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A public resource guide
Free lawn mower removal in Tampa, FL
date.
Checked against Tampa Solid Waste
Home › By item › Lawn mower › Tampa
A public resource guide
date.
Checked against Tampa Solid Waste
1x a year
S.W.E.E.P. curbside collection, up to 10 cubic yards, on your scheduled Sunday
8 p.m.
Sunday deadline to have your pile at the curb
Free
McKay Bay Scale House drop-off for furniture, mattresses, and 2 appliances per visit
Every route for a lawn mower in Tampa, checked in October 2026 against the city’s current rules and the drop-off sites named. The full Tampa guide covers every other item.
Here is how each route works in Tampa, starting with the city program and ending with paid pickup.
Tampa S.W.E.E.P. and McKay Bay drop-off: lawn mowers
Free, with a step firstDrain gas and oil, then the mower goes in the S.W.E.E.P. pile. Fuel and oil go to a county HHW site.
Who qualifies: Residential solid waste customers in single-family homes and buildings of 4 units or fewer with active City of Tampa accounts.
How to schedule: S.W.E.E.P. gives each household one prescheduled curbside bulk collection a year, up to 10 cubic yards, on a set Sunday; look up your date at tampa.gov/sweep. Between dates, residents with an active account dump furniture, mattresses, appliances (2 per visit), and yard waste free at the McKay Bay Scale House, or pay for a special pickup through 813-274-8811.
Limits: 10 cubic yards per S.W.E.E.P. collection; extra yards are billed. Up to 4 tires. McKay Bay: 2 appliances per visit.
Set-out: One pile at the curb on the right of way in front of your home no later than 8 p.m. on your Sunday S.W.E.E.P. date. Crews do not come back to cleared streets. Flat glass taped or wrapped; yard waste cut to 4 feet.
Hillsborough County Community Collection Centers and HHW sites: lawn mowers
FreeHHW accepted.
Where: Five county centers; locations at tampa.gov/HHW
How it works: Free for Tampa residents: electronics Monday to Saturday, and household hazardous waste at the county HHW sites.
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 Tampa: 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 lawn mowers, 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 Tampa: you can start the conversation now through the For partners page.
Tampa has one of the more generous free disposal systems in the U.S. for those who plan ahead: the S.W.E.E.P. program gives every residential household up to 10 cubic yards of free bulk pickup once per year on a scheduled date. Combined with twice-weekly trash collection, free self-haul access to McKay Bay Transfer Station, and donation programs, Tampa residents have several legitimate options. This page walks through every one.
The Tampa rule for lawn mowers: Drain gas and oil, then the mower goes in the S.W.E.E.P. pile. Fuel and oil go to a county HHW site.
Program basics: 10 cubic yards per S.W.E.E.P. collection; extra yards are billed. Up to 4 tires. McKay Bay: 2 appliances per visit. One pile at the curb on the right of way in front of your home no later than 8 p.m. on your Sunday S.W.E.E.P. date. Crews do not come back to cleared streets. Flat glass taped or wrapped; yard waste cut to 4 feet.
What the city will not take: Electronics (Hillsborough County collection sites, free), household hazardous waste, pressurized cylinders, metal drums, tires on rims, and boats.
How we checked this. The rules on this page were verified in October 2026 against: City of Tampa Solid Waste: S.W.E.E.P. program, City of Tampa Solid Waste: Special Services (bulky pickup rules), City of Tampa: McKay Bay Scale House free disposal. Programs change; confirm fees and limits before you go.
Hazardous and regulated components in Tampa. The City of Tampa does not operate its own HHW facility. Instead, Tampa has contracted with Hillsborough County to allow City residents to use county HHW facilities at no charge. Bring a state-issued photo ID showing a Hillsborough County residential address. Tampa no longer hosts an annual standalone HHW event. 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, and most pharmacies for unused medications.
Why lawn mowers are different from ordinary bulk. Fuel and oil are hazardous household waste. A mower set out with gas in the tank will be skipped by most bulk crews and refused by scrap yards, and residual oil leaks onto the truck bed. Draining both takes ten minutes but is the step everyone skips.
Three mistakes that get lawn mowers left at the curb:
Paid pickup is mostly for riding mowers that will not fit a bulk program and have no scrapper nearby.
Self-haul to a scrap yard or transfer station
Free to $20A push mower fits in any trunk with the handle folded. A rider needs a trailer or ramps into a pickup. Scrap yards take both free; transfer stations charge a small bulky fee.
Drain fluids before loading so nothing spills in the vehicle.
LoadUp paid lawn mower pickup
$80+For households who need same-week service or have items the city won’t take, LoadUp offers professional removal in Tampa with upfront pricing. Independent loaders in the marketplace handle pickup, loading, and licensed disposal.
What’s included: Loading, hauling, and licensed disposal of your lawn mower. 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 lawn mower pickup in Tampa with LoadUp → Round-up option appears at checkout. Optional, opt-in only.
Rules change at city limits. If you are outside Tampa proper, start with the guide for your own city:
Related guides: the complete Tampa junk removal guide (every item type, city services, hazardous waste, and how to report dumping) and the national lawn mower disposal guide with rules for all 117 cities we cover.
Other free removal guides for Tampa: mattress, couch, refrigerator, washer and dryer, furniture, tv and electronics, dresser, bed frame and box spring.
Does Tampa pick up lawn mowers for free?
Yes, drained, on your S.W.E.E.P. date.
How much does paid lawn mower removal cost in Tampa?
Through the LoadUp marketplace, a single lawn mower pickup in Tampa starts around $80 to $100 with upfront pricing, and full-truck loads run $300 to $600 depending on volume. For households who need same-week service or have items the city won’t take, LoadUp offers professional removal in Tampa with upfront pricing. Independent loaders in the marketplace handle pickup, loading, and licensed disposal.
Can I put a lawn mower out with bulk trash?
Push mowers, yes, in most cities, provided the gas and oil are drained. Riding mowers usually exceed bulk weight limits and go to a scrap yard or paid pickup. Check your city’s rule in the directory below.
How do I drain the gas and oil?
Run the mower until it stalls or siphon the tank into an approved gas can. Then tip the mower with the spark plug side up and drain the oil through the fill tube into a pan, or remove the drain plug underneath. Take both to an auto parts store or HHW facility.
Will a scrap yard pay for a lawn mower?
A few dollars for a push mower, more for a rider. The aluminum engine block has the most value. Many people find the free pickup more useful than the payout.
What do I do with the battery from a riding mower?
It is a 12V lead-acid battery accepted free at any auto parts store, often with a core credit, and at HHW facilities. Never put it in the trash.
Is this Tampa page maintained?
Yes. Freemoval maintains this page as a public resource alongside the full Tampa guide. We update it when programs change rules, fees, or contact methods. Last updated October 2026. If you find outdated information, let us know.