1x a year
one bulky item pass per neighborhood, March 2 to September 4, 2026
6 a.m. Mon
items out the weekend before, at the curb by Monday of your week
2 free
Hanes Mill Road Landfill trips a year for city residents with a permit
Every route for a hot tub in Winston-Salem, checked in October 2026 against the city’s current rules and the drop-off sites named. The full Winston-Salem guide covers every other item.
Here is how each route works in Winston-Salem, starting with the city program and ending with paid pickup.
Winston-Salem annual bulky item collection: hot tubs
Free, with a step firstA drained, broken-down tub can go out during your annual week. Most people hire a crew.
Who qualifies: Single-family homes with City of Winston-Salem garbage service. Apartments and businesses are not included; townhomes may use a central pickup spot.
How to schedule: No appointment. City crews make one pass through each neighborhood once a year between March 2 and September 4, 2026, announced by postcard and the Winston-Salem Collects app. Put items at the curb the weekend before your week, by 6 a.m. Monday. Outside your week, bulky items go to the Hanes Mill Road Landfill; city residents get two free landfill trips a year with a permit.
Limits: One pass per neighborhood per year; late items are not collected. Bulky items must not be mixed with yard waste, brush, or recyclables or none of it is taken.
Set-out: At the curb the weekend before your scheduled collection week, by 6 a.m. Monday, separate from brush and recycling.
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 Winston-Salem: 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 Winston-Salem: you can start the conversation now through the For partners page.
Winston-Salem, North Carolina runs an unusual bulk waste system: curbside bulky pickup happens only once per year, neighborhood by neighborhood, during a 6-month annual program from March through September. Crews make exactly one pass per neighborhood per year. Miss your week, and your options become donation, self-haul to Hanes Mill Road Landfill, or paid pickup. The trade-off is that the program is comprehensive when it does run: appliances, mattresses, furniture, and large items are all collected. The Forsyth County 3RC EnviroStation handles HHW and electronics free year-round. This guide covers every option for City of Winston-Salem residents.
The Winston-Salem rule for hot tubs: A drained, broken-down tub can go out during your annual week. Most people hire a crew.
Program basics: One pass per neighborhood per year; late items are not collected. Bulky items must not be mixed with yard waste, brush, or recyclables or none of it is taken. At the curb the weekend before your scheduled collection week, by 6 a.m. Monday, separate from brush and recycling.
What the city will not take: Televisions and electronics, tires, car parts, building materials, lumber and wood, glass, cement and rocks, oil drums, paint, hazardous waste, and yard waste.
How we checked this. The rules on this page were verified in October 2026 against: City of Winston-Salem Sanitation: Bulky Items (2026 collection dates and rules), City of Winston-Salem: Bulky Items Collection Begins March 2 (2026). Programs change; confirm fees and limits before you go.
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 Winston-Salem households that missed the annual program, need same-week service, or have items the city won’t accept, LoadUp connects you with independent loaders in the area for upfront-priced pickup.
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 Winston-Salem with LoadUp → Round-up option appears at checkout. Optional, opt-in only.
Rules change at city limits. If you are outside Winston-Salem proper, start with the guide for your own city:
Related guides: the complete Winston-Salem 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 Winston-Salem: mattress, couch, refrigerator, washer and dryer, furniture, tv and electronics, dresser, bed frame and box spring.
Does Winston-Salem pick up hot tubs for free?
Possibly, broken down, during your annual week. Most people hire a crew.
How much does paid hot tub removal cost in Winston-Salem?
Through the LoadUp marketplace, a single hot tub pickup in Winston-Salem starts around $80 to $100 with upfront pricing, and full-truck loads run $300 to $600 depending on volume. For Winston-Salem households that missed the annual program, need same-week service, or have items the city won’t accept, LoadUp connects you with independent loaders in the area for upfront-priced pickup.
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 Winston-Salem page maintained?
Yes. Freemoval maintains this page as a public resource alongside the full Winston-Salem guide. We update it when programs change rules, fees, or contact methods. Last updated October 2026. If you find outdated information, let us know.
