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A public resource guide

Free toilet and tub removal in McAllen, TX

Remodel loads need a dumpster.

Roll-off dumpster filled with furniture and renovation debris Checked against McAllen Public Works

Monthly

brush and bulky week by zone (four zones), set out before Monday of your week

1 week

earliest set-out before your zone's collection date

5 tires

per month per resident at the Recycling Center, 4101 N. Bentsen Rd, free with a water bill

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

Free toilet and tub removal in McAllen

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

McAllen monthly brush and bulky collection: toilets, bathtubs, and sinks

Free, with a step first

A single toilet or sink from your home is usually taken as bulky; remodel loads are construction debris.

Who qualifies: Single-family homes with City of McAllen garbage service (the brush and bulky fee is on your monthly bill).

How to schedule: No appointment. The city is divided into four zones, each with an assigned week of the month; the schedule is at mcallenpublicworks.net/brush. Set items at your assigned collection spot no earlier than one week before and before the Monday of your zone's week, in two separate piles: brush and bulky.

Limits: Resident-generated items only. Keep piles 3 feet from mailboxes, fences, meters, hydrants, wires, and cars. Nothing in alleys unless your bins are serviced there, and never on vacant lots.

Set-out: At the same location your black and blue carts are serviced, no earlier than one week before your zone's Monday, brush and bulky in separate piles, not in the street or near drainage inlets.

Read the full McAllen 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 McAllen: 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 McAllen: you can start the conversation now through the For partners page.

For partners ›

How McAllen handles toilets, bathtubs, and sinks

McAllen, Texas serves a rapidly growing Rio Grande Valley metro with a monthly zone-based Brush and Bulky Trash Collection system and a year-round free drop-off site for residents. The zone system means each part of the city gets bulky pickup once per month on a rotating schedule. A free residential drop-off site at 4101 N. Bentsen Rd accepts large items, tires, and metals year-round for residents with a water bill. This guide covers every disposal option for McAllen city residents.

The McAllen rule for toilets, bathtubs, and sinks: A single toilet or sink from your home is usually taken as bulky; remodel loads are construction debris.

Program basics: Resident-generated items only. Keep piles 3 feet from mailboxes, fences, meters, hydrants, wires, and cars. Nothing in alleys unless your bins are serviced there, and never on vacant lots. At the same location your black and blue carts are serviced, no earlier than one week before your zone's Monday, brush and bulky in separate piles, not in the street or near drainage inlets.

What the city will not take: Hazardous materials, construction debris, tires, and electronics are not collected during brush and bulky pickup. The Recycling Center on North Bentsen takes tires (5 a month) and appliances from residents.

How we checked this. The rules on this page were verified in October 2026 against: McAllen Public Works: Residential Garbage Service and drop-off site, City of McAllen: Recycling Center bulky waste drop-off (tires, appliances), McAllen Public Works brush and bulky schedule reminder (zone rules). 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 McAllen

  • 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 McAllen households who need same-day or in-home pickup, crew labor, or faster service than city programs allow, LoadUp connects you with independent loaders in the McAllen area.

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 McAllen 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 McAllen proper, start with the guide for your own city:

Closest category in the Arlington table: NOT in bulk. Self-haul to landfill (3 free visits), private hauler, or dumpster rental.
Closest category in the Austin table: Not accepted in city bulk pickup. Options: dumpster rental ($300-$600), private hauler.
Closest category in the Corpus Christi table: NOT in twice-annual bulky. J.C. Elliott Collection Center (fees may apply) or private dumpster.
Closest category in the Dallas table: Not accepted in city bulk pickup. Free landfill self-haul (residents only). Larger amounts: dumpster rental ($300-$600),…
Closest category in the El Paso table: NOT accepted at CCS. Licensed C&D landfill, dumpster rental, or paid hauler required.
Closest category in the Fort Worth table: NOT in monthly bulk. Private hauler, dumpster rental, or licensed C&D landfill.

Related guides: the complete McAllen 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 McAllen: mattress, couch, refrigerator, washer and dryer, furniture, tv and electronics, dresser, bed frame and box spring.

Common questions about toilet and tub removal in McAllen

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

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

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

Through the LoadUp marketplace, a single toilet or bathtub pickup in McAllen starts around $80 to $100 with upfront pricing, and full-truck loads run $300 to $600 depending on volume. For McAllen households who need same-day or in-home pickup, crew labor, or faster service than city programs allow, LoadUp connects you with independent loaders in the McAllen area.

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 McAllen page maintained?

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

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 McAllen 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.