4
large items per Metro311 appointment, once a week, free
4 p.m.
set confirmed items out after this time the day before
Free
Waste Reduction Center: 4 large items, 4 tires, 3 electronics per resident per day
Every route for a mattress in Louisville, checked in October 2026 against the city’s current rules and the drop-off sites named. The full Louisville guide covers every other item.
Here is how each route works in Louisville, starting with the city program and ending with paid pickup.
Louisville Metro Large Item Pickup: mattresses
Free, with a step firstMattresses and box springs are named as accepted large items, no bagging rule, by Metro311 appointment.
Who qualifies: Households in the Urban Services District with Metro waste collection. Suburban households with private haulers (Rumpke, Republic, WM, and others) arrange set-outs with their hauler, and everyone in Jefferson County can use the Waste Reduction Center.
How to schedule: Book a Large Item Pickup appointment through the Metro311 app or website for up to 4 items, once a week. Set confirmed items at your garbage spot after 4 p.m. the day before. Items out without an appointment are a reportable violation.
Limits: 4 large items per appointment, one appointment per week. The Waste Reduction Center takes up to 4 large items, 4 passenger tires, and 3 electronics per resident per day free.
Set-out: At your regular garbage collection location after 4 p.m. the day before your confirmed date. Items must come from the household where they are set out.
Donation pickup in Louisville (usable mattresses)
FreeLouisville’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 Louisville: 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 Louisville: you can start the conversation now through the For partners page.
Louisville Metro replaced its old “junk set-out weekend” system with an appointment-based Large Item Pickup program, up to 4 items per week, year-round, scheduled online or by phone. The change has kept Louisville’s streets dramatically cleaner. The system is generous, but eligibility is strict: only households inside the Urban Services District (the former city of Louisville boundary) qualify. Outside USD, residents contract directly with private haulers like Republic, WM, or Rumpke. Louisville also has the Haz Bin for free hazardous waste disposal and the Waste Reduction Center for up to 4 free Freon appliances per visit, one of the few cities offering this at no cost. This page walks through every legitimate option in order from free to paid.
The Louisville rule for mattresses: Mattresses and box springs are named as accepted large items, no bagging rule, by Metro311 appointment.
Program basics: 4 large items per appointment, one appointment per week. The Waste Reduction Center takes up to 4 large items, 4 passenger tires, and 3 electronics per resident per day free. At your regular garbage collection location after 4 p.m. the day before your confirmed date. Items must come from the household where they are set out.
What the city will not take: Appliances containing or that once contained Freon (free at the Waste Reduction Center, up to 4), electronics (Waste Reduction Center), yard waste (weekly collection), household hazardous waste (Haz Bin), construction debris, and items from other properties.
How we checked this. The rules on this page were verified in October 2026 against: Louisville Metro Public Works: Junk and Bulk Trash Disposal (Large Item Pickup), Louisville Metro: Waste Reduction Center, Louisville Metro: Large Items. 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 outside Urban Services District (no city Large Item Pickup eligibility), exceeding 4 items per week during cleanouts, with construction debris (prohibited in city pickup), or needing same-day service, LoadUp offers professional removal in Louisville 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 Louisville with LoadUp → Round-up option appears at checkout. Optional, opt-in only.
Rules change at city limits. If you are outside Louisville proper, start with the guide for your own city:
Related guides: the complete Louisville 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 Louisville: couch, refrigerator, washer and dryer, furniture, tv and electronics, dresser, bed frame and box spring, dishwasher.
Does Louisville pick up mattresses for free?
Yes, free, with a Metro311 appointment.
Where can I donate a mattress in Louisville?
Louisville’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 Louisville?
Through the LoadUp marketplace, a single mattress pickup in Louisville starts around $80 to $100 with upfront pricing, and full-truck loads run $300 to $600 depending on volume. For households outside Urban Services District (no city Large Item Pickup eligibility), exceeding 4 items per week during cleanouts, with construction debris (prohibited in city pickup), or needing same-day service, LoadUp offers professional removal in Louisville 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 Louisville page maintained?
Yes. Freemoval maintains this page as a public resource alongside the full Louisville guide. We update it when programs change rules, fees, or contact methods. Last updated October 2026. If you find outdated information, let us know.
