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A public resource guide
Free water heater removal in Richmond, VA
Every free and paid way to get rid of a water heater in Richmond, verified October 2026.
Checked against Richmond DPW
Home › By item › Water heater › Richmond
A public resource guide
Every free and paid way to get rid of a water heater in Richmond, verified October 2026.
Checked against Richmond DPW
Every 2 weeks
bulk and brush on your trash day during your recycling week, no appointment
$50
per appliance for a scheduled DPW pickup through 311 (free if you self-haul)
2
free city drop-off sites: East Richmond Road Convenience Center and Southside Transfer Station
Every route for a water heater in Richmond, checked in October 2026 against the city’s current rules and the drop-off sites named. The full Richmond guide covers every other item.
Here is how each route works in Richmond, starting with the city program and ending with paid pickup.
Richmond bi-weekly bulk and brush collection: water heaters
$50 appliance pickup, or free self-haulA drained water heater is an appliance: $50 through 311 or free self-haul.
Who qualifies: Households with City of Richmond DPW trash collection.
How to schedule: No appointment. Bulk and brush is collected every other week, on your trash day during your recycling week (check your Blue or Red week at cvwma.com or the DPW Service Finder). Put items next to your recycling cart the night before. If the crew misses you, they return by Saturday of that week.
Limits: No published volume cap for ordinary household bulk. Appliances are a separate $50 per-appliance pickup through 311. A 24-hour rush pickup is $100.
Set-out: Next to your recycling cart, at the same spot as household trash, by 6 a.m. on trash day during recycling week. Brush under 6 feet and 3 inches, bundled.
Richmond Southside Transfer Station: water heaters
Free for residentsAppliances accepted.
Where: 3520 N. Hopkins Rd, Richmond, VA 23224
How it works: Free for city residents, no commercial vehicles. Monday to Friday 6:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Saturday 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Large bulk items, appliances, brush, and up to 4 tires without rims ($1 each beyond 4).
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 Richmond: 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 Richmond: you can start the conversation now through the For partners page.
Richmond runs an unusually comprehensive system: biweekly year-round Bulk and Brush pickup that mirrors the recycling Blue/Red week schedule, two free transfer stations open year-round, AND a 15 neighborhood Saturday Cleanup program that visits each zone twice between March and November. Trash collection requires City-issued "supercans" only per Section 86-81 ordinance, items in non-issued containers will not be collected and a violation notice will be issued. Set-out timing is strict: out no earlier than 4 PM the day before, removed by 7 AM the day after. Appliance pickups carry a $50 fee. Tire disposal limited to 4 free per household at the East Richmond Road Convenience Center. This page walks through every legitimate option in order from free to paid.
The Richmond rule for water heaters: A drained water heater is an appliance: $50 through 311 or free self-haul.
Program basics: No published volume cap for ordinary household bulk. Appliances are a separate $50 per-appliance pickup through 311. A 24-hour rush pickup is $100. Next to your recycling cart, at the same spot as household trash, by 6 a.m. on trash day during recycling week. Brush under 6 feet and 3 inches, bundled.
What the city will not take: Carpet, auto parts, construction debris, and electronics. Tires are collected only with rims removed. Hazardous waste goes to the East Richmond Road Convenience Center.
How we checked this. The rules on this page were verified in October 2026 against: City of Richmond DPW: Bulk and Brush collection, City of Richmond DPW: Trash Collection (transfer station and appliance fee), City of Richmond: Neighborhood Clean-Up Program 2026. Programs change; confirm fees and limits before you go.
Hazardous and regulated components in Richmond. Richmond residents can dispose of household hazardous waste through Central Virginia Waste Management Authority (CVWMA) HHW programs and periodic special events. The City of Richmond does NOT accept hazardous waste in regular trash, bulk pickup, or Saturday Cleanups. Several retailers 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. To report discarded tires or illegal dumping in your alleyway or along the roadside: call 3-1-1 or 804-646-7000 and provide the specific location to have abandoned tires removed.
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 need same-day service, can’t wait for biweekly Bulk and Brush, have items the City won’t take, want to avoid the $50 appliance fee while also avoiding self-hauling, live in apartments, or want full-service in-home pickup, LoadUp offers professional removal in Richmond 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 Richmond with LoadUp → Round-up option appears at checkout. Optional, opt-in only.
Rules change at city limits. If you are outside Richmond proper, start with the guide for your own city:
Related guides: the complete Richmond 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 Richmond: mattress, couch, refrigerator, washer and dryer, furniture, tv and electronics, dresser, bed frame and box spring.
Does Richmond pick up water heaters for free?
$50 through 311, or free at the transfer station.
How much does paid water heater removal cost in Richmond?
Through the LoadUp marketplace, a single water heater pickup in Richmond starts around $80 to $100 with upfront pricing, and full-truck loads run $300 to $600 depending on volume. For households who need same-day service, can’t wait for biweekly Bulk and Brush, have items the City won’t take, want to avoid the $50 appliance fee while also avoiding self-hauling, live in apartments, or want full-service in-home pickup, LoadUp offers professional removal in Richmond 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 Richmond page maintained?
Yes. Freemoval maintains this page as a public resource alongside the full Richmond guide. We update it when programs change rules, fees, or contact methods. Last updated October 2026. If you find outdated information, let us know.