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A public resource guide
Free scrap metal removal in Riverside, CA
Every free and paid way to get rid of scrap metal in Riverside, verified October 2026.
Checked against City of Riverside
Home › By item › Scrap metal › Riverside
A public resource guide
Every free and paid way to get rid of scrap metal in Riverside, verified October 2026.
Checked against City of Riverside
5
items per free bulky appointment through 951-826-5311, out by 5:30 a.m.
3rd Saturday
free bulky and yard waste drop-off at Agua Mansa Transfer Station with your utility bill
8
car tires accepted at Clean Up Riverside drop-off events, rims off
Every route for scrap metal in Riverside, checked in October 2026 against the city’s current rules and the drop-off sites named. The full Riverside guide covers every other item.
Here is how each route works in Riverside, starting with the city program and ending with paid pickup.
Riverside bulky item appointments and Clean Up Riverside: scrap metal
FreeMetal items are accepted curbside, at events, or at a scrap yard.
Who qualifies: City of Riverside residential trash customers (city-collected areas; Burrtec-served areas schedule through Burrtec at 951-786-9660).
How to schedule: Call the City at 951-826-5311 to book a free bulky appointment; up to 5 items per appointment (3 trash bags under 20 pounds count as one item). On the 3rd Saturday of every month, residents with a utility bill dump bulky items and yard waste free at the Agua Mansa Transfer Station, and the city holds Clean Up Riverside drop-off events through the year.
Limits: 5 items per appointment. Agua Mansa and Clean Up events: proof of residency, covered loads, no commercial waste.
Set-out: Curbside (not in the street) by 5:30 a.m. on the appointment day, placed no more than 24 hours ahead.
Clean Up Riverside drop-off events: scrap metal
FreeMetal accepted.
Where: Riverside City Corporation Yard, 8095 Lincoln Ave, and other sites; 2026 schedule at riversideca.gov
How it works: Free for city residents with proof of residency. Bulky items, appliances including AC units, electronics, metal, yard waste, up to 8 car tires without rims, and small loads of concrete. Separate e-waste, bulb, battery, and shredding days.
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 Riverside: 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 Riverside: you can start the conversation now through the For partners page.
Riverside, CA is part of the Inland Empire, one of the fastest-growing and most logistics-intensive regions in the United States, and also one with persistent illegal dumping pressure along industrial corridors and in lower-income neighborhoods. The City of Riverside provides free appointment-based bulky pickup twice per year, plus a free monthly drop-off day at Agua Mansa Transfer Station for residents who need more capacity. California’s SB 1383 law (effective January 2022) adds mandatory organics and recycling sorting requirements for all Riverside residents. This guide covers every legitimate disposal option for Riverside residents, with the specific rules, phone numbers, and programs that actually apply here.
The Riverside rule for scrap metal: Metal items are accepted curbside, at events, or at a scrap yard.
Program basics: 5 items per appointment. Agua Mansa and Clean Up events: proof of residency, covered loads, no commercial waste. Curbside (not in the street) by 5:30 a.m. on the appointment day, placed no more than 24 hours ahead.
What the city will not take: Household hazardous waste (Riverside County HHW facility) and appliances containing Freon, which go through Riverside Public Utilities' refrigerator recycling or a Clean Up Riverside event. Electronics go to Clean Up Riverside e-waste days or SmartRiverside.
How we checked this. The rules on this page were verified in October 2026 against: City of Riverside Public Works: Bulky Items (curbside appointments), City of Riverside: Clean Up Riverside 2026 events, City of Riverside: Trash pick-up schedule (Agua Mansa free drop-off). 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 Riverside households who need same-day or in-home pickup, have already used their 2 free annual appointments, need items removed before the next monthly drop-off day, or are clearing more than one room’s worth of items, LoadUp connects you with independent loaders in the Riverside area for upfront-priced pickup.
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 Riverside with LoadUp → Round-up option appears at checkout. Optional, opt-in only.
Rules change at city limits. If you are outside Riverside proper, start with the guide for your own city:
Related guides: the complete Riverside 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 Riverside: mattress, couch, refrigerator, washer and dryer, furniture, tv and electronics, dresser, bed frame and box spring.
Does Riverside pick up scrap metal for free?
Yes, with a bulky appointment, an event, or a scrap yard.
How much does paid scrap metal removal cost in Riverside?
Through the LoadUp marketplace, a single scrap metal pickup in Riverside starts around $80 to $100 with upfront pricing, and full-truck loads run $300 to $600 depending on volume. For Riverside households who need same-day or in-home pickup, have already used their 2 free annual appointments, need items removed before the next monthly drop-off day, or are clearing more than one room’s worth of items, LoadUp connects you with independent loaders in the Riverside area for upfront-priced pickup.
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 Riverside page maintained?
Yes. Freemoval maintains this page as a public resource alongside the full Riverside guide. We update it when programs change rules, fees, or contact methods. Last updated October 2026. If you find outdated information, let us know.