months, up to 5 cubic yards (8 × 4 × 4 feet), by appointment. Extra pickups and larger piles cost extra. Schedule by calling (916) 875-5555 (weekdays 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m.) or emailing utilities@SacCounty.net, and set items out no more than 24 hours ahead. |
| City of Elk Grove | Elk Grove residents can schedule up to three free bulky waste pickups per year (up to 5 cubic yards each) with Republic Services at (916) 635-2500, on your regular trash day. Each resident also gets one free self-haul load per year at the Elder Creek Transfer Station (8642 Elder Creek Road) with proof of residency. |
| City of Folsom | Single-family homes in the City of Folsom can schedule up to three free bulky waste pickup appointments per year, up to five cubic yards each. There can be a wait for a pickup date, and apartments and businesses arrange pickups through the city office. |
| City of Citrus Heights | The City of Citrus Heights partners with Republic Services to offer residents three free bulk pickups. Schedule with Republic Services at (916) 638-9000. |
| City of Rancho Cordova | Rancho Cordova residents schedule bulky item pickups through the city's waste provider, Atlas Disposal, at (916) 288-2800. Call before putting anything at the curb. |
Source: City of Sacramento: Household Junk Pickup
Source: Sacramento County Waste Management & Recycling: Residential Services
Source: City of Elk Grove: Bulky Waste Pickup
Source: City of Folsom: Bulky Item Pickup
Source: Republic Services: Sacramento area (Citrus Heights program)
Source: City of Rancho Cordova: Residential Solid Waste Services
Programs change. Check the city’s page before you set anything out.
Our honest take
When the free pickup is the better choice
- You can carry everything to the curb yourself.
- The pile fits the size limit (4 × 4 × 9 feet in the City of Sacramento, 5 cubic yards in most other programs).
- You can wait for an appointment and haven’t used up this year’s pickups.
- The items are on the accepted list. Most programs refuse concrete, dirt, rock and contractor waste.
If all four are true, use the city. It’s free, and we’d tell you the same on the phone.
When to hire
When hiring a hauler is easier
- It has to be gone today or this week: a move-out, a closing or a listing date.
- The items are inside, upstairs or in the backyard, and nobody can carry them out.
- The load is bigger than the curbside limit, or you’ve used your free pickups.
- You’re a landlord, a business or a contractor, so the residential program doesn’t apply.
Our junk removal is priced by truck space from $75, and we carry it out from wherever it is.
Doing it yourself
Where to take things yourself
| What | Where |
|---|---|
| Paint, chemicals, batteries, fuel | Sacramento County’s household hazardous waste drop-off at the North Area Recovery Station, 4450 Roseville Road, North Highlands: free for county residents up to 15 gallons or 125 pounds a month, open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. City of Sacramento residents can also use the city’s facility on Fruitridge Road. |
| Mattresses and box springs | California’s Bye Bye Mattress program takes them free at participating drop-off sites, and stores that deliver a new mattress have to offer to take the old one away at no extra cost. |
| Furniture and building materials in good shape | Habitat for Humanity Greater Sacramento ReStore accepts new and gently used donations and offers a receipt. |
| TVs, monitors and computers | California doesn’t allow them in the trash. Use an e-waste recycler or your city’s e-waste pickup. |
Source: Sacramento County: North Area Recovery Station HHW facility
Source: City of Sacramento: household hazardous waste facilities
Placer County
Roseville: free doorstep pickup for hazardous waste and e-waste
The City of Roseville runs a free doorstep pickup for residential household hazardous waste and e-waste, by appointment. To schedule one you need at least 20 pounds, or five different types of items. Call (916) 774-5780.
Source: City of Roseville: Free doorstep pickup
For furniture and other bulky items in Roseville, Rocklin and Lincoln, check your waste hauler’s bulky item options, or have us haul them, priced by truck space.
Using the free pickup
How to get a free curbside pickup right
- 1Book first. Most programs only collect piles with an appointment, and unscheduled piles can bring a fee.
- 2Check what’s accepted. Appliances and e-waste are often booked separately; concrete, dirt and contractor waste usually aren’t taken at all.
- 3Stay inside the size limit: 4 × 4 × 9 feet in the City of Sacramento, about 5 cubic yards in most other programs.
- 4Put items out no earlier than allowed, usually 24 hours before pickup, and keep them off the sidewalk and away from mailboxes and cars.
- 5Bag or box small items so they don’t blow around.
If any step doesn’t fit your situation (items upstairs, a closing date, more than the limit) that’s when a hauler is worth it.
What not to do
Leaving junk on the curb without a pickup
Setting furniture out on the curb with a “free” sign and hoping it disappears is common, and it often ends badly: rain ruins it, nobody takes it, and it becomes a pile. Many programs charge a fee for piles set out without an appointment, and junk left on public property can count as illegal dumping, which carries a fine of $250 to $1,000 for a first conviction in California.
Source: California Penal Code § 374.3 (illegal dumping)
If something is good enough to give away, list it online with pickup by appointment, or donate it. If it isn’t, book the city pickup or a hauler.
Questions
Quick answers on bulky item pickup
Does the City of Sacramento pick up junk for free?
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City of Sacramento residential customers get two free household junk pickup appointments per year, available February through October (appointments stop in mid-October for leaf season). Appliances and e-waste are booked separately, also free, twice a year, year-round. Book through 311 or Sac311.org; piles can be no larger than 4 × 4 × 9 feet and go out no earlier than 24 hours before the appointment.
How do I schedule a bulky pickup in unincorporated Sacramento County?
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Households in unincorporated Sacramento County get one curbside bulky waste pickup per 12 months, up to 5 cubic yards (8 × 4 × 4 feet), by appointment. Extra pickups and larger piles cost extra. Schedule by calling (916) 875-5555 (weekdays 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m.) or emailing utilities@SacCounty.net, and set items out no more than 24 hours ahead.
What won’t the city pick up?
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Not picked up: concrete, brick, dirt, rock, sod, auto parts, tires on rims, and contractor or commercial waste.
Where can I drop off old paint in Sacramento?
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At Sacramento County’s free household hazardous waste facility at the North Area Recovery Station (4450 Roseville Road), or the City of Sacramento facility on Fruitridge Road for city residents.
Does Roseville pick up e-waste for free?
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Yes, by appointment through the City’s free doorstep pickup for household hazardous waste and e-waste, with a minimum of 20 pounds or five item types. Call (916) 774-5780.