Bulk Trash Pickup in Costa Mesa, CA: Rules, Limits and Fees
What Costa Mesa 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 Costa Mesa 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Booked city collection | Free for CMSD solid waste customers. Households on dumpster service are not eligible at all and have to call their own contracted hauler. | Three complimentary pickups a year with ten items each time. Nothing may exceed 8 by 4 feet or 150 pounds — the working test is whether two people can lift it. | Large or bulky items at the kerb: white goods such as refrigerators, ranges, washers, dryers, water heaters and dishwashers; furniture including chairs, sofas, mattresses and rugs; clothing; scrap metal; glass if it is taped in a star shape; and up to a cubic yard of contained yard debris. |
| California | Free for residents at participating sites. | — | The program does not include free household pickup. Scheduled container pickups exist only for businesses handling at least 100 mattresses a month. |
| 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
Large or bulky items at the kerb: white goods such as refrigerators, ranges, washers, dryers, water heaters and dishwashers; furniture including chairs, sofas, mattresses and rugs; clothing; scrap metal; glass if it is taped in a star shape; and up to a cubic yard of contained yard debris.
- How many items
- Three complimentary pickups a year with ten items each time. Nothing may exceed 8 by 4 feet or 150 pounds — the working test is whether two people can lift it.
- How to book
- Book with CR&R on (949) 646-4617 weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., or online. Collection is not immediate — it can fall a week or more out, and a separate truck comes for it.
- What it costs
- Free for CMSD solid waste customers. Households on dumpster service are not eligible at all and have to call their own contracted hauler.
- Good to know
- Every item has to be named when you book: CR&R will not take anything that was not on the list. Refused outright: asphalt, building materials, car bodies, chemicals and hazardous waste, concrete, sand or sandbags, soil, and tires.
The California mattress recycling program
California runs a statewide mattress recycling program funded by a fee collected when a new mattress is sold. Because that fee is already paid, dropping an old mattress off costs residents nothing.
Drop off your old mattress at no additional cost at participating collection sites.
The program does not include free household pickup. Scheduled container pickups exist only for businesses handling at least 100 mattresses a month.
- What it costs
- Free for residents at participating sites.
- How much at a time
- Participating sites typically cap drop-offs at 3 units per vehicle per day.
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 Costa Mesa 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 Costa Mesa →
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 Costa Mesa — common questions
What needs an appointment in Costa Mesa instead of going out with the trash?
Large or bulky items at the kerb: white goods such as refrigerators, ranges, washers, dryers, water heaters and dishwashers; furniture including chairs, sofas, mattresses and rugs; clothing; scrap metal; glass if it is taped in a star shape; and up to a cubic yard of contained yard debris.
How do I book a bulk pickup in Costa Mesa?
Book with CR&R on (949) 646-4617 weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., or online. Collection is not immediate — it can fall a week or more out, and a separate truck comes for it. Three complimentary pickups a year with ten items each time. Nothing may exceed 8 by 4 feet or 150 pounds — the working test is whether two people can lift it.
What does a bulk collection cost in Costa Mesa?
Free for CMSD solid waste customers. Households on dumpster service are not eligible at all and have to call their own contracted hauler.
Where and when do I put the items out in Costa Mesa?
Every item has to be named when you book: CR&R will not take anything that was not on the list. Refused outright: asphalt, building materials, car bodies, chemicals and hazardous waste, concrete, sand or sandbags, soil, and tires.
Is mattress recycling free in California?
Free for residents at participating sites. The program does not include free household pickup. Scheduled container pickups exist only for businesses handling at least 100 mattresses a month.
Where this comes from
Checked against official sources on 2026-09-10. City rules change — if something here does not match, the city page wins.
More on getting rid of stuff in Costa Mesa
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