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A public resource guide

Free toilet and tub removal in Chattanooga, TN

Remodel loads need a dumpster.

Roll-off dumpster filled with furniture and renovation debris Checked against City of Chattanooga

4 areas

rotating weekly sweeps, about once a month per area, no appointment

7 a.m. Mon

piles out by this time on the Monday of your area's week

3 piles

brush, bulk trash, and bagged yard waste kept separate

Every route for a toilet or bathtub in Chattanooga, checked in October 2026 against the city’s current rules and the drop-off sites named. The full Chattanooga guide covers every other item.

Free toilet and tub removal in Chattanooga

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

Chattanooga area-based brush and bulk collection: toilets, bathtubs, and sinks

Free, with a step first

A single toilet or sink is usually taken as bulk; remodel loads are construction debris.

Who qualifies: Households with City of Chattanooga Public Works garbage collection.

How to schedule: No appointment since January 2023. The city is divided into four service areas and dedicated trucks sweep each area for one week on a rotating schedule (about once a month). Keep brush, bulk trash, and bagged yard waste in separate piles at the curb by 7 a.m. on the Monday of your area's week.

Limits: No published volume cap for ordinary household bulk; piles must not be mixed with garbage, brush, or unacceptable material.

Set-out: At the curb in front of the residence by 7 a.m. Monday of your collection week, not in alleys, not on sidewalks, parking areas, drainage ditches, water meters, or under low wires.

Read the full Chattanooga 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 Chattanooga: 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 toilets, bathtubs, and sinks, 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 Chattanooga: you can start the conversation now through the For partners page.

For partners ›

How Chattanooga handles toilets, bathtubs, and sinks

Chattanooga runs a unique area-rotation bulk pickup system: FREE Brush & Bulky Trash Collection by 4 rotating service areas, NO appointment needed. The City is divided into Areas 1-4, and dedicated bulk trucks remain in each area for one week before rotating to the next, giving every street citywide coverage roughly once per month. Residents prepare separate piles for brush, bulk trash, bagged yard waste, and leaves at the curb by 7 AM Monday of their assigned collection week. Annual cap: maximum 12 brush collections + 12 bulk collections per single property per consecutive 12-month period. Service is restricted to residential properties only, NOT available to businesses, apartment complexes, or landlords. You or a relative must live at the address. Wood waste limit: 8 ft long, 18 in diameter, 4 ft high. Brush and bulk MUST NOT be mixed. Holiday schedule is one of the simplest in the country, only Thanksgiving and Christmas affect collection. This page walks through every legitimate option in order from free to paid.

The Chattanooga rule for toilets, bathtubs, and sinks: A single toilet or sink is usually taken as bulk; remodel loads are construction debris.

Program basics: No published volume cap for ordinary household bulk; piles must not be mixed with garbage, brush, or unacceptable material. At the curb in front of the residence by 7 a.m. Monday of your collection week, not in alleys, not on sidewalks, parking areas, drainage ditches, water meters, or under low wires.

What the city will not take: Household garbage mixed in, construction debris, hazardous waste, and electronics. Appliances with refrigerant should be confirmed with 311 before set-out.

How we checked this. The rules on this page were verified in October 2026 against: City of Chattanooga Public Works: Brush and Bulk Trash Collection. Programs change; confirm fees and limits before you go.

Why toilets, bathtubs, and sinks are different from ordinary bulk. Porcelain is the sticking point. A whole toilet or pedestal sink is heavy, awkward, and shatters into sharp pieces, so many bulk crews refuse them intact. Some cities accept porcelain if it is broken into pieces and bagged or boxed; others route it to the transfer station as inert C&D material. Clean porcelain is actually recyclable as aggregate, and a growing number of regions accept it at concrete recyclers.

Prep checklist before pickup day in Chattanooga

  • Shut the supply valve, flush, and sponge out the toilet tank and bowl. Disconnect the supply line.
  • Remove the tank bolts and lift the tank off separately; it halves the weight.
  • Unbolt the toilet from the flange, rock it free, and set it on cardboard. Stuff a rag in the floor flange.
  • For tubs, confirm the material: a magnet sticks to cast iron and steel, not to fiberglass or acrylic.
  • Cut fiberglass tubs to your city’s length limit with a reciprocating saw, or break cast iron under a blanket with eye protection.

