2
bulky collection weeks a year, plus 2 separate brush weeks
8 cu yd
maximum pile, within 8 feet of the curb
4
Bulky Waste Collection Centers, free with your CPS Energy bill
Every route for tires in San Antonio, checked in October 2026 against the city’s current rules and the drop-off sites named. The full San Antonio guide covers every other item.
Here is how each route works in San Antonio, starting with the city program and ending with paid pickup.
San Antonio curbside bulky item collection: tires
FreeSan Antonio accepts up to 6 car tires per household in the bulky pile, rims removed. The centers take the same 6 with no rims.
Who qualifies: City of San Antonio residential solid waste customers (the city-cart households). Apartment complexes use private haulers.
How to schedule: No appointment. Bulky collection comes twice a year and brush collection twice a year, on separate weeks. A door hanger arrives 7 to 10 days ahead with your set-out date; Find My Collection Day on sa.gov gives an estimate. Need it sooner? Request an out-of-cycle collection through 311 or 210-207-6000 for a fee estimate.
Limits: Up to 8 cubic yards per pile. Brush and bulky are separate services: a bulky pile that contains brush can be fined up to $2,000 a day plus a collection fee.
Set-out: Pile at the curb in front of your house (even if your garbage is collected in the alley), within 8 feet of the curb, by 7 a.m. Monday of your collection week, clear of parked cars, fences, trees, and meters. Crews can take all week to come through.
Bulky Waste Collection Centers: tires
Free, 6 or fewer, no rimsRims must be off.
Where: Four centers around the city; addresses and hours on sa.gov (Bitters is accessed from Jones Maltsberger and Wurzbach Parkway)
How it works: Residential customers only. Bring a recent CPS Energy bill showing the environmental fee and a photo ID, and the visit is free. Limits: 4 cubic yards of bulky items, 1 cubic yard of construction material, 6 tires with no rims. No household trash, no commercial loads.
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 San Antonio: 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 tires, 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 San Antonio: you can start the conversation now through the For partners page.
San Antonio runs a tightly structured but generous system: biannual curbside Brush & Bulky pickup (twice each per year, so 4 collections total spread throughout the year) with door-hanger notifications about 7-10 days before your week, a three-cart system (brown trash weekly, blue recycling weekly, green organics/composting weekly), and four FREE Bulky Waste Collection Centers open year-round for residents. The trade-off is the strict Tarp Law (Ordinance No. 2015-09-10-0760) requiring residents to cover brush loads or face a $5 penalty. Annual Free Landfill Day on Saturday, February 14, 2026 (8 AM-1 PM) offers an additional free disposal opportunity. This page walks through every legitimate option in order from free to paid.
The San Antonio rule for tires: San Antonio accepts up to 6 car tires per household in the bulky pile, rims removed. The centers take the same 6 with no rims.
Program basics: Up to 8 cubic yards per pile. Brush and bulky are separate services: a bulky pile that contains brush can be fined up to $2,000 a day plus a collection fee. Pile at the curb in front of your house (even if your garbage is collected in the alley), within 8 feet of the curb, by 7 a.m. Monday of your collection week, clear of parked cars, fences, trees, and meters. Crews can take all week to come through.
What the city will not take: Brush in the bulky pile, construction debris, glass and mirrors, household hazardous waste, auto parts, and anything from a business.
How we checked this. The rules on this page were verified in October 2026 against: City of San Antonio SWMD: Curbside Brush and Bulky Item Collection, City of San Antonio SWMD: Bulky Waste Collection Centers. Programs change; confirm fees and limits before you go.
Hazardous and regulated components in San Antonio. San Antonio residents have multiple free HHW disposal options: (1) ONE permanent HHW center (Tue-Fri 8 AM-5 PM, Sat 8 AM-12 PM), (2) ONE monthly drop-off center on the first Friday/Saturday of each month (8 AM-12 PM), and (3) THREE quarterly mobile HHW collection events at rotating locations. All FREE for residents. Limits: paint and liquid waste 5 cans of 5-gallon size and 25 cans of 1-gallon size, with 220-lb max per container. 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. The San Antonio River Authority hosts six free Household Hazardous Waste Collection Events each year in Wilson, Karnes, and Goliad counties (semi-annual events in spring and fall) for those county residents.
