2
free Bulky Pickups a year for homes and buildings of 4 units or fewer (1 per unit in larger buildings)
1-888-WM-BULKY
to schedule; pickup comes on your regular collection day
Quarterly
Bulky Block Party events, free with proof of Oakland residency
Every route for a mattress in Oakland, checked in October 2026 against the city’s current rules and the drop-off sites named. The full Oakland guide covers every other item.
Here is how each route works in Oakland, starting with the city program and ending with paid pickup.
Oakland Bulky Pickup (Waste Management of Alameda County): mattresses
FreeMattresses and box springs are accepted on a Bulky Pickup and at Block Parties. California's Bye Bye Mattress sites take them free too.
Who qualifies: Oakland residents. Single-family homes and buildings with 4 or fewer units get 2 free curbside pickups a year; renters in larger buildings get 1 per unit per year, scheduled by the property manager or by the tenant with a signed waiver.
How to schedule: Call 1-888-WM-BULKY (or 510-613-8710) or request online at oaklandrecycles.com. Pickup lands on your regular collection day. Each household can also use 1 free drop-off a year at the Davis Street Transfer Station, and the city's quarterly Bulky Block Parties take large items free with proof of residency.
Limits: Up to about 4 cubic yards per curbside pickup. Pickups do not roll over between years.
Set-out: At the curb on your confirmed collection day only. Bulky items at the curb without an appointment are illegal dumping, which Oakland enforces heavily.
Oakland Bulky Block Party: mattresses
FreeMattresses accepted.
Where: Rotating city sites, quarterly; dates at oaklandca.gov
How it works: Free for Oakland residents with proof of residency. Furniture, mattresses, appliances, electronics, and household items. No construction debris, hazardous materials, green waste, or commercial loads.
Donation pickup in Oakland (usable mattresses)
FreeOakland’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 Oakland: 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 Oakland: you can start the conversation now through the For partners page.
Oakland runs one of the most equitable bulky waste systems in California: all residents, both owners AND renters, single-family homes AND apartments, get FREE bulky item pickup AND free drop-off at the Davis Street Resource Recovery Complex, both included in trash service. Up to 4 cubic yards per appointment, scheduled via 1-888-WM-BULKY. Single-family homes can request a SECOND curbside pickup annually for free 45 days after using one drop-off and one curbside pickup. Oakland has an unusual two-company waste system: Waste Management of Alameda County (WM) handles trash and compost, California Waste Solutions (CWS) handles recycling, batteries, and used motor oil, two separate trucks, same collection day. Composting is MANDATORY under California SB 1383, enforced by Alameda County’s StopWaste with fines starting at $50-$100 per inspection up to $500 for continued non-compliance. Free curbside motor oil pickup is unique to Oakland, CWS picks up oil jugs and filter bags next to your blue cart. This page walks through every legitimate option in order from free to paid.
The Oakland rule for mattresses: Mattresses and box springs are accepted on a Bulky Pickup and at Block Parties. California's Bye Bye Mattress sites take them free too.
Program basics: Up to about 4 cubic yards per curbside pickup. Pickups do not roll over between years. At the curb on your confirmed collection day only. Bulky items at the curb without an appointment are illegal dumping, which Oakland enforces heavily.
What the city will not take: Household hazardous waste (paint, oil, chemicals, batteries, propane) and construction debris. Appliances and electronics are accepted.
How we checked this. The rules on this page were verified in October 2026 against: City of Oakland: Bulky Block Party events and bulky pickup options (July 2026), City of Oakland: Bulky Block Party service page. 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-day or in-home pickup, exceed the 4 cubic yard limit per appointment, can’t wait for the next available WM appointment, have items WM/CWS won’t accept, or want full-service hauling, LoadUp offers professional removal in Oakland 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 Oakland with LoadUp → Round-up option appears at checkout. Optional, opt-in only.
Rules change at city limits. If you are outside Oakland proper, start with the guide for your own city:
Related guides: the complete Oakland 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 Oakland: couch, refrigerator, washer and dryer, furniture, tv and electronics, dresser, bed frame and box spring, dishwasher.
Does Oakland pick up mattresses for free?
Yes, with a Bulky Pickup, at a Block Party, or free at a Bye Bye Mattress site.
Where can I donate a mattress in Oakland?
Oakland’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 Oakland?
Through the LoadUp marketplace, a single mattress pickup in Oakland starts around $80 to $100 with upfront pricing, and full-truck loads run $300 to $600 depending on volume. For households who need same-day or in-home pickup, exceed the 4 cubic yard limit per appointment, can’t wait for the next available WM appointment, have items WM/CWS won’t accept, or want full-service hauling, LoadUp offers professional removal in Oakland 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 Oakland page maintained?
Yes. Freemoval maintains this page as a public resource alongside the full Oakland guide. We update it when programs change rules, fees, or contact methods. Last updated October 2026. If you find outdated information, let us know.
