Figuring out what the city takes. Waiting for pickup day. Calling around for quotes. It’s a lot to sort out for something you’re ready to be done with.
Standard sofa$79First item example Before applicable tax
Your exact price. Upfront.
Find your items in the catalog and see your exact price online. Book without phone calls or an in-person estimate.
Gone as soon as today.
Choose your pickup day. Book by 2pm local time for same-day pickup, where available.
In the loop until it’s gone.
Get a booking confirmation, a text before arrival and pickup photos when it’s done. Follow along on your pickup page.
Made for your place
Your place. One easy pickup plan.
A house, a condo or an apartment. Choose an accessible outdoor spot that works for your property. You arrange the move outside; we take it from there.
1
Book before you bring it out.
Your items can still be inside when you book. Follow the readiness instructions in your confirmation.
2
Choose a clear outdoor spot.
You arrange any carrying out of your home or down interior stairs. Keep entrances, sidewalks and shared access clear. We handle loading and haul-away from outside.
3
Show us where to find it.
Add a photo and clear location notes. Contact us before booking if a gate, building rule or restricted access window needs an arrangement.
At a house: outside, accessible and easy to identify.At an apartment: an approved outdoor spot with shared access clear.
Access needs an arrangement?
Check any building or shared-area rules. Contact us before booking if access is limited to particular hours.
City collection Furniture is named in the City's bulky item list, so a couch or a sofa goes out on a City bulky collection of up to five items rather than into a cart. No charge. The City division collects the item and no bulky item fee appears on the bulky item page or on the adopted fiscal year 2026-27 residential rate table. Confirm on the request through 311.
City collection A mattress is named in the City's bulky item list, so it goes out on a City bulky collection and counts toward the five item maximum. No charge. The City division collects the mattress and no bulky item fee appears on the bulky item page or on the adopted fiscal year 2026-27 residential rate table. Confirm on the request through 311.
City collection Large appliances such as refrigerators and freezers are named in the City's bulky item list, and the City notes they are picked up by a separate truck and may not be removed with the other items. No charge. The City division collects the appliance and no bulky item fee appears on the bulky item page or on the adopted fiscal year 2026-27 residential rate table. Confirm on the request through 311.
City collection A single family home has a 65 or 95 gallon refuse cart with once weekly service, alongside recycling and organics carts, and the bill for the carts arrives every two months rather than monthly. From $126.83 for the bi-monthly charge for one 65 gallon cart serviced once a week in the adopted fiscal year 2026-27 rate table. The rate table is effective July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027 and lists higher charges for a 95 gallon cart and for two or three cart combinations, along with bin service for a two cubic yard bin and a shared container option. Recycling and yard waste containers are listed at no charge, and multi-family containers run from a 300 gallon cart to two, three and four cubic yard bins by the number of pickups a week. Confirm the amount on the account through 311 at (866) 311-7266.
The highest first-item price applies once. Every remaining item uses its additional-item price. Loading, transportation and disposal are included. Applicable sales tax is shown before payment.
Selected customer reviews. Counts checked September 2026.
The local disposal guide
Will the city take it?
Santa Monica collects its own refuse, recycling and organics through the City's Resource Recovery and Recycling Division, and a single family home has a 65 or 95 gallon refuse cart on a once weekly service with the fee billed every two months. The division also runs bulky item collection itself, Monday through Friday, and the rules are plain: up to five items, limited to things too large for a refuse container, with mattresses, furniture, large appliances and bundled tree trimmings named on the page. There is no construction debris and no household hazardous waste in that pickup, and a refrigerator or freezer goes on a separate truck rather than with the rest of the pile. What is unusual here is how much of the awkward material the City still takes. Residents get a no cost door-to-door household hazardous waste pickup that covers paint, cleaning products and electronics, the City hosts quarterly electronic waste events with battery drop-off sites around town, and construction material moves through approved haulers and facilities under a Waste Management Plan. Everything is requested through the City's 311 line rather than a private hauler.
A single family home has a 65 or 95 gallon refuse cart with once weekly service, alongside recycling and organics carts, and the bill for the carts arrives every two months rather than monthly.
City cost & eligibility
From $126.83 for the bi-monthly charge for one 65 gallon cart serviced once a week in the adopted fiscal year 2026-27 rate table. The rate table is effective July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027 and lists higher charges for a 95 gallon cart and for two or three cart combinations, along with bin service for a two cubic yard bin and a shared container option. Recycling and yard waste containers are listed at no charge, and multi-family containers run from a 300 gallon cart to two, three and four cubic yard bins by the number of pickups a week. Confirm the amount on the account through 311 at (866) 311-7266.
