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A public resource guide

Free scrap metal removal in Oklahoma City, OK

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

Illegally dumped junk pile with appliances and debris Checked against OKC Utilities

Monthly

bulky waste window for every OKC trash customer, no appointment

6 a.m.

out on your assigned set-out day, mattresses wrapped in plastic

405-297-2833

call before your window for refrigerators and anything with Freon

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

Free scrap metal removal in Oklahoma City

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

Oklahoma City monthly bulky waste collection: scrap metal

Free

Metal household items, bicycle frames, and fencing are accepted bulky waste. Scrap yards are the other route.

Who qualifies: Single-family homes with City of Oklahoma City trash service. Apartments use private haulers.

How to schedule: No appointment. Every address has a monthly bulky waste window; find it at okc.gov/mytrashday or in the OKC Connect app. Boom trucks collect over a few days. Refrigerators and anything with Freon need a call to Utilities Customer Service at 405-297-2833 before your window.

Limits: Keep the pile within the city's standard volume (about 4 cubic yards) to avoid the excess bulky fee billed to your utility account. Items should be liftable by the boom truck.

Set-out: At the curb or alley by 6 a.m. on your assigned set-out day, with a few feet of clearance around the pile, not in the street or on the sidewalk. Mattresses must be wrapped in plastic; glass and mirrors must be wrapped in cardboard and marked.

Read the full Oklahoma City 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 Oklahoma City: 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 Oklahoma City: you can start the conversation now through the For partners page.

For partners ›

How Oklahoma City handles scrap metal

Oklahoma City runs a tightly structured but generous system: monthly bulky waste collection bundled into base service rate, the first 4 cubic yards per pickup are FREE (excess yards charged at city-published rates, e.g., $13.86 as of January 2025). Each home gets TWO Big Blue 96-gallon trash carts (unusual nationally) plus one Big Green recycling cart for biweekly recycling. Refrigerators and freezers (Freon items) require a separate truck and separate appointment via 405-297-2833; doors must be removed before pickup. The City hosts TWO Free Landfill Days per year (typically May and September) where residents can dispose of acceptable items free at four participating landfills. Major route changes affected 64,000 customers in March 2026, verify your current schedule at okc.gov/MyTrashDay. This page walks through every legitimate option in order from free to paid.

The Oklahoma City rule for scrap metal: Metal household items, bicycle frames, and fencing are accepted bulky waste. Scrap yards are the other route.

Program basics: Keep the pile within the city's standard volume (about 4 cubic yards) to avoid the excess bulky fee billed to your utility account. Items should be liftable by the boom truck. At the curb or alley by 6 a.m. on your assigned set-out day, with a few feet of clearance around the pile, not in the street or on the sidewalk. Mattresses must be wrapped in plastic; glass and mirrors must be wrapped in cardboard and marked.

What the city will not take: Tires and auto parts, household hazardous waste, electronics other than TVs, contractor-generated debris, and loose bagged trash. Freon appliances are accepted only after you call 405-297-2833.

How we checked this. The rules on this page were verified in October 2026 against: City of Oklahoma City Utilities: Bulk Waste Pick-Up, City of Oklahoma City: Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center. Programs change; confirm fees and limits before you go.

Hazardous and regulated components in Oklahoma City. Oklahoma City residents have one of the most accessible HHW programs in the region: a permanent, year-round Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center at 1621 S. Portland Avenue, free for OKC Utilities customers. Drop off paint, chemicals, batteries, motor oil, automotive fluids, pesticides, household cleaners, fluorescent bulbs, propane tanks, and smoke detectors. Several retailers also offer ongoing free recycling: Home Depot for batteries and CFL bulbs, AutoZone for motor oil and car batteries, Best Buy for electronics, Walgreens for unused medications.

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 Oklahoma City

  • 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 need same-day or in-home pickup, exceed the 4 cubic yard free monthly limit, can’t wait for the next monthly bulky window, have items the city won’t accept (contractor debris, hazardous waste, automotive parts), live in apartment buildings without OKC Utilities service, or want full-service hauling, LoadUp offers professional removal in Oklahoma City 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 Oklahoma City 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 Oklahoma City proper, start with the guide for your own city:

Closest category in the Tulsa table: Bulky waste pickup (accepted). Retailer haul-away with new delivery. Refrigerant must be recovered before disposal per…
Closest category in the Akron table: Free curbside on regular collection day. If working: donation pickup. Many appliance retailers offer haul-away with…
Closest category in the Albuquerque table: Non-toxic small appliances WITH the power cord cut off may go in the blue recycling cart.
Closest category in the Allentown table: Free curbside on second collection night. If working: donation pickup. Many appliance retailers offer haul-away with…
Closest category in the Anaheim table: Republic Services bulky pickup, no fee.
Closest category in the Anchorage table: SWS Saturday bulk pickup (fee). Anchorage Regional Landfill (tipping fees). Retailer haul-away with new delivery.…

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

Common questions about scrap metal removal in Oklahoma City

Does Oklahoma City pick up scrap metal for free?

Yes, on your monthly bulky window, or at a scrap yard.

How much does paid scrap metal removal cost in Oklahoma City?

Through the LoadUp marketplace, a single scrap metal pickup in Oklahoma City 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 free monthly limit, can’t wait for the next monthly bulky window, have items the city won’t accept (contractor debris, hazardous waste, automotive parts), live in apartment buildings without OKC Utilities service, or want full-service hauling, LoadUp offers professional removal in Oklahoma City 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 Oklahoma City page maintained?

Yes. Freemoval maintains this page as a public resource alongside the full Oklahoma City 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 Oklahoma City

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 Oklahoma City 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.