Work order
required before any large item goes out; furniture is free
Fee items
refrigerant appliances, motor appliances, microwaves, and tires carry a recycling fee
3
Streets Division drop-off sites; electronics are free there in 2026 with proof of residency
Every route for a mattress in Madison, checked in October 2026 against the city’s current rules and the drop-off sites named. The full Madison guide covers every other item.
Here is how each route works in Madison, starting with the city program and ending with paid pickup.
Madison large item collection by work order: mattresses
FreeMattresses are free large items by work order, or free at a drop-off site.
Who qualifies: Homes with Streets Division collection (properties of 8 units or fewer). Since January 2025, larger properties have no curbside large item service and use their private hauler, though all residents can use the drop-off sites.
How to schedule: Complete a large item work order at cityofmadison.com/LargeItemWorkOrder before setting anything out, choosing a set-out date. Furniture and most bulky items are free; refrigerant appliances, motor appliances, and a short list of special items carry a recycling fee paid when you schedule. Collection happens during the work week after your set-out date.
Limits: Only items listed on the work order are collected. Fee items are a defined short list; everything else is free.
Set-out: On the terrace or road edge along the public street on the date you picked, not early, not on carriage lanes or private drives. Collection follows sometime that week.
Streets Division drop-off sites: mattresses
FreeMattresses accepted.
Where: East: 4602 Sycamore Ave. West: 402 South Point Rd. South: 1501 W. Badger Rd (office) and 1504 Quann-Olin Pkwy.
How it works: Madison residents and taxpayers with proof of residency, one trip a day, a standard pickup load. Furniture, mattresses, brush, excess recycling, and electronics (free in 2026). Fee items need a sticker bought online first; attendants cannot take payment.
Donation pickup in Madison (usable mattresses)
FreeA uniquely Madison nonprofit that collects gently used household items from donors and distributes them free to low-income families establishing new homes. Accepts furniture, kitchenware, linens, and household goods that meet their guidelines. The highest-impact donation channel in Madison.
Schedules free pickup for usable furniture and large items. Schedule online at satruck.org.
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 Madison: 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 Madison: you can start the conversation now through the For partners page.
Madison, Wisconsin runs a carefully structured large item pickup system: you choose a Sunday set-out date via an online work order, and city crews collect the items during the following work week. Metal items (appliances) and non-metal items (furniture) are collected by separate crews, keep them separated. Fees apply for appliances with refrigerants ($35) or motors ($15). Madison also has three drop-off sites open April through December for residents who prefer to self-haul. This guide covers every option for City of Madison residents (properties with 9+ units use private dumpster service, not city collection).
The Madison rule for mattresses: Mattresses are free large items by work order, or free at a drop-off site.
Program basics: Only items listed on the work order are collected. Fee items are a defined short list; everything else is free. On the terrace or road edge along the public street on the date you picked, not early, not on carriage lanes or private drives. Collection follows sometime that week.
What the city will not take: Electronics (TVs, computers, printers) are never collected curbside under Wisconsin law; they are free at the drop-off sites in 2026. Construction debris and hazardous waste are not large items.
How we checked this. The rules on this page were verified in October 2026 against: City of Madison Streets Division: Large items and appliances, City of Madison Streets Division: Large Item Collection guidelines flyer, City of Madison Streets Division: 2026 drop-off site hours and locations. 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 Madison households who need same-day or in-home pickup, crew labor, or faster service than city programs allow, LoadUp connects you with independent loaders in the Madison area.
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 Madison with LoadUp → Round-up option appears at checkout. Optional, opt-in only.
Rules change at city limits. If you are outside Madison proper, start with the guide for your own city:
Related guides: the complete Madison 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 Madison: couch, refrigerator, washer and dryer, furniture, tv and electronics, dresser, bed frame and box spring, dishwasher.
Does Madison pick up mattresses for free?
Yes, free, with a work order, or at a drop-off site.
Where can I donate a mattress in Madison?
A uniquely Madison nonprofit that collects gently used household items from donors and distributes them free to low-income families establishing new homes. Accepts furniture, kitchenware, linens, and household goods that meet their guidelines. The highest-impact donation channel in Madison.
How much does paid mattress removal cost in Madison?
Through the LoadUp marketplace, a single mattress pickup in Madison starts around $80 to $100 with upfront pricing, and full-truck loads run $300 to $600 depending on volume. For Madison households who need same-day or in-home pickup, crew labor, or faster service than city programs allow, LoadUp connects you with independent loaders in the Madison area.
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 Madison page maintained?
Yes. Freemoval maintains this page as a public resource alongside the full Madison guide. We update it when programs change rules, fees, or contact methods. Last updated October 2026. If you find outdated information, let us know.
