Home › By item › Scrap metal › Chesapeake
A public resource guide
Free scrap metal removal in Chesapeake, VA
Every free and paid way to get rid of scrap metal in Chesapeake, verified October 2026.
Checked against City of Chesapeake
Home › By item › Scrap metal › Chesapeake
A public resource guide
Every free and paid way to get rid of scrap metal in Chesapeake, verified October 2026.
Checked against City of Chesapeake
382-CITY
call by 5 p.m. the work day before, or request online by 11:59 p.m.
3 days
earliest set-out before your regular collection day, 3 feet from obstructions
No tires
state rules keep tires out of bulk; SPSA Tire Processing Facility in Suffolk instead
Every route for scrap metal in Chesapeake, checked in October 2026 against the city’s current rules and the drop-off sites named. The full Chesapeake guide covers every other item.
Here is how each route works in Chesapeake, starting with the city program and ending with paid pickup.
Chesapeake scheduled bulk trash collection: scrap metal
Free, with a step firstMetal household items are bulk trash by request, or go to a scrap yard.
Who qualifies: Residents served by the City of Chesapeake Waste Management Division.
How to schedule: Request a pickup by calling 757-382-CITY (2489) by 5 p.m. the work day before your regular collection day, or use the online Bulk Trash Pickup Request by 11:59 p.m. the day before. Collection comes on your regular day. Free.
Limits: No published volume cap for household bulk. Bulk yard waste is limited to one 4 by 4 by 6 foot pile per week, kept separate from household items.
Set-out: As close to the curb or roadside as possible, 3 feet from mailboxes, poles, and carts, no earlier than 3 work days before your collection day. Refrigerator and freezer doors removed; all glass surfaces taped.
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 Chesapeake: 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 scrap metal, 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 Chesapeake: you can start the conversation now through the For partners page.
Chesapeake, Virginia has one of the more accessible bulk waste systems in Hampton Roads: free curbside bulk pickup is collected on the same day as regular garbage when scheduled in advance. Call (757) 382-CITY (2489) by 5 PM the workday before, or submit online by 11:59 PM the day before. The city discontinued curbside recycling in 2023 and now operates 8 drop-off locations across the city, most 24/7. The SPSA Chesapeake Transfer Station at 901 Hollowell Lane handles HHW on the first Wednesday of each month. Tires are not accepted in any city program due to Virginia DEQ regulations. This guide covers every disposal option for City of Chesapeake residents.
The Chesapeake rule for scrap metal: Metal household items are bulk trash by request, or go to a scrap yard.
Program basics: No published volume cap for household bulk. Bulk yard waste is limited to one 4 by 4 by 6 foot pile per week, kept separate from household items. As close to the curb or roadside as possible, 3 feet from mailboxes, poles, and carts, no earlier than 3 work days before your collection day. Refrigerator and freezer doors removed; all glass surfaces taped.
What the city will not take: Carpet, wood and fencing, construction and demolition debris, hazardous waste, and tires (SPSA stations cannot accept tires under state rules; use the SPSA Tire Processing Facility in Suffolk).
How we checked this. The rules on this page were verified in October 2026 against: City of Chesapeake Waste Management: Bulk Trash Collection, City of Chesapeake: Bulk Trash Collection FAQ. Programs change; confirm fees and limits before you go.
Why scrap metal are different from ordinary bulk. Most household scrap is mixed. An appliance is a steel shell around a copper motor and aluminum fins; a bike is a steel or aluminum frame with rubber and plastic. Yards accept mixed items at the steel rate, so sorting pays only if you have enough non-ferrous metal to make it worth the time. A magnet and ten minutes usually tells you.
Three mistakes that get scrap metal left at the curb:
Paid options barely exist for metal, except when the metal is attached to things that are not metal.
Mixed loads to a transfer station
$20 to $60If metal is mixed into a larger cleanout, transfer stations charge by weight for the whole load. Pull the metal out first and give it to a scrapper; it reduces the fee and keeps metal out of the landfill.
Most transfer stations have a free metal pile. Ask before you tip.
LoadUp paid scrap metal pickup
$80+For Chesapeake households needing same-week or in-home pickup, items the city won’t accept (carpet, construction debris), or service before the next scheduled bulk request, LoadUp connects you with independent loaders in the Hampton Roads area for upfront-priced pickup.
What’s included: Loading, hauling, and licensed disposal of your scrap metal. 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 scrap metal pickup in Chesapeake with LoadUp → Round-up option appears at checkout. Optional, opt-in only.
Rules change at city limits. If you are outside Chesapeake proper, start with the guide for your own city:
Related guides: the complete Chesapeake junk removal guide (every item type, city services, hazardous waste, and how to report dumping) and the national scrap metal disposal guide with rules for all 117 cities we cover.
Other free removal guides for Chesapeake: mattress, couch, refrigerator, washer and dryer, furniture, tv and electronics, dresser, bed frame and box spring.
Does Chesapeake pick up scrap metal for free?
Yes, after requesting, or a scrap yard.
How much does paid scrap metal removal cost in Chesapeake?
Through the LoadUp marketplace, a single scrap metal pickup in Chesapeake starts around $80 to $100 with upfront pricing, and full-truck loads run $300 to $600 depending on volume. For Chesapeake households needing same-week or in-home pickup, items the city won’t accept (carpet, construction debris), or service before the next scheduled bulk request, LoadUp connects you with independent loaders in the Hampton Roads area for upfront-priced pickup.
Will someone pick up scrap metal for free?
Yes. Independent scrappers in every metro collect appliances, grills, frames, and other metal from the curb free, usually the same day you post it, because they sell it by weight. Many city bulk programs also collect metal.
How much does a scrap yard pay?
Steel pays a few cents per pound; a washer or water heater might bring a few dollars. Aluminum pays several times more, and copper and brass pay the most, often a few dollars per pound. Prices change weekly with commodity markets.
How do I tell what kind of metal I have?
Use a magnet. If it sticks, the metal is ferrous (steel or iron) and pays the base rate. If it does not, it is aluminum, copper, brass, or stainless and worth sorting out. Copper is reddish, brass is yellow, aluminum is light and silver, stainless is heavy and silver.
Can I scrap a refrigerator or air conditioner?
Yes, but the refrigerant must be recovered first by a certified technician or by the yard if it has recovery equipment. Do not cut the lines. Many yards accept sealed units and recover the gas themselves; call first.
Is this Chesapeake page maintained?
Yes. Freemoval maintains this page as a public resource alongside the full Chesapeake guide. We update it when programs change rules, fees, or contact methods. Last updated October 2026. If you find outdated information, let us know.