Bulk Trash Pickup in Boston, MA: Rules, Limits and Fees
What Boston picks up at the curb, how many items you get, what needs an appointment, and what it costs. Straight from the city, checked and dated.
What Boston collects, and what you do with the rest
Every city route below is capped. Read the last two columns first: they decide whether the city takes your load at all, or only part of it.
| Route | What it costs | How much it takes | The condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Curbside, regular collection day | — | Furniture and bikes go out with your regular curbside trash — the city runs no separate bulky collection for them. | A mattress is the exception: state law bans it from the trash, so the city will not take one at the curb without an appointment. |
| Booked city collection | — | Ten mattress items a calendar year, and only for buildings of six units or fewer — above that the property manager arranges disposal. | Mattresses and box springs, and separately appliances with Freon or cathode ray tubes. The city collects no mattress without an appointment. |
| Hire a hauler | You pay — quotes come from local companies bidding against each other. | No item cap and no wrapping, residency or vehicle rule. | They carry it out; nothing has to reach the curb under its own steam. |
Booking a city pickup
Mattresses and box springs, and separately appliances with Freon or cathode ray tubes. The city collects no mattress without an appointment.
- How many items
- Ten mattress items a calendar year, and only for buildings of six units or fewer — above that the property manager arranges disposal.
- How to book
- Book through BOS:311 online or on 311 / 617-635-4500. Cancellations have to be in before noon the day before.
- Good to know
- The mattress goes curbside by 6 a.m. on the day, or after 5 p.m. the night before, where the trash normally goes — never on private property, never blocked by cars or bins, and with nothing stacked on top. It must not be cut or crushed. A soiled mattress, or one with bed bugs, has to be bagged and fully sealed or the crew leaves it. Memory foam, box springs, innerspring, hybrid and latex are all accepted; futons and mattress toppers are not, and those go in the regular trash.
Putting it out with your regular trash in Boston
A mattress is the exception: state law bans it from the trash, so the city will not take one at the curb without an appointment.
- How many items
- Furniture and bikes go out with your regular curbside trash — the city runs no separate bulky collection for them.
- Good to know
- Large exercise equipment, construction material, water heaters, plumbing fixtures and dishwashers are not collected at all — the city tells residents to donate them or hire a private hauler. Fridges, freezers, air conditioners and computer monitors need a special collection appointment because state law bans Freon and cathode ray tubes from the trash; a fridge is only taken with the food out and the door removed and left beside the trash bin.
Or have someone take it
City routes are cheap but slow, and they all assume you can get the item to the curb yourself. If it is upstairs, if it is heavy, or if you need it gone this week, a local pro is the faster answer.
Post the job free, and local pros in Boston bid on it. You pick the offer you like and pay your pro directly — JunkerClub takes no cut of the price.
See what mattress removal costs in Boston →
What people actually pay — measured, not estimated
And a flat rate is only one company's number. When we put one real job out to bid, 12 local pros priced the same pile from the same photos: $225 to $1,250, median $525. Nobody else publishes this, because nobody else runs the auction.
Bulk pickup in Boston — common questions
How many bulk items can I put out at once in Boston?
Furniture and bikes go out with your regular curbside trash — the city runs no separate bulky collection for them.
What needs an appointment in Boston instead of going out with the trash?
Mattresses and box springs, and separately appliances with Freon or cathode ray tubes. The city collects no mattress without an appointment.
How do I book a bulk pickup in Boston?
Book through BOS:311 online or on 311 / 617-635-4500. Cancellations have to be in before noon the day before. Ten mattress items a calendar year, and only for buildings of six units or fewer — above that the property manager arranges disposal.
Where and when do I put the items out in Boston?
The mattress goes curbside by 6 a.m. on the day, or after 5 p.m. the night before, where the trash normally goes — never on private property, never blocked by cars or bins, and with nothing stacked on top. It must not be cut or crushed. A soiled mattress, or one with bed bugs, has to be bagged and fully sealed or the crew leaves it. Memory foam, box springs, innerspring, hybrid and latex are all accepted; futons and mattress toppers are not, and those go in the regular trash.
Will the trash collectors take a mattress in Boston?
A mattress is the exception: state law bans it from the trash, so the city will not take one at the curb without an appointment.
Where this comes from
Checked against official sources on 2026-09-15. City rules change — if something here does not match, the city page wins.
More on getting rid of stuff in Boston
Your junk's last stop.
Free quotes from local pros — no site visit.
Post your job in 2 minutes →Spotted something wrong or out of date on this page? Tell us — we check and fix it.