When & how
Containers go out with the lid facing the street and the handles toward the home, at least two feet from other containers and from objects such as vehicles, poles, walls, trees, street signs and garage doors. They may be placed no earlier than 4:00 p.m. the day before collection and no later than 7:00 a.m. on the collection day, and they have to be off the street or alley by 8:00 p.m. that day. During a holiday week every collection, including bulky items, slips one day.
Get it ready
Black takes refuse such as pet waste, diapers, soft plastics, ceramics and polystyrene. Blue takes clean dry metal, glass, rigid plastics numbered 1, 2 and 5, mixed paper and flattened cardboard, with no food, liquids or soft plastic. Green takes yard waste, all food scraps including meat, bones and dairy, food-soiled paper, wood or bamboo utensils and shredded paper, with pet waste kept out and only a clear plastic or compostable bag allowed.
The City's Resource Recovery and Recycling Division collects bulky items Monday through Friday for residential and commercial customers, limited to large items that do not fit in a refuse container, with a maximum of five items.
City cost & eligibility
No charge. The City division provides the bulky item collection, and neither the bulky item page nor the adopted residential rate table for fiscal year 2026-27 lists a bulky item fee. Confirm whether any charge applies when the pickup is requested through 311 at (866) 311-7266 or 311@santamonica.gov.
When & how
Move the items to the front curb or the alley behind the property and label them for pickup with the note For City Pick-up before contacting the City, then email 311@santamonica.gov or call (866) 311-7266 with the address, the unit number for an apartment or condominium, a phone number, a description of the items and whether they are in the alley or at the curb. Bulky items are normally removed within seven days, and the City says removal can take up to ten days when there are operational issues or emergencies.
Get it ready
Keep the pile to five items that are too large for a refuse container, bundle tree trimmings no longer than three feet and no heavier than ten pounds with a maximum of four bundles, and keep construction debris and household hazardous waste out of the pile entirely, because neither is collected as a bulky item.
Furniture is named in the City's bulky item list, so a couch or a sofa goes out on a City bulky collection of up to five items rather than into a cart.
City cost & eligibility
No charge. The City division collects the item and no bulky item fee appears on the bulky item page or on the adopted fiscal year 2026-27 residential rate table. Confirm on the request through 311.
When & how
Move the piece to the front curb or the alley, label it For City Pick-up, and then email 311@santamonica.gov or call (866) 311-7266. Collection runs Monday through Friday and the piece is normally removed within seven days.
Get it ready
Keep the piece inside the five item limit and out of the carts, and keep it labeled and clear of the sidewalk so the crew can take it on the first attempt.
A mattress is named in the City's bulky item list, so it goes out on a City bulky collection and counts toward the five item maximum.
City cost & eligibility
No charge. The City division collects the mattress and no bulky item fee appears on the bulky item page or on the adopted fiscal year 2026-27 residential rate table. Confirm on the request through 311.
When & how
Label the mattress For City Pick-up at the front curb or in the alley, then request the collection through 311 by email at 311@santamonica.gov or by phone at (866) 311-7266.
Get it ready
Keep the mattress dry, out of the carts and inside the five item limit, and keep it visible with the label so the crew can identify it as part of the requested pickup.
Large appliances such as refrigerators and freezers are named in the City's bulky item list, and the City notes they are picked up by a separate truck and may not be removed with the other items.
City cost & eligibility
No charge. The City division collects the appliance and no bulky item fee appears on the bulky item page or on the adopted fiscal year 2026-27 residential rate table. Confirm on the request through 311.
When & how
Label the appliance For City Pick-up at the front curb or in the alley, then request the collection through 311 at (866) 311-7266 or 311@santamonica.gov, and expect a different truck from the one that takes furniture.
Get it ready
Empty the unit and keep it out of the carts, which do not accept appliances. Because a refrigerator or freezer may be collected on a different trip from the rest of the pile, set it out only after the request is confirmed.
Electronic waste cannot go in any of the three containers, and Santa Monica residents have a no cost door-to-door pickup, quarterly City events and county and retail options.
City cost & eligibility
No charge. The City contracted with CleanEarth, now Veolia, to provide residents with a no cost door-to-door household hazardous waste collection program that includes electronics, and the program is not open to businesses. The City's quarterly recycling events and the Los Angeles County SAFE centers and events are also public, no cost routes.
