Home › By item › Scrap metal › Madison
A public resource guide
Free scrap metal removal in Madison, WI
Every free and paid way to get rid of scrap metal in Madison, verified October 2026.
Checked against Madison Streets Division
Home › By item › Scrap metal › Madison
A public resource guide
Every free and paid way to get rid of scrap metal in Madison, verified October 2026.
Checked against Madison Streets Division
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 scrap metal 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: scrap metal
FreeMetal items are free large items by work order, or go to a scrap yard.
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.
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 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 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 scrap metal: Metal items are free large items by work order, or go to a scrap yard.
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 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 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 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 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 scrap metal disposal guide with rules for all 117 cities we cover.
Other free removal guides for Madison: mattress, couch, refrigerator, washer and dryer, furniture, tv and electronics, dresser, bed frame and box spring.
Does Madison pick up scrap metal for free?
Yes, free, with a work order, or a scrap yard.
How much does paid scrap metal removal cost in Madison?
Through the LoadUp marketplace, a single scrap metal 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.
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 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.