Three mistakes that get toilets, bathtubs, and sinks left at the curb:

  • Don't set a whole toilet at the curb in a city that excludes fixtures. It will sit there, and porcelain at the curb is a frequent code citation.
  • Don't scrap a clawfoot or vintage cast iron tub. Salvage shops pay real money for them and will often remove them for you.
  • Don't break porcelain without eye protection and gloves. It shatters into edges sharper than glass.

When the city classifies fixtures as C&D and no scrap or donation route fits, paid options are the only legal path.

Self-haul to a transfer station or C&D recycler

$10 to $40

Transfer stations accept fixtures as C&D by weight or by load. Clean porcelain is accepted at some concrete and aggregate recyclers for less. Break porcelain into bagged pieces to make it easy to handle.

Line the vehicle. Porcelain shards will cut carpet and tires.

LoadUp paid toilet or bathtub pickup

$80+

For households who can’t wait for their area’s rotation week, exceed the 12 collections per type per 12 months, live in apartment buildings without City service, have construction debris (NOT eligible for City service), exceed wood waste size limits (over 8 ft / 18 in / 4 ft), or want full-service in-home pickup, LoadUp offers professional removal in Chattanooga with upfront pricing. Independent loaders in the marketplace handle pickup, loading, and licensed disposal. LoadUp’s headquarters is in Atlanta, Chattanooga is part of our home market.

What’s included: Loading, hauling, and licensed disposal of your toilet or bathtub. 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 toilet or bathtub pickup in Chattanooga with LoadUp → Round-up option appears at checkout. Optional, opt-in only.

Toilet, bathtub, and sink rules in nearby cities

Rules change at city limits. If you are outside Chattanooga proper, start with the guide for your own city:

Closest category in the Knoxville table: NOT eligible for any City service. Self-haul to landfill or rent dumpster.
Closest category in the Memphis table: Not accepted in regular trash, Outside-the-Cart, or Convenience Centers. Options: dumpster rental ($300-$600), self-haul…
Closest category in the Nashville table: 1 cubic yard limit at Omohundro Convenience Center only. Larger amounts: Southern Services Landfill (4651 Amy Lynn Dr)…

Related guides: the complete Chattanooga junk removal guide (every item type, city services, hazardous waste, and how to report dumping) and the national toilet, bathtub, and sink disposal guide with rules for all 117 cities we cover.

Other free removal guides for Chattanooga: mattress, couch, refrigerator, washer and dryer, furniture, tv and electronics, dresser, bed frame and box spring.

Common questions about toilet and tub removal in Chattanooga

Does Chattanooga pick up toilets, bathtubs, and sinks for free?

A single fixture on your area’s week. Remodel loads need a dumpster.

How much does paid toilet and tub removal cost in Chattanooga?

Through the LoadUp marketplace, a single toilet or bathtub pickup in Chattanooga starts around $80 to $100 with upfront pricing, and full-truck loads run $300 to $600 depending on volume. For households who can’t wait for their area’s rotation week, exceed the 12 collections per type per 12 months, live in apartment buildings without City service, have construction debris (NOT eligible for City service), exceed wood waste size limits (over 8 ft / 18 in / 4 ft), or want full-service in-home pickup, LoadUp offers professional removal in Chattanooga with upfront pricing. Independent loaders in the marketplace handle pickup, loading, and licensed disposal. LoadUp’s headquarters is in Atlanta, Chattanooga is part of our home market.

Can I put an old toilet out with bulk trash?

It depends on the city. Some accept toilets and sinks with bulk pickup, some accept only broken porcelain in bags with regular trash, and many classify fixtures as construction debris and exclude them. Check the directory below for your city.

Is porcelain recyclable?

Yes, as inert aggregate. Crushed toilets and sinks become road base and fill. Some transfer stations and concrete recyclers accept clean porcelain for less than general C&D rates, and some water utilities run toilet recycling drop-offs.

How do I get a cast iron tub out of a second-floor bathroom?

Either hire scrappers or movers who handle the weight, or break it. Cover the tub with a heavy blanket, wear eye protection, gloves, and long sleeves, and strike the side near the drain with a sledgehammer; cast iron cracks into pieces that two people can carry. Clean up the enamel chips, which are sharp.

Will a ReStore take a used toilet?

Most will if it is a 1.6 gpf or lower model, uncracked, clean, and complete with tank lid and seat. Some require the WaterSense 1.28 gpf label. Older 3.5 gpf toilets are generally refused.

Is this Chattanooga page maintained?

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

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 Chattanooga 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.