Free
Large Item Pick-Up year-round, requested through 311 or the ABQ311 app
24 hours
minimum notice before your regular trash day
4
tires per request; TVs, toilets, and water heaters are on the accepted list too
Every route for carpet and rugs in Albuquerque, checked in October 2026 against the city’s current rules and the drop-off sites named. The full Albuquerque guide covers every other item.
Here is how each route works in Albuquerque, starting with the city program and ending with paid pickup.
Albuquerque free Large Item Pick-Up: carpet and rugs
FreeRolled carpet is a Large Item. Request through 311.
Who qualifies: Residential Solid Waste Management customers (homes with city carts). Apartment complexes use commercial service.
How to schedule: Request it online (cabq.gov/311), in the ABQ311 app, or by calling 311 at least 24 hours before your regular trash day. The pickup happens on your next normal collection day, free, year-round, with no published limit on how often.
Limits: No more than a standard pickup-truck load per request. Up to 4 tires per request.
Set-out: At the curb on your regular trash day, 5 feet from carts, mailboxes, hydrants, parked cars, low trees, and utility poles. Appliances must be empty; refrigerator and freezer doors taped shut. Contaminated items are refused.
Freemoval (free pickups through partner organizations)
FreeFreemoval funds free junk removal and cleanouts for households referred by trusted partner organizations, such as nonprofits, housing programs, and senior services. Families don’t apply directly. A partner submits the request and vouches for the need.
Status in Albuquerque: Not yet available. Freemoval currently serves metro Atlanta and plans to expand nationwide.
How it works where it operates: One free pickup per household, covering carpet and rugs, furniture, appliances, and bulk household items within standard LoadUp marketplace service. Funded by LoadUp customer round-ups and direct contributions, spent at standard LoadUp rates.
If you run a nonprofit or housing program in Albuquerque: you can start the conversation now through the For partners page.
Albuquerque runs one of the most generous bulk pickup systems of any major U.S. city: free Large Item Pick-Up year-round, throughout the year, with just 24-hour advance notice via 311. No annual cap, no scheduled cycle, no fees for residential customers. The other unusual rule is NO glass in the blue recycling cart, glass goes to one of 11 yellow drop-off bins located across the city. Trash collection is delayed only on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day; all other federal holidays are normal. Three Convenience Centers offer flat-fee drop-off ($5.25 per load) for residents who prefer drop-off. This page walks through every legitimate option in order from free to paid.
The Albuquerque rule for carpet and rugs: Rolled carpet is a Large Item. Request through 311.
Program basics: No more than a standard pickup-truck load per request. Up to 4 tires per request. At the curb on your regular trash day, 5 feet from carts, mailboxes, hydrants, parked cars, low trees, and utility poles. Appliances must be empty; refrigerator and freezer doors taped shut. Contaminated items are refused.
What the city will not take: Household hazardous waste (city HHW Collection Center), contractor construction debris, and anything contaminated. Albuquerque's list is unusually broad: TVs, tires, toilets, and water heaters are all on it.
How we checked this. The rules on this page were verified in October 2026 against: City of Albuquerque Solid Waste: Large Item Pick-Up, City of Albuquerque: Request a Large Item Pickup (311). Programs change; confirm fees and limits before you go.
Why carpet and rugs are different from ordinary bulk. The volume is the first surprise. Carpet rolls do not compress, and a whole house of carpet can be 500 to 1,000 pounds spread over 15 to 25 rolls. Bulk programs set item limits that a whole-house removal exceeds, so staged pickups or a hauler are often needed.
Three mistakes that get carpet and rugs left at the curb:
Paid options are for whole-house tear-outs that exceed bulk limits and for contractor-generated carpet, which residential bulk programs exclude.
Self-haul to a transfer station or recycler
$20 to $80Rolled carpet loads easily into a pickup or trailer. Transfer stations charge by weight; carpet recyclers charge a small per-pound fee or accept free where stewardship programs exist.
Weigh it in your head: about 0.5 pounds per square foot for carpet, 0.25 for padding.
LoadUp paid carpet pickup
$80+For households who need same-day or in-home pickup, exceed the standard load size in a single 311 request, have items the city won’t take, live in apartment buildings without included service, or want full-service hauling, LoadUp offers professional removal in Albuquerque with upfront pricing. Independent loaders in the marketplace handle pickup, loading, and licensed disposal.
What’s included: Loading, hauling, and licensed disposal of your carpet. No prep needed beyond pointing out what goes.
Pricing: Starts around $80 for a single item; full-truck pickups range from $300 to $600 depending on volume.
If you can pay for a pickup, your booking helps fund free pickups for someone else. Every paid LoadUp customer can opt in to round up at checkout, and 100% of round-ups go directly to Freemoval’s subsidized jobs.
Book carpet pickup in Albuquerque with LoadUp → Round-up option appears at checkout. Optional, opt-in only.
Rules change at city limits. If you are outside Albuquerque proper, start with the guide for your own city:
Related guides: the complete Albuquerque junk removal guide (every item type, city services, hazardous waste, and how to report dumping) and the national carpet and rugs disposal guide with rules for all 117 cities we cover.
Other free removal guides for Albuquerque: mattress, couch, refrigerator, washer and dryer, furniture, tv and electronics, dresser, bed frame and box spring.
Does Albuquerque pick up carpet and rugs for free?
Yes, rolled, by 311 request.
How much does paid carpet and rugs removal cost in Albuquerque?
Through the LoadUp marketplace, a single carpet pickup in Albuquerque starts around $80 to $100 with upfront pricing, and full-truck loads run $300 to $600 depending on volume. For households who need same-day or in-home pickup, exceed the standard load size in a single 311 request, have items the city won’t take, live in apartment buildings without included service, or want full-service hauling, LoadUp offers professional removal in Albuquerque with upfront pricing. Independent loaders in the marketplace handle pickup, loading, and licensed disposal.
Can I put old carpet out with bulk trash?
Yes in most cities, if it is cut into rolls under the program’s length limit (usually 4 to 6 feet), rolled tightly, and tied. Padding should be rolled separately. Contractor-generated carpet is usually excluded. Check your city’s rule below.
How do I cut and roll carpet for pickup?
Flip a section face down and cut strips 3 to 4 feet wide from the back with a utility knife and a straight edge. Roll each strip tightly and tie it in two places with twine or wrap it with tape. Keep rolls under about 50 pounds.
Is carpet recyclable?
Yes, though access varies. Nylon carpet is the most recyclable, and padding is widely recycled into new padding. California’s CARE program provides free drop-off statewide; elsewhere, carpet reclamation facilities and some flooring retailers accept it, sometimes for a small fee.
What do I do with the tack strips?
Pry them up with a flat bar, stack them nail side in, wrap tightly in cardboard, and tape. Put the bundle in the trash cart or with bulk, clearly wrapped so no one gets stuck.
Is this Albuquerque page maintained?
Yes. Freemoval maintains this page as a public resource alongside the full Albuquerque guide. We update it when programs change rules, fees, or contact methods. Last updated October 2026. If you find outdated information, let us know.
