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A public resource guide
Free scrap metal removal in Detroit, MI
Every free and paid way to get rid of scrap metal in Detroit, verified October 2026.
Checked against Detroit DPW
Home › By item › Scrap metal › Detroit
A public resource guide
Every free and paid way to get rid of scrap metal in Detroit, verified October 2026.
Checked against Detroit DPW
Weekly
bulk collection on your trash day since June 2024, no appointment
2 cu yd
or 1,000 pounds per week, out by 7 a.m.
3
free citizen drop-off centers, with up to 4 tires per household per day
Every route for scrap metal in Detroit, checked in October 2026 against the city’s current rules and the drop-off sites named. The full Detroit guide covers every other item.
Here is how each route works in Detroit, starting with the city program and ending with paid pickup.
Detroit weekly bulk collection: scrap metal
FreeMetal items are bulk, or go to a scrap yard.
Who qualifies: Detroit households with city-contracted collection (Waste Management on the west side, Priority Waste on the east side and southwest).
How to schedule: No appointment. Since June 2024, bulk is collected every week on your regular trash day. Set up to 2 cubic yards (about two stoves) at the curbline by 7 a.m. Larger loads: DPW paid pickup at $40 per cubic yard (313-876-0004) or a free trip to a citizen drop-off center.
Limits: 2 cubic yards or 1,000 pounds per collection. Appliances must have doors removed and refrigerants drained.
Set-out: At the curbline by 7 a.m. on trash day, separate from trash, recycling, and yard waste piles. Not in front of vacant lots.
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 Detroit: 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 Detroit: you can start the conversation now through the For partners page.
Detroit has one of the more generous bulk pickup programs in the country: weekly bulk collection on your regular trash day, free drop-off yards across the city, and a paid pickup service for items that exceed the curb limits. This page walks through every option, in order from free to paid.
The Detroit rule for scrap metal: Metal items are bulk, or go to a scrap yard.
Program basics: 2 cubic yards or 1,000 pounds per collection. Appliances must have doors removed and refrigerants drained. At the curbline by 7 a.m. on trash day, separate from trash, recycling, and yard waste piles. Not in front of vacant lots.
What the city will not take: Concrete, brick, and asphalt, tires and auto parts, household hazardous waste, paint, batteries, and electronics (free at the city's hazardous waste facility on Thursdays).
How we checked this. The rules on this page were verified in October 2026 against: Detroit DPW: 2025 Curbside Collection guidelines (bulk rules), Detroit DPW: Free Citizen Bulk Drop-Off Centers. Programs change; confirm fees and limits before you go.
Hazardous and regulated components in Detroit. Detroit hosts periodic household hazardous waste collection events through the Department of Public Works. Dates and locations are published at detroitmi.gov. Several retailers offer ongoing free recycling: Home Depot for batteries and CFL bulbs, AutoZone for motor oil and car batteries, Best Buy for electronics, and most pharmacies for unused medications. Wayne County also operates periodic hazardous waste events for county residents.
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 households who need same-week service or want a single professional pickup that includes loading, LoadUp offers professional removal in Detroit with upfront pricing. Independent loaders in the marketplace handle pickup, loading, and licensed disposal.
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 Detroit with LoadUp → Round-up option appears at checkout. Optional, opt-in only.
Rules change at city limits. If you are outside Detroit proper, start with the guide for your own city:
Related guides: the complete Detroit 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 Detroit: mattress, couch, refrigerator, washer and dryer, furniture, tv and electronics, dresser, bed frame and box spring.
Does Detroit pick up scrap metal for free?
Yes, weekly, or a scrap yard.
How much does paid scrap metal removal cost in Detroit?
Through the LoadUp marketplace, a single scrap metal pickup in Detroit 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 or want a single professional pickup that includes loading, LoadUp offers professional removal in Detroit with upfront pricing. Independent loaders in the marketplace handle pickup, loading, and licensed disposal.
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 Detroit page maintained?
Yes. Freemoval maintains this page as a public resource alongside the full Detroit guide. We update it when programs change rules, fees, or contact methods. Last updated October 2026. If you find outdated information, let us know.