3 days
minimum notice before your trash day; request through VB311 or 757-385-4650
5 p.m. to 7 a.m.
set-out window the evening before your confirmed date
Free
Landfill and Resource Recovery Center drop-off for residents, Tuesday to Saturday 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Every route for a hot tub in Virginia Beach, checked in October 2026 against the city’s current rules and the drop-off sites named. The full Virginia Beach guide covers every other item.
Here is how each route works in Virginia Beach, starting with the city program and ending with paid pickup.
Virginia Beach scheduled bulky item pickup: hot tubs
Free, with a step firstAsk when requesting; a drained, broken-down tub may be accepted. Most people hire a crew.
Who qualifies: Households with City of Virginia Beach curbside collection. Apartments with dumpsters use private service.
How to schedule: Request a pickup through VB311 online (preferred), by calling 757-385-4650, or by email at wastemgt@vbgov.com, at least 3 days before your regular trash day (the city asks for two weeks when possible). Wait for the confirmation with a collection date before setting anything out. Free; the city asks you to batch items rather than request single items.
Limits: No published item cap for an ordinary household request. Freon appliances must be mentioned when you request so they get special handling.
Set-out: Just behind the curb line in front of your home, no earlier than 5 p.m. the day before your confirmed date and by 7 a.m. that morning, not in the street or on the sidewalk.
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 Virginia Beach: 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 hot tubs, 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 Virginia Beach: you can start the conversation now through the For partners page.
Virginia Beach runs an unusually structured residential system: FREE Bulky/Large Item Pickup by appointment via VB311 with a 2-WEEK ADVANCE REQUEST (longer notice than most cities). Trash is collected weekly, recycling is collected biweekly, and yard debris is collected weekly on the same day as trash, without any special request needed. The City uses 95-gallon containers that residents must purchase for $75 each from Public Works Waste Management. Yard debris has a unique limit: one 4x4x4-foot pile of limbs per service week, limbs at least 4 feet long but no larger than 6 inches in diameter. Limbs UNDER 3 feet long can go inside the trash cart. Two free year-round drop-off centers: the Landfill & Resource Recovery Center on Jake Sears Road (Tue-Sat 7 AM-4:30 PM) and West Neck Recycling Center (Mon-Sat 7 AM-4:30 PM). This page walks through every legitimate option in order from free to paid.
The Virginia Beach rule for hot tubs: Ask when requesting; a drained, broken-down tub may be accepted. Most people hire a crew.
Program basics: No published item cap for an ordinary household request. Freon appliances must be mentioned when you request so they get special handling. Just behind the curb line in front of your home, no earlier than 5 p.m. the day before your confirmed date and by 7 a.m. that morning, not in the street or on the sidewalk.
What the city will not take: Remodeling and building materials (including sinks, toilets, carpet, and cabinets), hazardous waste, tires, propane tanks, cardboard, computers, vehicle parts, and boats. The city landfill takes most of those from residents.
How we checked this. The rules on this page were verified in October 2026 against: Virginia Beach Public Works: Bulky/Large Item Pickup, City of Virginia Beach: Bulky Item and Yard Waste Collection rules. Programs change; confirm fees and limits before you go.
Hazardous and regulated components in Virginia Beach. Virginia Beach residents have free Household Hazardous Waste disposal through the City’s Public Works Waste Management Group. Accepts paint, cleaners, pesticides, automotive fluids, batteries, and fluorescent bulbs. Call (757) 385-4650 for current locations and event dates. Several retailers also offer ongoing free recycling: Home Depot for batteries and CFL bulbs, AutoZone for motor oil and car batteries, Best Buy for electronics, most pharmacies for unused medications.
Why hot tubs are different from ordinary bulk. Hot tubs combine multiple disposal challenges in one item: weight (a typical 6-person hot tub weighs 300 to 500 lbs empty, 3,000+ lbs filled), size (typically 7 to 8 ft square or larger), specialized utilities (220V electrical, dedicated plumbing connections), and assembly complexity (rigid acrylic shell, foam insulation, frame, decorative skirt, jets, pumps, heaters).
