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A public resource guide
Every free and paid way to get rid of a water heater in Dallas, verified October 2026.
Checked against Dallas Sanitation
10 cu yd
monthly limit, with one 20-cubic-yard oversize collection a year by request
Thu to Sun
set-out window before your collection week
$60
per 5 cubic yards billed for oversize or non-compliant piles
Every route for a water heater in Dallas, checked in October 2026 against the city’s current rules and the drop-off sites named. The full Dallas guide covers every other item.
Here is how each route works in Dallas, starting with the city program and ending with paid pickup.
Dallas monthly brush and bulky item collection: water heaters
FreeA drained water heater is an accepted appliance for bulky collection.
Who qualifies: Single-family homes and duplexes with City of Dallas sanitation service. Apartment communities use private haulers.
How to schedule: No appointment. Every address has a monthly collection week (the week of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th Monday). Set items out Thursday through Sunday before that week and crews collect them on their route. Once a year you can request an oversize collection of up to 20 cubic yards by calling 311 the week before.
Limits: 10 cubic yards per month, about a heaped pickup bed. Piles over the limit or containing prohibited items are usually collected anyway and billed to your water account at $60 per 5 cubic yards.
Set-out: At the curb in front of your home, from 7 a.m. Thursday through Sunday before your collection week, clear of poles, meters, mailboxes, and parked cars so the claw truck can reach it. Early set-outs are billed like oversize piles.
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 Dallas: 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 Dallas: you can start the conversation now through the For partners page.
Dallas has one of the most generous monthly bulk allowances in the country: 10 cubic yards every month, plus a 20 cubic yard oversize option once per year. Combined with free landfill access for Dallas residents in personal vehicles, the system is genuinely robust if you stay within the rules. This page walks through every option in order from free to paid, including the strict $60-per-5-cubic-yards penalty for exceeding limits without scheduling oversize pickup first.
The Dallas rule for water heaters: A drained water heater is an accepted appliance for bulky collection.
Program basics: 10 cubic yards per month, about a heaped pickup bed. Piles over the limit or containing prohibited items are usually collected anyway and billed to your water account at $60 per 5 cubic yards. At the curb in front of your home, from 7 a.m. Thursday through Sunday before your collection week, clear of poles, meters, mailboxes, and parked cars so the claw truck can reach it. Early set-outs are billed like oversize piles.
What the city will not take: Appliances with Freon or other refrigerant (refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, dehumidifiers), tires, electronics, glass, car parts, loose garbage, and construction, demolition, or remodeling debris, bricks, concrete, and dirt.
How we checked this. The rules on this page were verified in October 2026 against: City of Dallas Sanitation: Brush and Bulky Item collection (pilot page with current rules), City of Dallas Sanitation: Brush and Bulky Item calendar insert. Programs change; confirm fees and limits before you go.
Hazardous and regulated components in Dallas. Dallas operates the Home Chemical Collection Center at 11234 Plano Rd, accepting household hazardous waste (paint, chemicals, batteries, motor oil) free for Dallas residents. Open Tuesday through Saturday. Bring proof of Dallas residency. Several retailers also offer ongoing free recycling: Home Depot for batteries and CFL bulbs, AutoZone for motor oil and car batteries, Best Buy for electronics, and most pharmacies for unused medications.
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 households who can’t wait for monthly pickup, have items the city won’t take (construction debris, certain appliances), or live in apartment buildings excluded from city pickup, LoadUp offers professional removal in Dallas with upfront pricing. Independent loaders in the marketplace handle pickup, loading, and licensed disposal.
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 Dallas with LoadUp → Round-up option appears at checkout. Optional, opt-in only.
Rules change at city limits. If you are outside Dallas proper, start with the guide for your own city:
Related guides: the complete Dallas 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 Dallas: mattress, couch, refrigerator, washer and dryer, furniture, tv and electronics, dresser, bed frame and box spring.
Does Dallas pick up water heaters for free?
Yes, drained, on your monthly collection week.
How much does paid water heater removal cost in Dallas?
Through the LoadUp marketplace, a single water heater pickup in Dallas 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 monthly pickup, have items the city won’t take (construction debris, certain appliances), or live in apartment buildings excluded from city pickup, LoadUp offers professional removal in Dallas with upfront pricing. Independent loaders in the marketplace handle pickup, loading, and licensed disposal.
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 Dallas page maintained?
Yes. Freemoval maintains this page as a public resource alongside the full Dallas guide. We update it when programs change rules, fees, or contact methods. Last updated October 2026. If you find outdated information, let us know.