6
heavy trash collections a year, junk waste in even months
8 cu yd
maximum per set-out, about a minivan
Fri 6 p.m.
earliest set-out, the Friday before your collection day
Every route for a mattress in Houston, checked in October 2026 against the city’s current rules and the drop-off sites named. The full Houston guide covers every other item.
Here is how each route works in Houston, starting with the city program and ending with paid pickup.
Houston heavy trash (junk waste) collection: mattresses
FreeMattresses and box springs are named on Houston's junk waste list. No bagging rule and no fee; just put them out on your even-month collection day.
Who qualifies: Occupied residential units with City of Houston curbside service, in buildings of 8 units or fewer. Larger complexes use private haulers.
How to schedule: No appointment. Heavy trash is collected every other month on your assigned day; look up your address with the city's service lookup tool or the HTX Collects app. Junk waste (furniture, appliances, mattresses) is collected in the even months: February, April, June, August, October, December. Odd months are tree waste only.
Limits: Up to 8 cubic yards per set-out, about a minivan's worth, with six collections a year. Resident-generated building material is capped at 4 cubic yards of that and cannot include shingles, brick, plaster, or concrete.
Set-out: Place items just behind the curb line in front of your home between 6 p.m. the Friday before and 7 a.m. on your collection day. Not in the street, not on the sidewalk, not under wires or on top of meters. If allowed and prohibited items are mixed, the whole pile can be refused.
Houston Neighborhood Depository and Recycling Centers: mattresses
FreeAccepted at the depositories between heavy trash months.
Where: Six residential drop-off locations around the city; addresses and hours on the Solid Waste site
How it works: For City of Houston residents with proof of address (a utility bill and ID). Accepts junk waste, tree waste, and other household items between heavy trash months or when a pile is over the curbside limit. Visit limits apply; check the site.
Donation pickup in Houston (usable mattresses)
FreeHouston’s 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 (subject to program-specific rules), kitchenware, lamps, and most household goods.
Items typically not accepted: 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), and exercise equipment that requires reassembly. Always call before scheduling if you’re unsure, pickups that find unacceptable items will leave them behind.
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 Houston: 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 Houston: you can start the conversation now through the For partners page.
Houston has one of the more complex bulk pickup systems in the U.S., and it changed materially in March 2026: heavy trash now requires a 311 scheduling call. Combined with the alternating Tree Waste / Junk Waste cycle and the six free Neighborhood Depository & Recycling Centers, Houston residents have several legitimate options. This page walks through every one in order from free to paid.
The Houston rule for mattresses: Mattresses and box springs are named on Houston's junk waste list. No bagging rule and no fee; just put them out on your even-month collection day.
Program basics: Up to 8 cubic yards per set-out, about a minivan's worth, with six collections a year. Resident-generated building material is capped at 4 cubic yards of that and cannot include shingles, brick, plaster, or concrete. Place items just behind the curb line in front of your home between 6 p.m. the Friday before and 7 a.m. on your collection day. Not in the street, not on the sidewalk, not under wires or on top of meters. If allowed and prohibited items are mixed, the whole pile can be refused.
What the city will not take: Electronics, paint, chemicals and other household hazardous waste, dirt and sod, roofing shingles, refrigerant appliances without a certified technician's tag, and anything generated by a contractor.
How we checked this. The rules on this page were verified in October 2026 against: Houston Solid Waste Management: Heavy Trash Collection (Bulk and Tree Waste), Houston Solid Waste Management: Residential Drop-Off locations, Houston Solid Waste Management: Environmental Service Centers. 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 who need same-week service, have items the city won’t take, or have more than 8 cubic yards, LoadUp offers professional removal in Houston with upfront pricing. Independent loaders in the marketplace handle pickup, loading, and licensed disposal.
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 Houston with LoadUp → Round-up option appears at checkout. Optional, opt-in only.
Rules change at city limits. If you are outside Houston proper, start with the guide for your own city:
Related guides: the complete Houston 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 Houston: couch, refrigerator, washer and dryer, furniture, tv and electronics, dresser, bed frame and box spring, dishwasher.
Does Houston pick up mattresses for free?
Yes. Mattresses and box springs are collected as junk waste on your even-month heavy trash day. No bag required.
Where can I donate a mattress in Houston?
Houston’s 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 (subject to program-specific rules), kitchenware, lamps, and most household goods.
How much does paid mattress removal cost in Houston?
Through the LoadUp marketplace, a single mattress pickup in Houston 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, have items the city won’t take, or have more than 8 cubic yards, LoadUp offers professional removal in Houston with upfront pricing. Independent loaders in the marketplace handle pickup, loading, and licensed disposal.
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 Houston page maintained?
Yes. Freemoval maintains this page as a public resource alongside the full Houston guide. We update it when programs change rules, fees, or contact methods. Last updated October 2026. If you find outdated information, let us know.
