Home › By item › Scrap metal › Raleigh
A public resource guide
Free scrap metal removal in Raleigh, NC
$35 Bulky Load otherwise.
Checked against City of Raleigh
Home › By item › Scrap metal › Raleigh
A public resource guide
$35 Bulky Load otherwise.
Checked against City of Raleigh
$35
per Bulky Load (furniture, mattresses), up to 4 cubic yards, since April 2026
$70
per Special Load (appliances, exercise equipment)
Free
E-waste pickup, up to 4 items a week, by request
Every route for scrap metal in Raleigh, checked in October 2026 against the city’s current rules and the drop-off sites named. The full Raleigh guide covers every other item.
Here is how each route works in Raleigh, starting with the city program and ending with paid pickup.
Raleigh Bulky Load, Special Load, and E-waste collection: scrap metal
City pickup, $35 or $70 per loadMetal household items are Bulky Load material ($35), but scrap yards take metal free and may pay.
Who qualifies: Households with City of Raleigh curbside garbage service. Not available to businesses.
How to schedule: Call 919-996-3245 with your address and a description of the items; staff classify it as a Bulky Load ($35 per 4 cubic yards, since April 1, 2026), a Special Load ($70 per 4 cubic yards, for appliances and exercise equipment), or free E-waste collection (up to 4 items a week). The charge lands on your next utility bill.
Limits: A load is 4 cubic yards (about 6 by 3 by 4 feet, two couches, or three queen mattresses), charged in full-load increments. No limit on the number of loads. E-waste: 4 items per week.
Set-out: At the curb on the scheduled day only, on a flat area, 5 feet from mailboxes, poles, and cars, on the main street (no alleys). Items out before scheduling can draw fines under the city code. Cancel by noon the business day before for a refund.
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 Raleigh: 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 Raleigh: you can start the conversation now through the For partners page.
Raleigh runs a tightly structured but generous system: one free Bulky Load (up to 4 cubic yards) every 90 days, plus free curbside e-waste collection up to 4 items per week on Tuesdays only. Critical update for 2026: a Bulky Load fee took effect April 1, 2026, so the formerly “free once every 90 days” now operates differently, check current fee structure before scheduling. Raleigh also has one of the most permissive holiday schedules in the country: only Thanksgiving causes a delay. Christmas, New Year’s, and Labor Day are all normal collection days. This page walks through every legitimate option in order from free to paid.
The Raleigh rule for scrap metal: Metal household items are Bulky Load material ($35), but scrap yards take metal free and may pay.
Program basics: A load is 4 cubic yards (about 6 by 3 by 4 feet, two couches, or three queen mattresses), charged in full-load increments. No limit on the number of loads. E-waste: 4 items per week. At the curb on the scheduled day only, on a flat area, 5 feet from mailboxes, poles, and cars, on the main street (no alleys). Items out before scheduling can draw fines under the city code. Cancel by noon the business day before for a refund.
What the city will not take: Tires, car parts, batteries, glass, mirrors, windows, construction and remodeling debris of any kind including toilets, sinks, carpeting, and cabinets, treated lumber, stumps, and contractor materials. Wake County facilities take most of those.
How we checked this. The rules on this page were verified in October 2026 against: City of Raleigh Solid Waste Services: Bulky, Special, and E-Waste Collection (updated October 5, 2026). Programs change; confirm fees and limits before you go.
Hazardous and regulated components in Raleigh. Raleigh residents can dispose of household hazardous waste at Wake County’s Southview and Northview HHW facilities, free for Wake County residents. Drop off paint, chemicals, batteries, motor oil, automotive fluids, pesticides, household cleaners, fluorescent bulbs, and propane tanks at no charge. Note: the Northview HHW facility had a fire in 2024 and operations were partially affected through 2025-2026, verify current hours at wake.gov before traveling. 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, and most pharmacies 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.
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-day service, exceed Bulky Load 90-day limits, live in apartment buildings without included bulk service, have items the city won’t take, or want full-service in-home pickup, LoadUp offers professional removal in Raleigh 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 Raleigh with LoadUp → Round-up option appears at checkout. Optional, opt-in only.
Rules change at city limits. If you are outside Raleigh proper, start with the guide for your own city:
Related guides: the complete Raleigh 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 Raleigh: mattress, couch, refrigerator, washer and dryer, furniture, tv and electronics, dresser, bed frame and box spring.
Does Raleigh pick up scrap metal for free?
Free at a scrap yard. $35 Bulky Load otherwise.
How much does paid scrap metal removal cost in Raleigh?
Through the LoadUp marketplace, a single scrap metal pickup in Raleigh 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 service, exceed Bulky Load 90-day limits, live in apartment buildings without included bulk service, have items the city won’t take, or want full-service in-home pickup, LoadUp offers professional removal in Raleigh 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 Raleigh page maintained?
Yes. Freemoval maintains this page as a public resource alongside the full Raleigh guide. We update it when programs change rules, fees, or contact methods. Last updated October 2026. If you find outdated information, let us know.