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A public resource guide
Free toilet and tub removal in Houston, TX
Every free and paid way to get rid of a toilet or bathtub in Houston, verified October 2026.
Checked against Houston Solid Waste
Home › By item › Bathroom fixtures › Houston
A public resource guide
Every free and paid way to get rid of a toilet or bathtub in Houston, verified October 2026.
Checked against Houston Solid Waste
6
heavy trash collections a year, junk waste in even months
8 cu yd
maximum per set-out, about a minivan
Fri 6 p.m.
earliest set-out, the Friday before your collection day
Every route for a toilet or bathtub in Houston, checked in October 2026 against the city’s current rules and the drop-off sites named. The full Houston guide covers every other item.
Here is how each route works in Houston, starting with the city program and ending with paid pickup.
Houston heavy trash (junk waste) collection: toilets, bathtubs, and sinks
FreeToilets are explicitly listed as accepted junk waste. Tubs and sinks count as resident-generated building material, within the 4-cubic-yard allowance.
Who qualifies: Occupied residential units with City of Houston curbside service, in buildings of 8 units or fewer. Larger complexes use private haulers.
How to schedule: No appointment. Heavy trash is collected every other month on your assigned day; look up your address with the city's service lookup tool or the HTX Collects app. Junk waste (furniture, appliances, mattresses) is collected in the even months: February, April, June, August, October, December. Odd months are tree waste only.
Limits: Up to 8 cubic yards per set-out, about a minivan's worth, with six collections a year. Resident-generated building material is capped at 4 cubic yards of that and cannot include shingles, brick, plaster, or concrete.
Set-out: Place items just behind the curb line in front of your home between 6 p.m. the Friday before and 7 a.m. on your collection day. Not in the street, not on the sidewalk, not under wires or on top of meters. If allowed and prohibited items are mixed, the whole pile can be refused.
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 Houston: 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 Houston: you can start the conversation now through the For partners page.
Houston has one of the more complex bulk pickup systems in the U.S., and it changed materially in March 2026: heavy trash now requires a 311 scheduling call. Combined with the alternating Tree Waste / Junk Waste cycle and the six free Neighborhood Depository & Recycling Centers, Houston residents have several legitimate options. This page walks through every one in order from free to paid.
The Houston rule for toilets, bathtubs, and sinks: Toilets are explicitly listed as accepted junk waste. Tubs and sinks count as resident-generated building material, within the 4-cubic-yard allowance.
Program basics: Up to 8 cubic yards per set-out, about a minivan's worth, with six collections a year. Resident-generated building material is capped at 4 cubic yards of that and cannot include shingles, brick, plaster, or concrete. Place items just behind the curb line in front of your home between 6 p.m. the Friday before and 7 a.m. on your collection day. Not in the street, not on the sidewalk, not under wires or on top of meters. If allowed and prohibited items are mixed, the whole pile can be refused.
What the city will not take: Electronics, paint, chemicals and other household hazardous waste, dirt and sod, roofing shingles, refrigerant appliances without a certified technician's tag, and anything generated by a contractor.
How we checked this. The rules on this page were verified in October 2026 against: Houston Solid Waste Management: Heavy Trash Collection (Bulk and Tree Waste), Houston Solid Waste Management: Residential Drop-Off locations, Houston Solid Waste Management: Environmental Service Centers. 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.
Three mistakes that get toilets, bathtubs, and sinks left at the curb:
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 $40Transfer 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 need same-week service, have items the city won’t take, or have more than 8 cubic yards, LoadUp offers professional removal in Houston with upfront pricing. Independent loaders in the marketplace handle pickup, loading, and licensed disposal.
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 Houston with LoadUp → Round-up option appears at checkout. Optional, opt-in only.
Rules change at city limits. If you are outside Houston proper, start with the guide for your own city:
Related guides: the complete Houston 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 Houston: mattress, couch, refrigerator, washer and dryer, furniture, tv and electronics, dresser, bed frame and box spring.
Does Houston pick up toilets, bathtubs, and sinks for free?
Yes. Toilets are on the junk waste list; tubs and sinks count toward the 4-cubic-yard building material allowance.
How much does paid toilet and tub removal cost in Houston?
Through the LoadUp marketplace, a single toilet or bathtub pickup in Houston starts around $80 to $100 with upfront pricing, and full-truck loads run $300 to $600 depending on volume. For households who need same-week service, have items the city won’t take, or have more than 8 cubic yards, LoadUp offers professional removal in Houston with upfront pricing. Independent loaders in the marketplace handle pickup, loading, and licensed disposal.
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 Houston page maintained?
Yes. Freemoval maintains this page as a public resource alongside the full Houston guide. We update it when programs change rules, fees, or contact methods. Last updated October 2026. If you find outdated information, let us know.