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A public resource guide
Free water heater removal in Aurora, CO
Every free and paid way to get rid of a water heater in Aurora, verified October 2026.
Checked against City of Aurora
Home › By item › Water heater › Aurora
A public resource guide
Every free and paid way to get rid of a water heater in Aurora, verified October 2026.
Checked against City of Aurora
0
city trash or bulky service; every home contracts a licensed hauler
Your hauler
schedules bulky pickups for a fee that varies by company
Cleanup events
city-organized neighborhood events a few times a year
Every route for a water heater in Aurora, checked in October 2026 against the city’s current rules and the drop-off sites named. The full Aurora guide covers every other item.
Here is how each route works in Aurora, starting with the city program and ending with paid pickup.
Aurora bulky item disposal: water heaters
Your hauler, for a feeScrap yard, drained, or your hauler.
Who qualifies: Aurora has no city trash collection. Every home, HOA, or building arranges service with one of the city's licensed private haulers, and bulky pickups are arranged with that hauler for a fee.
How to schedule: Call your hauler (Republic, Waste Connections, Waste Management, HBS, Mountain High, and others) to schedule a bulky pickup; fees vary. Self-haul to the Denver Arapahoe Disposal Site for a fee, or use the city's periodic neighborhood cleanup events. The 2021 free large-item pickup was a one-time program.
Limits: Set by your hauler. City cleanup events have their own rules and run a few times a year.
Set-out: Only on a date your hauler confirms; Aurora code requires trash to be contained and out of street view otherwise.
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 Aurora: 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 water heaters, 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 Aurora: you can start the conversation now through the For partners page.
Aurora, Colorado is the 51st-largest U.S. city and one of the few major cities where the city itself does not provide trash or recycling collection. Aurora requires all residences to have weekly trash service, but residents choose from the city’s licensed private haulers list. Aurora Water does run a citywide HHW pickup program through Waste Management’s At Your Door service: year-round curbside HHW pickup for $10 for Aurora residents (discounted from the $20 standard rate). Pedal Point LifeCycle Solutions partners with the city for electronics recycling events with rotating 2026 dates. Trash containers must be screened from street view per city code. This guide covers every disposal option for City of Aurora residents.
The Aurora rule for water heaters: Scrap yard, drained, or your hauler.
Program basics: Set by your hauler. City cleanup events have their own rules and run a few times a year. Only on a date your hauler confirms; Aurora code requires trash to be contained and out of street view otherwise.
What the city will not take: Nothing is collected free citywide. Electronics are banned from Colorado landfills.
How we checked this. The rules on this page were verified in October 2026 against: City of Aurora: Trash and Recycling (private hauler system). Programs change; confirm fees and limits before you go.
Hazardous and regulated components in Aurora. Aurora Water funds an unusually convenient HHW program: year-round curbside pickup of household hazardous waste at $10 for Aurora residents. The contractor is Waste Management under the At Your Door brand.
Why water heaters are different from ordinary bulk. The weight problem is entirely water. People try to tip a tank that has not fully drained and discover that 30 remaining gallons weigh 250 pounds. Sediment at the bottom can also clog the drain valve, leaving the tank heavier than it looks. Flushing with the cold supply on for a minute often clears it.
Three mistakes that get water heaters left at the curb:
Paid options come into play for basement tanks with difficult stairs, heat pump units, and situations where no replacement is being installed.
Self-haul to a transfer station or scrap yard
Free to $15A drained tank lies flat in a pickup bed or a large SUV. Scrap yards take them free; transfer stations may charge a small bulky item fee.
Strap it down. An empty tank rolls.
LoadUp paid water heater pickup
$80+For Aurora households needing in-home pickup, items beyond your hauler’s bulk policy, or service when crew labor is needed (heavy items, multiple-piece sets), LoadUp connects you with independent loaders in the Denver metro for upfront-priced pickup.
What’s included: Loading, hauling, and licensed disposal of your water heater. 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 water heater pickup in Aurora with LoadUp → Round-up option appears at checkout. Optional, opt-in only.
Rules change at city limits. If you are outside Aurora proper, start with the guide for your own city:
Related guides: the complete Aurora junk removal guide (every item type, city services, hazardous waste, and how to report dumping) and the national water heater disposal guide with rules for all 117 cities we cover.
Other free removal guides for Aurora: mattress, couch, refrigerator, washer and dryer, furniture, tv and electronics, dresser, bed frame and box spring.
Does Aurora pick up water heaters for free?
Scrap yard or your hauler.
How much does paid water heater removal cost in Aurora?
Through the LoadUp marketplace, a single water heater pickup in Aurora starts around $80 to $100 with upfront pricing, and full-truck loads run $300 to $600 depending on volume. For Aurora households needing in-home pickup, items beyond your hauler’s bulk policy, or service when crew labor is needed (heavy items, multiple-piece sets), LoadUp connects you with independent loaders in the Denver metro for upfront-priced pickup.
How do I drain a water heater before disposal?
Turn off the gas or the breaker and shut the cold water supply. Connect a garden hose to the drain valve and run it to a floor drain or outside. Open a hot tap upstairs and the T&P valve to let air in. When the flow stops, open the cold supply briefly to flush sediment, then close it and let the tank finish draining. Expect 20 to 40 minutes for a 50 gallon tank.
Can a water heater go out with bulk trash?
In most cities, yes, as long as it is drained. Some cities treat it as an appliance with its own appointment. Check the local rule in the directory below.
Will a scrap yard pay for an old water heater?
Usually a few dollars for the steel, more for a tankless unit with a copper heat exchanger. Most yards require the tank to be fully drained and some ask that the drain valve be removed.
Is there anything hazardous in a water heater?
Standard gas and electric tanks contain no refrigerant or regulated materials. Heat pump water heaters contain refrigerant in the compressor and must be handled like a refrigerator. The glass lining and the magnesium or aluminum anode rod are inert.
Is this Aurora page maintained?
Yes. Freemoval maintains this page as a public resource alongside the full Aurora guide. We update it when programs change rules, fees, or contact methods. Last updated October 2026. If you find outdated information, let us know.