When & how
Schedule the door-to-door pickup at (877) 443-2371 or on the CleanEarth Santa Monica page, watch for the City's quarterly recycling events, or use a Los Angeles County SAFE center or collection event. Residents may not bring the items to the Santa Monica City Yards, which are not open to the public outside the quarterly events.
Get it ready
Keep electronic waste out of the black, blue and green containers, because the City states it does not belong in any of them. Wipe or factory reset anything that stores personal data before it leaves the house.
Exercise equipment is not named on the City's bulky item page or in the container guide, so the machine has to be confirmed with the City before it goes out.
City cost & eligibility
No published amount covers an exercise machine and the City does not name the category, so confirm acceptance with the Resource Recovery and Recycling Division through 311 at (866) 311-7266 before the machine goes to the curb. If it is accepted it takes one of the five item places in a bulky collection.
When & how
Call 311 at (866) 311-7266 with the type of machine before labeling anything for pickup. The City collects bulky items Monday through Friday and normally removes them within seven days of the confirmed request.
Get it ready
Take the machine down as far as it will come apart and keep the loose weights with it, and keep the piece inside the five item limit and out of the containers.
Construction debris is not collected as a bulky item, and every construction and demolition project has to use an approved hauler and an approved recycling facility under a Waste Management Plan.
City cost & eligibility
The City does not collect construction debris through the bulky item process. Material such as concrete, bricks, drywall and lumber has to be removed by an approved hauler or placed in a temporary construction container rented from an authorized private hauler, and the project pays a Performance Security Deposit that is refunded according to the level of diversion it attains. The City does not publish the deposit amount on the pages read, so confirm it with the construction and demolition team at cdwaste@santamonica.gov.
When & how
Submit a Waste Management Plan through the Santa Monica Waste Tracker portal before the project generates debris, take the material to an approved recycling facility with an approved hauler, and file the final compliance report within 30 days of the final inspection sign-off.
Get it ready
Collect weight tickets from the facility that received each material showing the weight or volume, the material type and the project address, plus records for anything salvaged or reused, and log the diverted and landfilled volumes in the Waste Tracker portal. Keep construction material out of the carts and off a bulky pile for the whole project.
Household hazardous waste does not belong in any of the three containers, and the City contracts a no cost door-to-door pickup for residents plus battery drop-off sites and small business drop-off days.
City cost & eligibility
No charge. The City states that its residential door-to-door household hazardous waste collection program, run by CleanEarth, now Veolia, is no cost, and the program is not open to the business community. Battery drop-off sites around the city and the quarterly recycling events are also public routes, and the Los Angeles County SAFE centers and events are open to all county residents at no cost.
When & how
Schedule the door-to-door pickup at (877) 443-2371 or on the CleanEarth Santa Monica page, take batteries to one of the drop-off sites around the city, or use a county SAFE center or collection event. Small Santa Monica businesses use the separate appointment day at the City Yard Facility.
Get it ready
Keep the material out of the green, blue and black containers. Do not bring it to the Santa Monica City Yards, which are not open to the public and do not accept battery or electronic waste outside the quarterly events.
Move the items to the front curb or the alley behind the property and clearly label them for pickup with the note For City Pick-up before contacting the City. Then email 311@santamonica.gov or call (866) 311-7266 with the address, the unit number for an apartment or condominium, a phone number, a description of the items and whether they are in the alley or at the curb.
The City collects a maximum of five bulky items, and each one has to be too large to fit in a refuse container. Construction debris and household hazardous waste are not part of the program at all, so those move through the construction route or the no cost door-to-door hazardous waste pickup instead.
Carts go out in a narrow window and come back the same day
Containers may go out no earlier than 4:00 p.m. the day before collection and no later than 7:00 a.m. on the collection day, with the lid facing the street, the handles toward the home and at least two feet of clearance from other containers, vehicles, poles, walls, trees, signs and garage doors. They have to be off the street or alley by 8:00 p.m. on the collection day.
Use a permitted, accessible outdoor spot. Arrange the move out of your home, keep shared access clear and follow your confirmation’s readiness instructions. Check with your building about access or staging limits before booking.
City of Santa Monica Resource Recovery and Recycling Division
Book a City bulky item collection
A Santa Monica household with furniture, a mattress, a large appliance, bundled tree trimmings or another item too large for a refuse container.
