Free Mattress Disposal in Washington, D.C.
Which routes in Washington are genuinely free, what each one caps you at, and the condition that gets a load left at the curb. Checked against the city and dated.
What is genuinely free in Washington, and what each free route requires
Free and unconditional are not the same thing. Every route below either costs nothing or costs something, and every one of them has a line it will not cross — a cap, a condition, or a load it will not take. The last two columns are where the free routes end.
| Route | What it costs | How much it takes | The condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Booked city collection | — | No more than seven items per appointment. More than seven means additional appointment dates. | Large, bulky items from households that receive DPW collection — single-family homes and residential buildings of three or fewer living units. |
| Fort Totten Transfer Station, 4900 John McCormack Rd NE | No resident drop-off charge is published: the ID check at the gate is what qualifies you. The published fees, charged by material type and tonnage, are for licensed commercial haulers, who have to open an account with DPW on (202) 715-7570 first. | No cap is published on a resident load. Tires are the exception: four at most, and only on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday between 10 am and 2 pm. | A DC driver's license. Without one, bring a photo ID from another state plus a utility bill from the last 30 days or a copy of your lease or deed, and the names on the two have to match. The load itself has to have come from inside the District, and staff can ask you to prove that as well. Passenger cars, passenger vans, SUVs, pick-up trucks, vans under 15 feet and rental vehicles within those categories are let in. Turned away at the gate: anything on commercial tags, plus sideboards, ladders, stake-bodies, cargo vans, rental trucks longer than 15 feet and tag-along trailers. A mattress that is not wrapped in plastic. Household hazardous waste, electronics and televisions are not taken here either — those go to DPW's special waste collection events. |
| 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. |
Free at Fort Totten Transfer Station, 4900 John McCormack Rd NE — and what makes it stop being free
- What it costs
- No resident drop-off charge is published: the ID check at the gate is what qualifies you. The published fees, charged by material type and tonnage, are for licensed commercial haulers, who have to open an account with DPW on (202) 715-7570 first.
- What to bring
- A DC driver's license. Without one, bring a photo ID from another state plus a utility bill from the last 30 days or a copy of your lease or deed, and the names on the two have to match. The load itself has to have come from inside the District, and staff can ask you to prove that as well.
- What they turn away
- A mattress that is not wrapped in plastic. Household hazardous waste, electronics and televisions are not taken here either — those go to DPW's special waste collection events.
- Your vehicle
- Passenger cars, passenger vans, SUVs, pick-up trucks, vans under 15 feet and rental vehicles within those categories are let in. Turned away at the gate: anything on commercial tags, plus sideboards, ladders, stake-bodies, cargo vans, rental trucks longer than 15 feet and tag-along trailers.
- How much at a time
- No cap is published on a resident load. Tires are the exception: four at most, and only on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday between 10 am and 2 pm.
- Opening hours
- Tuesday to Friday, 10 am to 2 pm. Saturday, 7 am to 2 pm. Fort Totten is the only one open to residents — the Benning Road transfer station is closed until further notice.
Booking a city pickup
Large, bulky items from households that receive DPW collection — single-family homes and residential buildings of three or fewer living units.
- How many items
- No more than seven items per appointment. More than seven means additional appointment dates.
- How to book
- Book through DC 311 — call 311 or use 311.dc.gov.
- Good to know
- Items go out no earlier than 6:30 p.m. the day before and no later than 6 a.m. on the appointment day. Renovation material is refused outright: bricks, concrete, ceiling tiles, construction and demolition debris and dirt. Buildings of four or more units, condominiums and co-ops must use a private licensed hauler.
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 Washington 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 Washington →
What people actually pay — measured, not estimated
A flat-rate national hauler charges $99–$119 to take one queen mattress — read off their own published breakdown, in Mission Viejo, CA (Orange County), Philadelphia, PA. It is not our price: JunkerClub does not set prices.
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.
What actually costs nothing in Washington — common questions
Does it cost anything to drop a mattress off in Washington?
No resident drop-off charge is published: the ID check at the gate is what qualifies you. The published fees, charged by material type and tonnage, are for licensed commercial haulers, who have to open an account with DPW on (202) 715-7570 first.
What do I need to bring to the drop-off site in Washington?
A DC driver's license. Without one, bring a photo ID from another state plus a utility bill from the last 30 days or a copy of your lease or deed, and the names on the two have to match. The load itself has to have come from inside the District, and staff can ask you to prove that as well.
Can I bring a truck or trailer to the Washington drop-off site?
Passenger cars, passenger vans, SUVs, pick-up trucks, vans under 15 feet and rental vehicles within those categories are let in. Turned away at the gate: anything on commercial tags, plus sideboards, ladders, stake-bodies, cargo vans, rental trucks longer than 15 feet and tag-along trailers.
What will the Washington drop-off site turn away?
A mattress that is not wrapped in plastic. Household hazardous waste, electronics and televisions are not taken here either — those go to DPW's special waste collection events.
How much can I take to the drop-off site in Washington in one trip?
No cap is published on a resident load. Tires are the exception: four at most, and only on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday between 10 am and 2 pm.
When is the Washington drop-off site open?
Tuesday to Friday, 10 am to 2 pm. Saturday, 7 am to 2 pm. Fort Totten is the only one open to residents — the Benning Road transfer station is closed until further notice.
How do I book a bulk pickup in Washington?
Book through DC 311 — call 311 or use 311.dc.gov. No more than seven items per appointment. More than seven means additional appointment dates.
What needs an appointment in Washington instead of going out with the trash?
Large, bulky items from households that receive DPW collection — single-family homes and residential buildings of three or fewer living units.
Where and when do I put the items out in Washington?
Items go out no earlier than 6:30 p.m. the day before and no later than 6 a.m. on the appointment day. Renovation material is refused outright: bricks, concrete, ceiling tiles, construction and demolition debris and dirt. Buildings of four or more units, condominiums and co-ops must use a private licensed hauler.
Where this comes from
Checked against official sources on 2026-09-09. City rules change — if something here does not match, the city page wins.
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