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A public resource guide

Free scrap metal removal in Miami, FL

Every free and paid way to get rid of scrap metal in Miami, verified October 2026.

Illegally dumped junk pile with appliances and debris Checked against City of Miami Solid Waste

Weekly

bulky trash collection on your scheduled day, no appointment

Electronics OK

TVs, monitors, and computers are on the city's accepted list

1 load

per day at the city Mini Dump, 1290 NW 20th St, with proof of residency

Every route for scrap metal in Miami, checked in October 2026 against the city’s current rules and the drop-off sites named. The full Miami guide covers every other item.

Free scrap metal removal in Miami

Here is how each route works in Miami, starting with the city program and ending with paid pickup.

City of Miami weekly bulky trash collection: scrap metal

Free

Metal household items are bulky trash, or go to a scrap yard.

Who qualifies: Households with City of Miami Solid Waste service. Unincorporated Miami-Dade County has a separate program (2 appointment pickups a year of 25 cubic yards).

How to schedule: No appointment. The city collects bulky trash once a week on your scheduled bulky day; look up your address at miami.gov. Residents can also take one pickup-truck load per day to the city Mini Dump with proof of residency.

Limits: Bundles tied no more than 3 feet long. Keep yard trash separate from garbage and recycling. Mini Dump: one trip per day, one pickup-truck load.

Set-out: At the curb in front of your home, clear of drains, meters, and cars, by 7 a.m. on your bulky trash day.

Read the full Miami city services guide ›

Freemoval (free pickups through partner organizations)

Free

Freemoval 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 Miami: 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 Miami: you can start the conversation now through the For partners page.

For partners ›

How Miami handles scrap metal

If you live in Miami-Dade and need to get rid of bulk waste, you have more free options than most U.S. cities, if you know how to use them. This page walks through every legitimate path, in order from free to paid, with the specific rules that apply in your jurisdiction.

The Miami rule for scrap metal: Metal household items are bulky trash, or go to a scrap yard.

Program basics: Bundles tied no more than 3 feet long. Keep yard trash separate from garbage and recycling. Mini Dump: one trip per day, one pickup-truck load. At the curb in front of your home, clear of drains, meters, and cars, by 7 a.m. on your bulky trash day.

What the city will not take: Household garbage, construction and demolition debris, and automotive items including tires, batteries, oil, and rims. Hazardous chemicals go to Miami-Dade's Home Chemical Collection Centers.

How we checked this. The rules on this page were verified in October 2026 against: City of Miami Solid Waste: Garbage, Recycling, and Bulky Trash Schedules, City of Miami: About Mini Dump and Bulky Trash. Programs change; confirm fees and limits before you go.

Hazardous and regulated components in Miami. Miami-Dade operates two Home Chemical Collection Centers, accepting household hazardous waste from county residents free of charge: paint, motor oil, pesticides, pool chemicals, batteries, fluorescent bulbs, and old electronics with batteries. Locations and hours are at miamidade.gov.

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.

Prep checklist before pickup day in Miami

  • Run a magnet over everything and separate non-ferrous (no stick) pieces into a bucket.
  • Remove propane tanks, lead-acid batteries, and lithium packs; take each to its proper drop-off.
  • Drain fluids from mowers, water heaters, and engines.
  • Leave refrigerant lines intact on fridges, ACs, and dehumidifiers.
  • Stage at the curb edge and post as free scrap, or load sorted bins and bring ID to the yard.

Three mistakes that get scrap metal left at the curb:

  • Don't pay to dispose of metal. A scrapper will take it free and a yard will pay.
  • Don't put propane tanks, lead-acid batteries, or lithium batteries in a scrap pile. Tanks go to an exchange or HHW; batteries to an auto parts store or battery drop-off.
  • Don't cut refrigerant lines on fridges, ACs, or dehumidifiers to sell the compressor. Yards refuse cut units and venting is a federal violation.

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 $60

If 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 can’t use the free options or need same-week service, LoadUp offers professional removal in Miami-Dade with upfront pricing. Independent loaders in the marketplace handle pickup, loading, and licensed disposal, rates typically 20-30% below national competitors.

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 Miami with LoadUp → Round-up option appears at checkout. Optional, opt-in only.

Scrap metal rules in nearby cities

Rules change at city limits. If you are outside Miami proper, start with the guide for your own city:

Closest category in the Cape Coral table: Free curbside bulk on regular collection day.
Closest category in the Jacksonville table: Accepted in weekly bulk pickup (no appointment). If working: donation pickup. Otherwise paid haul.
Closest category in the Lakeland table: 1 of 4 free bulk collections/year (schedule first). Retailer haul-away with new delivery. Freon recovery required.
Closest category in the Orlando table: Weekly Large Items pickup. If working: donation pickup (Habitat ReStore takes appliances). Otherwise paid haul.
Closest category in the St. Petersburg table: Free Special Pickup (call 727-893-7398 first).
Closest category in the Tampa table: Accepted in S.W.E.E.P. or special pickup. If working: donation pickup. Otherwise paid haul.

Related guides: the complete Miami 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 Miami: mattress, couch, refrigerator, washer and dryer, furniture, tv and electronics, dresser, bed frame and box spring.

Common questions about scrap metal removal in Miami

Does Miami pick up scrap metal for free?

Yes, weekly, or a scrap yard.

How much does paid scrap metal removal cost in Miami?

Through the LoadUp marketplace, a single scrap metal pickup in Miami starts around $80 to $100 with upfront pricing, and full-truck loads run $300 to $600 depending on volume. For households who can’t use the free options or need same-week service, LoadUp offers professional removal in Miami-Dade with upfront pricing. Independent loaders in the marketplace handle pickup, loading, and licensed disposal, rates typically 20-30% below national competitors.

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 Miami page maintained?

Yes. Freemoval maintains this page as a public resource alongside the full Miami guide. We update it when programs change rules, fees, or contact methods. Last updated October 2026. If you find outdated information, let us know.

Fund a free pickup in Miami

Help cover someone else’s haul.

Most LoadUp customers fund Freemoval pickups by rounding up at checkout. If you’re not booking a paid pickup yourself but want to help, you can contribute directly, pooled with other donations to fund subsidized pickups in Miami at standard market rates, the same rates LoadUp charges any paying customer.

Choose a custom amount→

Freemoval is a social impact program of LoadUp Technologies, LLC. Contributions are not tax-deductible. 100% of contributions fund pickups at standard market rates, the same rates LoadUp charges any paying customer. No separate fundraising overhead is deducted from donations.