Swing Set & Playground Removal Cost in Boston, MA

Most people pay $200–$500. Updated for 2026.

The wooden play set the children outgrew is one of the most common things left standing in a garden in Boston, MA, mostly because dismantling it is a full weekend nobody has spare.

Timber sets are bolted together with dozens of fixings that have weathered for a decade, and the posts are usually set in concrete.

Swing Set & Playground Removal in Boston: what actually moves the price

In Boston, 46% of homes sit in buildings of five units or more. For swing set removal that is the number that matters: what a crew is really pricing is the distance and the stairs between your door and the tailgate, not the item itself.

Boston runs at about 13,932 people per square mile. Dense service areas mean more pros within range of your address, and more bids is the mechanism that brings a swing set removal price down.

With renters in 65% of Boston homes, a lot of swing set removal here happens on a deadline. If yours does not, saying you are flexible on the day is worth more than any haggling.

673,458

Residents (2024)

48

Square miles of land

13,932

People per square mile

Local figures: U.S. Census Bureau — Boston city. Checked 2026-08-21.

Swing Set & Playground Removal in Boston: where the city stops and a hauler starts

The free route in Boston has hard edges, and they are the reason people end up paying: Ten mattress items a calendar year, and only for buildings of six units or fewer — above that the property manager arranges disposal. Furniture and bikes go out with your regular curbside trash — the city runs no separate bulky collection for them.

Past those limits the city is not an option at all — not slower, not pricier, simply unavailable. That is the line a hauler exists for, and it is worth knowing exactly where it sits before you start carrying anything.

Collection in Boston is run by City of Boston Public Works Department. Below is what they will take, straight from their own rules — and where each route runs out.

Booked bulky pickup

Mattresses and box springs, and separately appliances with Freon or cathode ray tubes. The city collects no mattress without an appointment. Ten mattress items a calendar year, and only for buildings of six units or fewer — above that the property manager arranges disposal. Book through BOS:311 online or on 311 / 617-635-4500. Cancellations have to be in before noon the day before. 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.

Checked against the operator’s own page on 2026-09-15. Source

What the regular cart will not take

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.

Checked against the operator’s own page on 2026-09-15. Source

The posts are the real work

Most sets have their uprights sunk in concrete footings. Digging those out is the difference between a two-hour job and a half-day one. Some owners choose to cut the posts at ground level and leave the footings buried — cheaper, and fine unless you are relandscaping. Decide before you get quotes.

Wood, metal and plastic all leave separately

Timber sets are bulky but light and get cut down to fit the truck. Metal frames go to scrap. Plastic slides and moulded panels are neither, and are the part most likely to be landfill. A mixed set is a mixed load, which is why it prices above its weight.

Typical swing set removal cost

$200 – $500

A national range, not a quote. Your actual prices come from local pros bidding on your job.

How JunkerClub works in Boston

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Local pros in Boston bid on your job from your photos — no site visit.

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Pick the offer you like. You pay your pro directly when the job is done — cash or card, no platform markup.

Swing Set & Playground Removal pricing breakdown

Service Typical market price JunkerClub estimate
Small metal or plastic set $200 – $320 $160 – $260
Large wooden play set $380 – $650 $300 – $530
Set plus concrete footings dug out $550 – $950 $440 – $775

Estimates only. The final price depends on how much there is, how easy it is to reach, and what the pro quotes.

How we build these ranges — and why a real quote can land outside them →

FAQ

Swing Set & Playground Removal in Boston — common questions

How much does swing set removal cost in Boston?

Most people pay $200–$500. That is a national range for swing set removal, not a quote — your real price comes from local pros bidding on your photos, and it moves with volume, stairs and how far the item has to travel to the truck.

Can the set be donated instead?

Rarely, and the reason is liability rather than condition — few organisations will accept second-hand play equipment. A neighbour willing to dismantle and move it themselves is the realistic option, and worth one post locally before you pay for removal.

Do the concrete footings have to come out?

Only if you are digging or building there. Cutting the posts at grade and leaving the footings is common, cheaper, and invisible once the grass grows back. Say which you want when you post the job because the two prices are meaningfully different.

What about the rubber mulch or pea gravel underneath?

It can go in the same load but it is heavy, so mention it separately. Many people spread it elsewhere in the garden instead — for a large play area that alone can keep the job in a lower bracket.

How quickly can it be picked up?

It depends on how many pros cover your area. On our first jobs the first quote arrived within one to three days, and we email you the moment one comes in. Once you pick a pro you choose the date and time window; same-day or next-day pickup is possible when a crew has room on the truck.

What does JunkerClub charge me?

Nothing. Posting a job and collecting quotes is free, and you pay your pro directly when the work is done. The pro pays the platform a small fee only when they win the job — it never gets added to your price.

Do I have to carry it outside myself in Boston?

No — the crew does the lifting and loading, and that labour is most of what you are paying for. In Boston about 82% of homes sit in multi-unit buildings, so the corridor, the lift and the walk to the kerb are usually longer than the carry inside the unit itself. The median home here dates to around 1947, and stairwells and doorways from those years tend to be narrower than a modern build — worth mentioning if the item is bulky. Say which floor it is on and whether there is a lift when you post the job; that is the part that moves the quote. Housing figures are from the U.S. Census Bureau.

What makes a junk removal quote in Boston different from the national average?

Access and housing type, mostly. In Boston, 12% of homes are detached and the city runs at about 13,932 residents per square mile — most homes here are in buildings of five units or more, so a crew is pricing the corridor, the lift and the carry to the truck as much as the item. Renters occupy 65% of occupied homes here, which also shapes when the work happens. The prices on this site are national ranges; the number you actually pay comes from local pros bidding on your photos. Housing figures are from the U.S. Census Bureau.

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