Cost & conditions
No charge. The City's Resource Recovery and Recycling Division runs the collection, and no bulky item fee appears on the bulky item page or on the adopted fiscal year 2026-27 residential rate table. Confirm on the request through 311.
Arrange it
Label the items For City Pick-up at the front curb or in the alley, then request the collection by email at 311@santamonica.gov or by phone at (866) 311-7266, with the address, unit number, phone number, a description and the set-out location.
A maximum of five items, and construction debris and household hazardous waste are not collected. A refrigerator or freezer goes on a separate truck and may not be removed with the rest of the pile, and removal normally takes seven days and can take up to ten.
City of Santa Monica Resource Recovery and Recycling Division
Schedule the door-to-door hazardous waste pickup
A household with paint, cooking oil, cleaning products, batteries, electronics or other hazardous material that cannot go in a cart.
Cost & conditions
No charge. The City states that the residential door-to-door household hazardous waste collection program is provided at no cost to residents, and that the program is not open to the business community.
Arrange it
Schedule a pickup at (877) 443-2371 or on the CleanEarth Santa Monica page and select Request Pickup.
Residential customers only, and the City Yards are not open to the public, so material cannot be dropped there outside the quarterly recycling events.
A household or contractor with construction, renovation or demolition debris that the bulky collection refuses.
Cost & conditions
The City publishes no price for construction disposal, because the work goes through an approved private hauler and an approved recycling facility that quote the load. The City also requires a Performance Security Deposit, refunded on a form issued after the final submission in an amount that depends on the diversion level attained, and the pages read here do not publish that amount. Confirm the deposit and the approved hauler and facility lists with the construction and demolition team at cdwaste@santamonica.gov.
Arrange it
Submit the Waste Management Plan in the Santa Monica Waste Tracker portal before the project generates debris. The City requires a plan when the project valuation is at least $50,000, when the project area is at least 1,000 square feet, and for every demolition project regardless of valuation or size.
A plan is required, the material has to go to an approved facility with an approved hauler, and the final compliance report with weight tickets and diversion records is due within 30 days of the final inspection sign-off.
City of Santa Monica Resource Recovery and Recycling Division
Buy overflow bags or an extra pickup
A household whose landfill trash does not fit in the container on the regular collection day.
Cost & conditions
From $65.8 for a pack of five 40 gallon orange plastic bags for excess landfill trash, for the period July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027. The bags are bought from the Resource Recovery and Recycling Division by emailing zerowaste@santamonica.gov and are collected at 2500 Michigan Ave, Building A, with payment by credit card or check. The City also lists an additional pickup of a trash container at $153.10 for the same period, requested through 311.
Arrange it
Fill the orange bag, fasten it securely, and place it next to the trash container for the regular collection, or request an additional container pickup through 311 at (866) 311-7266.
The bags are for landfill trash that cannot be recycled or composted, and an extra container pickup is a separate request that the City schedules separately from the regular collection.
Prices, timing and the details that matter at your address.
How much does pickup cost?+
Choose your items to see the exact price. A standard sofa is $79 first and $29 additional. The highest first-item price applies once; every remaining item uses its additional-item price. Loading, transportation and disposal are included. Review any applicable sales tax and the final total before payment.
Can I book a pickup for today?+
Book by 2pm at your pickup address for same-day pickup, where available. Choose from the dates shown at checkout. Your booking is for a pickup day, and we text you when your hauler is on the way.
Do my items need to be outside when I book?+
You can book while your items are still inside. Arrange any indoor carrying and have everything outside and accessible according to your confirmation. We load and haul it away from there. Contact us before booking if your property has restricted access.
