Sacramento is picking up household junk for free. See when and how to make an appointment

Angela Rodriguez
·3 min read
2

Are you doing some early spring cleaning or looking to get rid of bigger unwanted household items?

Starting this month, Sacramento’s household junk pickup crew will start to make its rounds across the city’s residential neighborhoods.

Residential customers can make two free appointments per year for the city to pick up acceptable bulky items. You have until mid-October to schedule those appointments.

Here’s what you need to know:

How can I make an appointment?

You can schedule an appointment to have the city pick up old household junk via the city’s website.

If you have to cancel that appointment, you must do that by 5 p.m. two business days before the scheduled pickup date or your account will still be charged for one free pickup.

Once the two free appointments for the year have been used or the household junk pickup season has ended, customers can still arrange another pickup for a minimum fee of around $40.

What can I have the city pick up?

After scheduling a pickup appointment, you must put items out for collection no earlier than 24 hours, or, by 6 a.m. before the scheduled appointment, according to the city’s requirements.

Piles must be placed by a curb on a public street in a way that does not block traffic and 6 feet away from parked vehicles. Piles cannot exceed 4 feet by 4 feet by 9 feet in size, or customers can incur a fee, the city’s website states.

Loose items should be placed in disposable containers for pickup.

Accepted items

According to the city’s website, these items will be accepted for free pickup:

  • Pipes (shorter than 3 feet)

  • Untreated wood (shorter than 6 feet)

  • Disassembled fencing

  • Tires without the rims (limit of four at each collection)

  • Furniture

  • Mattresses

  • Carpet

  • Toys

  • Yard waste, including leaves, grass and tree limbs fitting the pile size requirement

If yard waste is placed for pickup alongside other bulky items, both items must be clearly separated to help the crew with recycling.

Unaccepted items

These items will not be accepted:

  • Liquid waste, such as paint

  • Explosives

  • Radioactive material

  • Hazardous waste materials, such as batteries

  • Concrete or brick

  • Bio-hazards

  • Gas canisters

  • Construction debris, such as dirt and rocks

  • Autos or auto parts

  • Tires (on the rim)

  • Treated wood

Can I have the city pick up an old appliance?

While e-waste and household appliances are not accepted during household junk appointments, Sacramento residential customers can schedule two additional free appointments for collection year-round.

The same pickup guidelines apply, the city’s website says.

For each appointment, up to two appliances and up to four e-waste items can be collected at no additional charge. Smaller handheld devices can be placed in a box and count as one e-waste item.

Household appliances

Acceptable items include:

  • Microwave

  • Oven

  • Refrigerator

  • Stove

  • Trash compactor

  • Washing machine

  • Water heater

  • Electric ceiling fan

  • Air conditioner

  • Dehumidifier

  • Dishwasher

  • Dryer

  • Freezer

  • Furnace

E-waste

Acceptable items include:

  • CRT monitors and TVs

  • LCD monitors and TVs

  • LED monitors and TVs

  • Plasma TVs

  • Projection/DLP TVs

  • Desktop PCs

  • Laptop PCs

  • DVD player

  • Servers

  • Network equipment

  • Telecom equipment

  • Printers

  • Copiers

  • Fax machines

  • Multi-function devices

  • Laser scanners

  • Video game consoles

  • VCRs

  • Hard drives

  • Stereo equipment

  • Cable boxes

  • Vacuum cleaners

  • Calculators

  • Telephones

  • Cellphones

  • Digital cameras

  • Electronic cables

  • Car stereos

  • Power cords

  • Keyboards and mice

  • Printed circuit boards

  • Power supply units

  • Computer speakers

  • Small kitchen appliances

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