Three mistakes that get hot tubs left at the curb:
For households without time or equipment for DIY disassembly:
Specialized Hot Tub Removal Services
$300 to $1,200Many local junk removal companies have hot-tub-specific service lines. Search “hot tub removal [your city]” for specialists. Pricing ranges $300 to $1,200 depending on size, complexity (above-ground vs. in-ground), and access (basement hot tubs cost more due to stair handling). Always get 2 to 3 quotes, pricing varies dramatically by region.
LoadUp paid hot tub pickup
$80+For households who need same-day or in-home pickup, can’t wait 2 weeks for the City’s bulky appointment, have items the City won’t accept (private contractor work, large construction debris), or want full-service hauling, LoadUp offers professional removal in Virginia Beach with upfront pricing. Independent loaders in the marketplace handle pickup, loading, and licensed disposal.
What’s included: Loading, hauling, and licensed disposal of your hot tub. 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 hot tub pickup in Virginia Beach with LoadUp → Round-up option appears at checkout. Optional, opt-in only.
Rules change at city limits. If you are outside Virginia Beach proper, start with the guide for your own city:
Related guides: the complete Virginia Beach junk removal guide (every item type, city services, hazardous waste, and how to report dumping) and the national hot tub disposal guide with rules for all 117 cities we cover.
Other free removal guides for Virginia Beach: mattress, couch, refrigerator, washer and dryer, furniture, tv and electronics, dresser, bed frame and box spring.
Does Virginia Beach pick up hot tubs for free?
Ask Waste Management when requesting. Most people hire a crew.
How much does paid hot tub removal cost in Virginia Beach?
Through the LoadUp marketplace, a single hot tub pickup in Virginia Beach 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, can’t wait 2 weeks for the City’s bulky appointment, have items the City won’t accept (private contractor work, large construction debris), or want full-service hauling, LoadUp offers professional removal in Virginia Beach with upfront pricing. Independent loaders in the marketplace handle pickup, loading, and licensed disposal.
How much does professional hot tub removal cost?
Typical pricing ranges $300 to $800 for above-ground hot tubs, $500 to $1,200+ for in-ground or hard-to-access installations. The cost reflects 3 to 6 hours of labor with multiple crew members, specialized equipment for disassembly, electrical and plumbing disconnects, and disposal fees. Always get 2 to 3 quotes, prices vary significantly by region and accessibility.
Can I sell a non-working hot tub?
Sometimes. Non-working hot tubs occasionally find buyers who want them for: (1) Repair and resale, some buyers fix and flip. (2) Parts, the pumps, heaters, and jets have resale value separate from the shell. (3) Scrap metal, the frame contains 50 to 150 lbs of steel. List on Craigslist Free section or Facebook Marketplace at $0 with details about what works and what doesn’t. The key benefit even at $0: the buyer handles removal, saving you $300 to $800 in paid hauler fees.
Can I just drain it and leave it for trash collection?
Generally no. Most U.S. cities explicitly exclude hot tubs from regular bulk pickup because of weight (300+ lbs even drained) and size. A hot tub left at the curb without confirmed pickup will sit there, accumulate code enforcement notices, and may result in fines that exceed the cost of paid removal. Always check your city’s rules before any DIY approach, the city section above has summaries.
Do I need a permit to remove a hot tub?
For above-ground hot tubs, no permit is typically required for removal, just for installation. For in-ground hot tubs, removal may require a permit because of the excavation and electrical work involved. Some HOAs also require notification or approval for hot tub removal, especially if visible from common areas. Check with your municipality and HOA before starting work, and confirm with your removal service that they’ll handle any required permits as part of their pricing.
Is this Virginia Beach page maintained?
Yes. Freemoval maintains this page as a public resource alongside the full Virginia Beach guide. We update it when programs change rules, fees, or contact methods. Last updated October 2026. If you find outdated information, let us know.