How do I request a Santa Monica bulky item pickup?+
Move the items to the front curb or the alley and label them for pickup with the note For City Pick-up before you call, then contact the City by email at 311@santamonica.gov or by phone at (866) 311-7266 with the address, unit number, phone number, a description of the items and where they are set out. A customer service agent confirms the request.Official guidance
How many items can go out?+
A maximum of five items, and each one has to be too large to fit in a refuse container. Mattresses, furniture and large appliances are all named as examples, and tree trimmings count separately as bundles that have to be no longer than three feet, no heavier than ten pounds and no more than four in number.Official guidance
What will not be collected as a bulky item?+
No construction debris and no household hazardous waste are collected through the bulky item process. Construction material moves through an approved hauler and facility under a Waste Management Plan, and hazardous material goes to the City's no cost door-to-door household hazardous waste pickup or one of the other collection options.Official guidance
What about items left in the street or alley by someone else?+
The City also collects abandoned items left out on the street or in an alley. Report them through the same 311 line at (866) 311-7266 or 311@santamonica.gov with the location address and a description of the items, and the City says to allow up to a week for collection.Official guidance
Will Santa Monica collect a couch from the curb?+
Yes, as a bulky item. Furniture is named on the City's bulky item list, collection runs Monday through Friday, and the pile is limited to five items. Label the couch For City Pick-up at the curb or in the alley and request the pickup through 311 at (866) 311-7266 or 311@santamonica.gov.Official guidance
How long does the collection take?+
The City says bulky items are normally removed within seven days of the request, and that removal can take up to ten days when there are operational issues or emergencies. Nothing is collected until the request is confirmed, so label the piece and wait for the agent to confirm.Official guidance
Will Santa Monica take a mattress as a bulky item?+
Yes. Mattresses are named on the City's bulky item list, which is limited to items too large for a refuse container, with a maximum of five items per collection. Label the mattress For City Pick-up and request the collection through 311.Official guidance
Does a mattress count against the five item limit?+
Yes. The collection takes a maximum of five items, and a mattress or box spring is one of them. If the household has more than five large items, the page does not describe a larger pickup, so plan the requests across more than one collection.Official guidance
Will Santa Monica take an old refrigerator or freezer?+
Yes. Large appliances such as refrigerators and freezers are named on the bulky item list, and the City notes that they are picked up by a separate truck and may not be removed with the other items in the same collection.Official guidance
Where can an appliance be recycled instead?+
The City points residents at a retail electronics and appliance recycling option along with other drop-off routes for material that cannot go in a cart, and the no cost door-to-door household hazardous waste pickup is the route for the hazardous content. Confirm which route takes the unit before moving it.Official guidance
Where do televisions and computers go in Santa Monica?+
Not in any of the three containers. The City offers a no cost door-to-door household hazardous waste pickup through CleanEarth, now Veolia, at (877) 443-2371, hosts quarterly electronic waste recycling events, and points residents at Los Angeles County SAFE centers and events plus retail electronics recycling.Official guidance
Can I drop electronics at the City Yards?+
No. The City states that the Santa Monica City Yards are not open to the public and that battery and electronic waste drop-off is not accepted there outside the quarterly recycling events. Batteries go to one of the drop-off sites around the city, and electronics go through the door-to-door pickup, a quarterly event or a county or retail option.Official guidance
Who collects trash in Santa Monica?+
The City's Resource Recovery and Recycling Division collects refuse, recycling and organics for residential customers and also runs the bulky item collection for residential and commercial customers. Requests go through the City's 311 line at (866) 311-7266 or 311@santamonica.gov, and the division email is zerowaste@santamonica.gov.Official guidance
How is the Santa Monica trash rate set?+
The City adopts a residential rate table, and the one in force for fiscal year 2026-27 runs from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027 with the amounts billed every two months. The single family cart rates run from one 65 gallon cart with once weekly service up through 95 gallon carts and cart combinations, bin service is listed separately, and recycling and yard waste containers are listed at no charge. Confirm the amount on the account through 311.Official guidance
How does service work for an apartment or condominium building?+
Multi-family buildings use containers from a 300 gallon cart up to two, three and four cubic yard bins, with the rate set by the number of pickups a week, and extra lines cover a lock charge, a bin on city property, shared bin or cart service and bin roll out. A resident requesting a bulky collection gives a unit number with the address so the agent can match the request to the building.Official guidance
Is organics separation required in Santa Monica?+
Yes. The City Council adopted a mandatory recycling ordinance on November 9, 2021, and all households and commercial customers separate waste into a black refuse bin, a blue recycling bin and a green organics and compost bin. There are limited waivers for customers who generate very little organic material or whose building lacks space, subject to City approval.Official guidance
How do tree trimmings go out?+
Tree trimmings are collected as a bulky item, not as loose yard waste. Bundle them no longer than three feet and no heavier than ten pounds each, with a maximum of four bundles, and include them in the five item limit for the bulky collection.Official guidance
Does the City hold recycling events?+
Yes. The Resource Recovery and Recycling Division hosts quarterly recycling events for electronic waste and publishes a yearly list of its events, and batteries are accepted at a number of drop-off sites around the city. The City Yards themselves are not open to the public outside the quarterly events.Official guidance
