Home › By item › Scrap metal › Seattle
A public resource guide
Free scrap metal removal in Seattle, WA
Every free and paid way to get rid of scrap metal in Seattle, verified October 2026.
Checked against Seattle Public Utilities
Home › By item › Scrap metal › Seattle
A public resource guide
Every free and paid way to get rid of scrap metal in Seattle, verified October 2026.
Checked against Seattle Public Utilities
$30
per large item (furniture, appliances, TVs) for SPU Special Item Pickup
$38
per refrigerator or freezer containing CFCs (pre-2005)
2 free
special item pickups a year for Utility Discount Program customers
Every route for scrap metal in Seattle, checked in October 2026 against the city’s current rules and the drop-off sites named. The full Seattle guide covers every other item.
Here is how each route works in Seattle, starting with the city program and ending with paid pickup.
Seattle Public Utilities Special Item Pickup: scrap metal
SPU pickup, $30 per itemSPU charges $30 for large metal items, but scrap yards take metal free and may pay. Small metal goes in recycling.
Who qualifies: SPU solid waste customers (the utility account holder must make the request). Seattle has no free bulky program; this is a per-item fee service billed to your utility bill. Utility Discount Program customers in single-family homes get 2 free special item pickups a year and up to 2 free transfer station passes.
How to schedule: Schedule online through your SPU account or call 206-684-3000. Items go out at your normal collection point by 7 a.m. on the collection day given; SPU sends preparation instructions when you book.
Limits: $30 per item for large furniture, appliances, and TVs larger than 2 by 2 by 2 feet. $38 per item for CFC appliances such as refrigerators and freezers made before 2005. $20 for a special items box of small electronics and appliances. $5 for CFLs, batteries, and small propane canisters.
Set-out: At your normal solid waste collection point by 7 a.m. on the scheduled day; if that spot is behind a locked gate, put the item outside it. Leaving bulky items on the planting strip without a scheduled pickup is illegal dumping, and items found next to your cart are collected and billed.
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 Seattle: 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 Seattle: you can start the conversation now through the For partners page.
Seattle takes a different approach than most major U.S. cities: bulk pickup is fee-based, not free. Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) charges per-item fees for its Special Item Pickup, $30 for furniture, $38 for CFC-containing appliances like fridges and freezers. The catch is that Utility Discount Program (UDP) customers get up to 2 free pickups per year, and starting April 2026, all SPU customers will get 1 free Special Item Box per year. Mandatory composting has been in place since 2015. This page walks through every legitimate option in order from free to paid.
The Seattle rule for scrap metal: SPU charges $30 for large metal items, but scrap yards take metal free and may pay. Small metal goes in recycling.
Program basics: $30 per item for large furniture, appliances, and TVs larger than 2 by 2 by 2 feet. $38 per item for CFC appliances such as refrigerators and freezers made before 2005. $20 for a special items box of small electronics and appliances. $5 for CFLs, batteries, and small propane canisters. At your normal solid waste collection point by 7 a.m. on the scheduled day; if that spot is behind a locked gate, put the item outside it. Leaving bulky items on the planting strip without a scheduled pickup is illegal dumping, and items found next to your cart are collected and billed.
What the city will not take: Nothing is free, and construction debris and hazardous waste are not part of the program. Electronics can instead go free through E-Cycle Washington drop-off sites.
How we checked this. The rules on this page were verified in October 2026 against: Seattle Public Utilities: Special Item Collections (fees), Seattle Public Utilities: Transfer Station Rates. Programs change; confirm fees and limits before you go.
Hazardous and regulated components in Seattle. Seattle residents can dispose of household hazardous waste through King County’s HazWaste mobile collection events (free) or at the Hazardous Waste Disposal Facilities. 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. SPU offers $5 pickup of batteries, CFLs, and small propane canisters as Special Item Pickups, and free pickup of foam blocks and used cooking/motor oil. Washington state law (the Electronic Product Recycling Act) bans e-waste from regular trash and funds free recycling under E-Cycle Washington.
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, want full-service hauling (no curbside drag-out required), or live in apartment buildings without property manager Special Item Pickup coordination, LoadUp offers professional removal in Seattle 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 Seattle with LoadUp → Round-up option appears at checkout. Optional, opt-in only.
Rules change at city limits. If you are outside Seattle proper, start with the guide for your own city:
Related guides: the complete Seattle 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 Seattle: mattress, couch, refrigerator, washer and dryer, furniture, tv and electronics, dresser, bed frame and box spring.
Does Seattle pick up scrap metal for free?
Scrap yards take it free. SPU charges $30 for a large metal item.
How much does paid scrap metal removal cost in Seattle?
Through the LoadUp marketplace, a single scrap metal pickup in Seattle 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, want full-service hauling (no curbside drag-out required), or live in apartment buildings without property manager Special Item Pickup coordination, LoadUp offers professional removal in Seattle 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 Seattle page maintained?
Yes. Freemoval maintains this page as a public resource alongside the full Seattle guide. We update it when programs change rules, fees, or contact methods. Last updated October 2026. If you find outdated information, let us know.