Why tires are different from ordinary bulk. Tires are widely banned from landfills (state laws in nearly every U.S. state) but easy to recycle through the established tire fee system. The disposal fee is built into every new tire purchase ($1 to $5 per tire), funding end-of-life processing.
Three mistakes that get tires left at the curb:
When free options don’t fit (no new tire purchase, no upcoming collection events, more than the per-event limit):
Auto Shop Tire-Only Disposal
$3 to $8 eachMost auto shops will accept old tires WITHOUT a new tire purchase for $3 to $8 per tire. The fee covers their disposal cost since they didn’t collect the tire fee on a new purchase from you.
The most universal paid option: Available at virtually every auto shop nationally, Discount Tire, Costco Tire Center, Walmart Auto Care, NTB, local independent shops. Many will let you drop off tires anytime during business hours, no appointment.
Volume limit: Most shops cap at 4 to 5 tires per visit. Larger volumes need specialized tire recyclers.
LoadUp paid tires pickup
$80+For households who need same-day service, can’t wait until next Brush & Bulky week, exceed Bulky Center limits, have items the city won’t accept, live in apartment buildings, or want full-service in-home pickup, LoadUp offers professional removal in San Antonio with upfront pricing. Independent loaders in the marketplace handle pickup, loading, and licensed disposal.
What’s included: Loading, hauling, and licensed disposal of your tires. 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 tires pickup in San Antonio with LoadUp → Round-up option appears at checkout. Optional, opt-in only.
Rules change at city limits. If you are outside San Antonio proper, start with the guide for your own city:
Related guides: the complete San Antonio junk removal guide (every item type, city services, hazardous waste, and how to report dumping) and the national tires disposal guide with rules for all 117 cities we cover.
Other free removal guides for San Antonio: mattress, couch, refrigerator, washer and dryer, furniture, tv and electronics, dresser, bed frame and box spring.
Does San Antonio pick up tires for free?
Yes, up to 6 car tires with rims removed, on your bulky week or at a Bulky Waste Collection Center.
How much does paid tire removal cost in San Antonio?
Through the LoadUp marketplace, a single tires pickup in San Antonio 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, can't wait until next Brush & Bulky week, exceed Bulky Center limits, have items the city won't accept, live in apartment buildings, or want full-service in-home pickup, LoadUp offers professional removal in San Antonio with upfront pricing. Independent loaders in the marketplace handle pickup, loading, and licensed disposal.
What’s the cheapest way to dispose of tires?
If you’re buying new tires anyway: free with new tire purchase at any tire shop. The disposal fee is built into the new tire price by state law. If you have old tires without buying new ones: $3 to $8 per tire at most auto shops, or free at periodic city tire collection events. Auto shops are the most universal option, every Discount Tire, Walmart Auto Care, Costco Tire Center, and local independent shop accepts old tires for the disposal fee.
Why are tires banned from landfills?
Whole tires don’t compress in landfills, they trap air and rise to the surface over time, breaking the landfill cap and creating breeding grounds for mosquitoes that carry West Nile virus and Zika. Tire piles are also a major fire hazard, tire fires are notoriously difficult to extinguish and release toxic smoke. Nearly every U.S. state has banned whole tires from landfills under solid waste laws. Recycled tires get shredded and used as tire-derived fuel for cement kilns and paper mills, crumb rubber for athletic field surfacing and playgrounds, and recycled rubber products.
How does the tire disposal fee work?
Every new tire sold in the U.S. includes a small disposal fee ($1 to $5 per tire built into the purchase price) that funds end-of-life recycling. Tire shops are required by state law to take old tires when you buy new ones, this is the simplest disposal channel and feels free because the cost was already paid when you bought the new tire. The fee varies by state: California $1.75 per tire, New York $2.50 per tire, most southern states $1 to $2 per tire.
What about specialty tires (agricultural, oversized, off-road)?
Most auto shops only accept passenger and light-truck tires. For agricultural tractor tires, oversized truck tires, motorcycle tires, and off-road tires, you’ll need a specialized recycler. Search “tire recycling” plus your tire type. Some farm equipment dealers accept their own brand back. Disposal fees for specialty tires are typically $20 to $100 per tire because of the larger volume of rubber.
Is this San Antonio page maintained?
Yes. Freemoval maintains this page as a public resource alongside the full San Antonio guide. We update it when programs change rules, fees, or contact methods. Last updated October 2026. If you find outdated information, let us know.
