You have more options than the curb — and a few rules to know. This is the complete 2026 guide: item by item, what Recology takes, where to donate, what California law makes you recycle, the real DIY-vs-hauler math, and how to keep it all out of the landfill.
Send a photo — flat price, we carry it down
Upload a Photo & Get Your Price →Every piece has a best route depending on its condition, its weight, and how fast you need it gone:
Most cleanouts use a mix. Below, we go item by item, then through each route, the cost math, and the environmental angle.
If it's clean and structurally sound, donate it first — a sofa is one of the most-wanted donation items. If it's torn, stained, or broken, it's headed for disposal; a hauler carries it down at a flat $170 (loveseat $128, sleeper sofa $200, 3-piece sectional $249) and the foam, wood, and metal are separated for recycling where possible.
Solid wood dressers ($169), dining tables ($174), and bookshelves ($97) donate well or, if damaged, are broken down so the wood and metal are recycled. Particle-board pieces that have failed usually can't be donated — those go to disposal.
California runs a statewide mattress recycling program, so a mattress shouldn't go to the landfill. We carry it out as-is (queen $139, king $154, twin $111, box spring $124) — no bagging, no curb drag — and route it to a recycler that reclaims the steel, foam, and fiber.
Fridges, freezers, and ACs hold refrigerant that must be recovered to EPA standards before the metal is scrapped, so they're not curbside trash and Recology won't take them. We disconnect (a plumber cuts any gas line), carry it down the Victorian stairs, and route it properly — fridge $221, washer $179, dryer $172, dishwasher $147, water heater $176.
California bans TVs, monitors, and computers from the trash as e-waste. We dismount the wall set and route everything (TV $84–$98, monitor $78) to a certified e-waste recycler, including the leaded glass in old CRT and projection sets.
Treadmills ($155), Pelotons ($108), and ellipticals ($131) are heavy and often bolted together; we break them down on site and recycle the metal frames.
A clean, working piece deserves a second home before a landfill. SF donation options that take furniture:
Always call ahead: each org only accepts clean pieces with no rips, stains, smoke odor, or missing parts, and pickup windows fill quickly. If a piece doesn't qualify, a hauler can still divert it to recycling rather than the dump.
Residential Recology accounts include a limited number of free Bulky Item Recycling pickups each year (commonly two), scheduled in advance and set out at the curb on your appointment date. For one or two items you can carry down to the sidewalk and don't mind waiting on, it's the cheapest route. The limits: it won't come up to your unit, it's capped at a handful of items, it won't take a fridge or e-waste, and you have to get heavy pieces down your stairs yourself.
Three categories are not allowed in the trash and must be recycled: mattresses (CA mattress program), electronics (CA e-waste ban), and refrigerant appliances (EPA handling). Metal furniture is scrapped. If your cleanout mixes a mattress, an old TV, and a fridge, sorting each correctly is the real chore — which is exactly what a hauler does automatically in one stop.
When the piece is heavy, when it's up a no-elevator walk-up, when you can't wait for the Recology date, or when you've got more than an item or two, a hauler is worth it. JunkRabbit quotes from a photo, carries it down the stairs (no stair or hill surcharge), and sorts donation, recycling, and disposal in one trip. Single items are flat ($95 minimum); whole-unit cleanouts are priced by the truckload. See the full SF price guide for every number.
"I'll just rent a truck" sounds cheaper until you add it up. The DIY route is a rental + the transfer-station dump fee + fuel + your whole day — plus you still have to carry the couch down the Victorian stairs yourself and sort the e-waste and mattress to separate facilities (you can't dump those). Here's what the hauler side actually costs, flat:
| The job | Flat hauler price | DIY reality |
|---|---|---|
| One couch | $170 | Rental + dump fee + you carry it down + a half-day |
| Couch + mattress + dresser | ~$300–$480 | Two trips (mattress can't go to the dump) + your day |
| One room / small load | 1/4 truck — $295 | A full rental day for one load |
| Studio / 1-bed unit | 1/2 truck — $525 | Multiple rental trips + sorting + dump fees |
| Furnished 2-bed | Full truck — $895 | A weekend, several trips, and the heavy lifting |
$95 minimum. Once you count the rental, the dump fees, the separate e-waste/mattress trips, and your own time and back, the flat-rate number is usually close — and you don't lift anything.
SF leases turn over heavily at month-end and around late summer, when demand for both donation pickups and haulers spikes — book early if you're moving then. If you're donating, schedule the pickup a week ahead; donation trucks fill up fast. If you're using Recology's bulky pickup, request it well before your move-out date, since it runs on their calendar, not yours. For a same-day need (the new couch is arriving, the old one has to go), a flat-rate hauler is usually the only option that moves on your schedule.
San Francisco targets near-zero waste, and furniture is bulky landfill volume that mostly doesn't need to be there. Donation keeps a usable piece in service for years. Recycling reclaims steel from box springs and appliances, foam and fiber from mattresses, wood from case goods, and the metals and glass from electronics. Whichever route you choose, aim to divert first and dump last — a good hauler defaults to donation, then recycling, and sends only the truly dead material to disposal.
Does Recology pick up old furniture?
Yes — a couple of free curbside bulky pickups a year, scheduled ahead. It won't come up to your unit or take a fridge or e-waste.
What must be recycled in SF?
Mattresses (CA program), electronics (CA e-waste ban), and refrigerant appliances (EPA handling). Metal is scrapped.
Where can I donate?
St. Vincent de Paul, Goodwill, Out of the Closet, Habitat ReStore — clean pieces only, call ahead for pickup.
How much to haul a couch?
A flat $170, carried down the stairs, $95 minimum.
How much for a full apartment?
By truck: 1/4 $295, half $525, full $895.
Can I throw out a TV?
No — California bans it from the trash; it must be recycled.
Do I bag the mattress?
Not with a hauler — we take it as-is and recycle it.
Is DIY actually cheaper?
Often not, once you count rental, dump fees, separate e-waste/mattress trips, and your day.
When should I just hire it out?
Heavy items, walk-ups, towers, whole units, or anything needed today.
What's the cheapest route overall?
Donation or your free Recology pickup for one sturdy curb-ready item; a hauler for everything heavier or faster.