Bulk Trash Pickup in Oakland, CA: Rules, Limits and Fees
What Oakland 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 Oakland 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 Oakland residents. | One pickup per unit per year, up to four cubic yards. Single-family homes can get a second curbside pickup at no extra cost, 45 days after using one bulky drop-off and one curbside pickup. | Bulky waste plus a limited number of large items — appliances, mattresses, electronics and tires. |
| 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
Bulky waste plus a limited number of large items — appliances, mattresses, electronics and tires.
- How many items
- One pickup per unit per year, up to four cubic yards. Single-family homes can get a second curbside pickup at no extra cost, 45 days after using one bulky drop-off and one curbside pickup.
- How to book
- Book online with Oakland Recycles or call 1-888-WM-BULKY.
- What it costs
- Free for Oakland residents.
- Good to know
- Items must be at the curb by 6 a.m. on your appointment day — and no more than one day before it, or the city can fine you.
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 Oakland 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 Oakland →
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 Oakland — common questions
What needs an appointment in Oakland instead of going out with the trash?
Bulky waste plus a limited number of large items — appliances, mattresses, electronics and tires.
How do I book a bulk pickup in Oakland?
Book online with Oakland Recycles or call 1-888-WM-BULKY. One pickup per unit per year, up to four cubic yards. Single-family homes can get a second curbside pickup at no extra cost, 45 days after using one bulky drop-off and one curbside pickup.
What does a bulk collection cost in Oakland?
Free for Oakland residents.
Where and when do I put the items out in Oakland?
Items must be at the curb by 6 a.m. on your appointment day — and no more than one day before it, or the city can fine you.
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 2026-08-19. City rules change — if something here does not match, the city page wins.
More on getting rid of stuff in Oakland
Your junk's last stop.
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