2
bulky items per free appointment through 661-326-3114
6 a.m.
out on your appointment day
Free
city bulky drop-off events at the Sports Village, 9001 Ashe Rd, several times a year
Every route for a mattress in Bakersfield, checked in October 2026 against the city’s current rules and the drop-off sites named. The full Bakersfield guide covers every other item.
Here is how each route works in Bakersfield, starting with the city program and ending with paid pickup.
Bakersfield curbside bulky item pickup: mattresses
FreeMattresses and box springs are accepted bulky items, each counting as one. California's Bye Bye Mattress sites take them free year-round.
Who qualifies: City of Bakersfield residential solid waste customers. Unincorporated Metro Bakersfield uses Kern County haulers (Varner, Burrtec) with their own 2-item-a-month program.
How to schedule: Call the Solid Waste Division at 661-326-3114 to schedule. Up to 2 bulky items per appointment at no charge, generally once every 3 months; confirm the current frequency when you call. The city also holds free bulky item drop-off events a few times a year at the Bakersfield Sports Village.
Limits: 2 items per appointment. Drop-off events exclude items over 300 pounds and items containing refrigerant.
Set-out: At the curb by 6 a.m. on your appointment day, not blocking sidewalks or traffic. Nothing out without an appointment.
Donation pickup in Bakersfield (usable mattresses)
FreeBakersfield-area donation programs accept items in good usable condition: clean upholstered furniture without significant tears or stains, working appliances less than 10 years old, mattresses in good condition (program-specific rules), kitchenware, lamps, and most household goods. Habitat ReStore Kern County in particular focuses on home improvement items and accepts cabinets, doors, lighting fixtures, and building materials.
Items donation programs typically don’t accept: damaged or stained furniture, mattresses with bedbug history or significant wear, appliances that don’t work, particle-board furniture in poor condition, cribs (federal safety regulations have changed), tube-style or rear-projection TVs, and exercise equipment that requires reassembly.
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 Bakersfield: 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 mattresses, 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 Bakersfield: you can start the conversation now through the For partners page.
Bakersfield offers up to 2 free large item pickups per month by appointment, scheduled by calling (661) 326-3114, plus twice-yearly Large Item Collection Events at community drop-off locations. The city operates the standard California three-cart system mandated by SB 1383: a tan/gray cart for trash, blue cart for single-stream recycling, and green cart for yard waste plus food scraps. The Solid Waste Division serves about 100,000 residential accounts within city limits. Unincorporated Metro-Bakersfield areas (Oildale, Rosedale, parts of north Bakersfield) are served by Varner Bros. Inc. at (661) 322-6863. Kern County Special Waste Facility handles HHW and electronics for the entire region.
The Bakersfield rule for mattresses: Mattresses and box springs are accepted bulky items, each counting as one. California's Bye Bye Mattress sites take them free year-round.
Program basics: 2 items per appointment. Drop-off events exclude items over 300 pounds and items containing refrigerant. At the curb by 6 a.m. on your appointment day, not blocking sidewalks or traffic. Nothing out without an appointment.
What the city will not take: Household hazardous waste, construction materials, automotive parts and fluids, and tires (curbside). Drop-off events take tires and electronics but not refrigerant items.
How we checked this. The rules on this page were verified in October 2026 against: City of Bakersfield Solid Waste Division (curbside bulky pickup, 661-326-3114), The Bakersfield Californian: city bulky item drop-off event rules (August 2026). Programs change; confirm fees and limits before you go.
Why mattresses are different from ordinary bulk. Mattresses contain springs, foam, fabric, and wood, all recyclable individually but bonded together in a way that makes them hard to process. They’re also a notorious vector for bedbugs, which has led several cities to require plastic-wrapping before curbside pickup (NYC and Cleveland have explicit rules).
Three mistakes that get mattresses left at the curb:
When free options don’t fit your timeline or volume:
LoadUp paid mattress pickup
$80+For households not eligible for free programs, LoadUp connects you with independent loaders in the Bakersfield area. Upfront pricing, same-week scheduling, and licensed disposal handled for you.
What’s included: Loading, hauling, and licensed disposal of your mattress. 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 mattress pickup in Bakersfield with LoadUp → Round-up option appears at checkout. Optional, opt-in only.
Rules change at city limits. If you are outside Bakersfield proper, start with the guide for your own city:
Related guides: the complete Bakersfield junk removal guide (every item type, city services, hazardous waste, and how to report dumping) and the national mattress disposal guide with rules for all 117 cities we cover.
Other free removal guides for Bakersfield: couch, refrigerator, washer and dryer, furniture, tv and electronics, dresser, bed frame and box spring, dishwasher.
Does Bakersfield pick up mattresses for free?
Yes, with a bulky appointment, or free at a Bye Bye Mattress site.
Where can I donate a mattress in Bakersfield?
Bakersfield-area donation programs accept items in good usable condition: clean upholstered furniture without significant tears or stains, working appliances less than 10 years old, mattresses in good condition (program-specific rules), kitchenware, lamps, and most household goods. Habitat ReStore Kern County in particular focuses on home improvement items and accepts cabinets, doors, lighting fixtures, and building materials.
How much does paid mattress removal cost in Bakersfield?
Through the LoadUp marketplace, a single mattress pickup in Bakersfield starts around $80 to $100 with upfront pricing, and full-truck loads run $300 to $600 depending on volume. For households not eligible for free programs, LoadUp connects you with independent loaders in the Bakersfield area. Upfront pricing, same-week scheduling, and licensed disposal handled for you.
Can I just put a mattress in my regular trash?
No. Mattresses are too big for residential trash bins and are explicitly banned from regular trash collection in most U.S. cities. Connecticut, Rhode Island, California, and Oregon ban mattresses from landfills entirely under state law. Use one of the free or paid options above instead.
How much do paid mattress pickups cost?
Single mattress pickups typically range $80 to $200 depending on the service and your city. National services (LoadUp, 1-800-Got-Junk, College Hunks) cluster in the $80 to $130 range for one mattress. Local independent haulers can be cheaper ($50 to $100). Booking 2 mattresses together is often only marginally more expensive than booking 1, ask about bundled pricing.
What about box springs, are they treated the same?
Yes, box springs follow the same rules as mattresses in nearly every city, same pickup eligibility, same disposal channels, same bedbug-wrap requirements. State recycling programs (CT, RI, CA, OR) accept both. Most retailers haul both away together with new mattress delivery. King and queen splits typically count as 2 separate items, while single-piece box springs count as 1.
My mattress has bedbugs, what should I do?
Plastic-wrap the mattress fully before moving it (heavy-duty mattress disposal bags are sold at hardware stores for $5 to $15). Many cities require plastic-wrapping for ANY mattress disposal to prevent spreading bedbugs to other households along the route. Donation programs CANNOT accept mattresses with bedbug history. Use city bulk pickup (with proper plastic-wrapping) or paid hauler. Tell the hauler in advance, some services charge extra or refuse, while others handle bedbug mattresses routinely.
Is this Bakersfield page maintained?
Yes. Freemoval maintains this page as a public resource alongside the full Bakersfield guide. We update it when programs change rules, fees, or contact methods. Last updated October 2026. If you find outdated information, let us know.
