$5
pink Large Item sticker per bulk item, scheduled at 515-283-4950
$35
for an appliance (7 stickers), refrigerant included
24 hours
minimum notice before your regular collection day
Every route for furniture in Des Moines, checked in October 2026 against the city’s current rules and the drop-off sites named. The full Des Moines guide covers every other item.
Here is how each route works in Des Moines, starting with the city program and ending with paid pickup.
Des Moines sticker-based bulk and appliance pickup: furniture
City pickup, $5 sticker per itemEach piece of furniture needs its own $5 sticker, scheduled by phone.
Who qualifies: Households with City of Des Moines Public Works garbage collection.
How to schedule: Call Public Works at 515-283-4950 (24 hours a day) at least 24 hours before your regular collection day, then put a pink $5 Large Item sticker on each bulk item and set it out on your collection day with the sticker facing the street. Appliances need 7 stickers ($35). Stickers are sold at City Hall, grocery and hardware stores, and MWAToday.com.
Limits: One $5 sticker per bulk item; 7 stickers per appliance. Large limbs and bundles need a green Compost It! sticker instead.
Set-out: At the curb on your regular collection day with stickers facing the street, after calling to schedule.
Donation pickup in Des Moines (usable furniture)
FreeSalvation Army Des Moines, free pickup for usable furniture and large items. Schedule at satruck.org.
Habitat for Humanity of Greater Des Moines ReStore, free pickup for qualifying donations of furniture, appliances, and building materials.
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 Des Moines: 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 furniture, 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 Des Moines: you can start the conversation now through the For partners page.
Des Moines, Iowa runs a Pay-As-You-Throw pink sticker system rather than a free bulk pickup program. Every bulk item or extra bag of trash requires a sticker purchased in advance, with appliances scheduled separately for $35 (seven $5 stickers). The system rewards households that recycle and reduce waste, if everything fits in your cart with the lid closed, no extra fees. Big stickers stack: a couch, a chair, and a coffee table from a living room cleanout each need their own $5 sticker. Des Moines uses a blue recycling cart while surrounding suburbs use green Curb It! carts, a common confusion when moving within the metro. This guide covers every option for Des Moines city residents, plus Central Iowa Metro Waste Authority resources.
The Des Moines rule for furniture: Each piece of furniture needs its own $5 sticker, scheduled by phone.
Program basics: One $5 sticker per bulk item; 7 stickers per appliance. Large limbs and bundles need a green Compost It! sticker instead. At the curb on your regular collection day with stickers facing the street, after calling to schedule.
What the city will not take: Household hazardous waste and electronics (Metro Waste Authority programs), tires, and construction debris.
How we checked this. The rules on this page were verified in October 2026 against: City of Des Moines Public Works: Bulk Trash and Appliances. Programs change; confirm fees and limits before you go.
Why furniture are different from ordinary bulk. Furniture disposal isn’t heavily regulated like refrigerators or hazardous waste, the challenges are practical: (1) Size and weight (sectionals, dining tables, large dressers, entertainment centers can exceed city bulk pickup limits). (2) Condition (donation programs reject furniture with significant damage, stains, or pest history). (3) Disassembly (some cities require large pieces broken into manageable sections). (4) Pickup logistics (most donation programs require ground-floor or accessible placement; few will navigate stairs).
Three mistakes that get furniture left at the curb:
When free options don’t fit your timeline or your furniture is too damaged for donation:
Other Paid Junk Removal Services
$70 to $300+National services include 1-800-Got-Junk and College Hunks Hauling Junk. Local independent haulers in most metros offer competitive pricing, typically $50 to $150 if you find a smaller operator. Bundling multiple furniture items into one pickup is often only marginally more expensive than booking 1, ask about bundled pricing for whole-room cleanouts.
Whole-room or whole-house cleanouts: Pricing scales with volume. A typical 1-bedroom cleanout: $200 to $500. A typical estate cleanout: $500 to $2,000+. Always get 2 to 3 quotes.
LoadUp paid furniture pickup
$80+For Des Moines households who need same-day or in-home pickup, crew labor, or faster service than city programs allow, LoadUp connects you with independent loaders in the Des Moines area for upfront-priced pickup.
What’s included: Loading, hauling, and licensed disposal of your furniture. 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 furniture pickup in Des Moines with LoadUp → Round-up option appears at checkout. Optional, opt-in only.
Rules change at city limits. If you are outside Des Moines proper, start with the guide for your own city:
Related guides: the complete Des Moines junk removal guide (every item type, city services, hazardous waste, and how to report dumping) and the national furniture disposal guide with rules for all 117 cities we cover.
Other free removal guides for Des Moines: mattress, couch, refrigerator, washer and dryer, tv and electronics, dresser, bed frame and box spring, dishwasher.
Does Des Moines pick up furniture for free?
Not free. $5 sticker per piece, scheduled by phone.
Where can I donate furniture in Des Moines?
Salvation Army Des Moines, free pickup for usable furniture and large items. Schedule at satruck.org.
How much does paid furniture removal cost in Des Moines?
Through the LoadUp marketplace, a single furniture pickup in Des Moines starts around $80 to $100 with upfront pricing, and full-truck loads run $300 to $600 depending on volume. For Des Moines households who need same-day or in-home pickup, crew labor, or faster service than city programs allow, LoadUp connects you with independent loaders in the Des Moines area for upfront-priced pickup.
What’s the easiest way to get rid of old furniture?
If the furniture is usable, donation pickup is the easiest path. Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity ReStore, Goodwill, and local Furniture Banks offer free pickup of usable furniture in 50+ U.S. metros. Schedule online or by phone, typically 1 to 2 weeks out. If the furniture is broken or unusable, free city bulk pickup is the next easiest option in most cities.
Will Salvation Army or Goodwill pick up furniture for free?
Yes, both programs offer free pickup in most major U.S. metros. Salvation Army: schedule at satruck.org or call 1-800-SA-TRUCK. Goodwill pickup availability varies by region, many local Goodwills offer pickup, others only accept drop-offs. Habitat for Humanity ReStore (habitat.org/restores) is another excellent option specifically for larger furniture. All three require furniture to be in usable condition: no significant tears, stains, broken frames, or odors.
What if my furniture is broken or really damaged?
Donation programs typically reject broken or heavily damaged furniture. Your remaining options: (1) Free city bulk pickup, most cities accept furniture in any condition as long as the frame is intact enough to lift. (2) Online “Free” listings on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, or Buy Nothing groups, some takers will rehab furniture donations reject. (3) Paid hauler ($70+) for full-service same-day pickup. The Buy Nothing groups especially find takers for furniture donation programs reject.
Do furniture stores offer free haul-away with delivery?
It varies. High-end retailers (West Elm, Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware, Room & Board) typically include free old-furniture haul-away with new furniture delivery. Mid-tier and budget retailers (IKEA, Wayfair, Ashley, Bob’s Discount Furniture) often charge $50 to $150 for haul-away, or offer it as an add-on. Always confirm at purchase. This is especially valuable for large pieces (sectionals, dining sets) that exceed city bulk pickup size limits.
Is this Des Moines page maintained?
Yes. Freemoval maintains this page as a public resource alongside the full Des Moines guide. We update it when programs change rules, fees, or contact methods. Last updated October 2026. If you find outdated information, let us know.
