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A public resource guide
Free toilet and tub removal in San Jose, CA
Confirm with 311; remodel loads are construction debris.
Checked against San Jose ESD
Home › By item › Bathroom fixtures › San Jose
A public resource guide
Confirm with 311; remodel loads are construction debris.
Checked against San Jose ESD
Unlimited
free Junk Pickup appointments for San Jose residents
3-1-1
or 408-535-3500 to book, online at sanjoseca.gov/311
Apartments too
book through your property manager or GreenTeam, 408-282-4400
Every route for a toilet or bathtub in San Jose, checked in October 2026 against the city’s current rules and the drop-off sites named. The full San Jose guide covers every other item.
Here is how each route works in San Jose, starting with the city program and ending with paid pickup.
San Jose free Junk Pickup: toilets, bathtubs, and sinks
Free, with a step firstA single toilet or sink from your own home can usually go on a Junk Pickup appointment; a bathroom's worth from a remodel counts as construction debris. Confirm with 311 when booking.
Who qualifies: Every San Jose resident. Houses and mobile home parks book through their recycling collection company; apartment and condo residents book through their property manager or GreenTeam of San Jose at 408-282-4400.
How to schedule: Schedule a free appointment at sanjoseca.gov/311, by dialing 3-1-1, or at 408-535-3500. The city says appointments are unlimited. Pickup is curbside, usually on your regular service day, and you set items out the day before.
Limits: Unlimited appointments. Items must come from your own home. Several items can go on one appointment; book another if you have more.
Set-out: Set items at the curb no earlier than the day before your confirmed appointment, spaced away from carts, cars, and mailboxes. Items at the curb without an appointment are treated as illegal dumping, which San Jose enforces.
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 Jose: 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 San Jose: you can start the conversation now through the For partners page.
San Jose, CA offers one of the most generous bulk waste programs among major U.S. cities: unlimited free junk pickups for residential customers, scheduled on demand through your franchise hauler. There are no annual limits, no appointment windows with months-long waits, and no per-item fees. The catch: San Jose uses three different private haulers (GreenTeam, Garden City Sanitation, and GreenWaste Recovery) and your hauler depends on your address. California’s SB 1383 mandatory organics sorting also applies citywide. This guide covers every disposal option for San Jose residents.
The San Jose rule for toilets, bathtubs, and sinks: A single toilet or sink from your own home can usually go on a Junk Pickup appointment; a bathroom's worth from a remodel counts as construction debris. Confirm with 311 when booking.
Program basics: Unlimited appointments. Items must come from your own home. Several items can go on one appointment; book another if you have more. Set items at the curb no earlier than the day before your confirmed appointment, spaced away from carts, cars, and mailboxes. Items at the curb without an appointment are treated as illegal dumping, which San Jose enforces.
What the city will not take: Construction and demolition debris, household hazardous waste (paint, chemicals, oil), and anything from a business. Electronics and refrigerant appliances are accepted, which is unusual.
How we checked this. The rules on this page were verified in October 2026 against: City of San Jose Environmental Services: Recycling and Garbage for Residents (free Junk Pickup), City of San Jose: Recycling and Garbage overview. 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 San Jose households who need same-day or in-home pickup, need more capacity than free options provide, or want full-service crew-based hauling, LoadUp connects you with independent loaders in the San Jose area for upfront-priced pickup.
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 San Jose with LoadUp → Round-up option appears at checkout. Optional, opt-in only.
Rules change at city limits. If you are outside San Jose proper, start with the guide for your own city:
Related guides: the complete San Jose 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 San Jose: mattress, couch, refrigerator, washer and dryer, furniture, tv and electronics, dresser, bed frame and box spring.
Does San Jose pick up toilets, bathtubs, and sinks for free?
Usually, for a single homeowner-removed fixture. Confirm with 311; remodel loads are construction debris.
How much does paid toilet and tub removal cost in San Jose?
Through the LoadUp marketplace, a single toilet or bathtub pickup in San Jose starts around $80 to $100 with upfront pricing, and full-truck loads run $300 to $600 depending on volume. For San Jose households who need same-day or in-home pickup, need more capacity than free options provide, or want full-service crew-based hauling, LoadUp connects you with independent loaders in the San Jose area for upfront-priced pickup.
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 San Jose page maintained?
Yes. Freemoval maintains this page as a public resource alongside the full San Jose guide. We update it when programs change rules, fees, or contact methods. Last updated October 2026. If you find outdated information, let us know.