How to Get Rid of Old Furniture
in Houston

Item by item: the right move for each thing

Couches, sofas & soft furniture

Clean and sound? Donate it first (water-soaked pieces can't be donated). Otherwise a hauler loads it from the garage at a flat $126 (loveseat $119, sleeper sofa $149, 3-piece sectional $185) and the foam, wood, and metal are separated for recycling where possible.

Dressers, tables & case goods

Solid dressers ($126), dining tables ($129), and bookshelves ($72) donate well when dry and undamaged; the rest is broken down to recycle the wood and metal.

Mattresses & box springs

Best recycled rather than landfilled. We carry it out as-is (queen $103, king $114, twin $82, box spring $92) — no bagging — and route it to a recycler. After a flood, a soaked mattress is one of the first things to haul.

Refrigerators & appliances

Fridges, freezers, and ACs hold refrigerant that must be recovered to EPA standards before the metal is scrapped. We disconnect (a plumber cuts any gas line), roll it out of the garage, and route it properly — fridge $164, washer $133, dryer $128, dishwasher $109, water heater $131.

TVs & electronics

Texas has no statewide e-waste ban, but TVs, monitors, and computers still belong at a certified e-waste recycler, not the landfill. We dismount the wall set and recycle everything responsibly (TV $62–$73, monitor $58), including the leaded glass in old CRT sets.

Exercise equipment

Treadmills ($115), Pelotons ($80), and ellipticals ($97) are heavy and often bolted; we break them down and recycle the metal — a classic Houston garage clear-out.

Route 2 — The city's monthly heavy-trash pickup

Houston collects heavy trash on a monthly schedule by neighborhood, alternating tree-waste and junk-waste months — you set items at the curb during your heavy-trash week. It's the cheapest route for a few items you can move to the curb and don't mind leaving out for days. The catch: it runs on the city's calendar, not yours, and it won't come inside, out of an apartment, or down from a high-rise.

Route 4 — Recycle the right pieces

Mattresses are best recycled; electronics belong at an e-waste recycler; refrigerant appliances are handled to EPA standards. A hauler routes each to the right stream so you don't make separate trips across a metro the size of Houston.

DIY truck rental vs. hiring a hauler — the real math

Renting a truck sounds cheaper until you add the rental + the transfer-station dump fee + fuel + Houston traffic + your day — plus the mattress and TV you should recycle separately. And after a flood, the lifting is grim and the clock is against you. Here's the flat hauler side:

$75 minimum. Count the rental, dump fees, the separate mattress/e-waste trips, and your time — the flat number is usually close, and after a flood the speed alone is worth it.

Neighborhood notes

• Katy, Cypress, Sugar Land, The Woodlands — single-family homes with garages; quick driveway loads, but the city won't take the fridge or e-waste.
• Galleria, Downtown, Medical Center — high-rises that want a Certificate of Insurance and a reserved freight elevator; a hauler handles both.
• The Heights, Montrose — historic bungalows and fourplexes with porch steps; the carry is the job.
• Meyerland, Bellaire, Kingwood — flood-prone areas where the storm-debris haul is a recurring reality; fast truck-fill clearing matters.

Frequently asked questions

How does heavy-trash pickup work?

Monthly by neighborhood, at the curb during your heavy-trash week — not from inside, not e-waste.

What about after a flood?

Move fast — a hauler clears soaked contents by the truckload right away, before mold and the city queue set in.

Where can I donate?

Goodwill Houston, Salvation Army, Habitat ReStore — clean, dry pieces, call ahead.

How much to haul a couch?

A flat $126, loaded from the garage, $75 minimum.

How much for a house or flooded room?

By truck: 1/4 $241, half $431, full $732; multiple trucks at the same flat rate.

Mattress or TV?

Both recycled — we take the mattress as-is and recycle the TV responsibly.

Is DIY cheaper?

Often not, once you count rental, dump fees, sorting trips, traffic, and your day.

Do you cover the suburbs?

Yes — inside the Loop to Katy, Sugar Land, The Woodlands, Pearland, same flat price.

Do you handle Galleria high-rises?

Yes — COI filed and freight elevator booked the same day.

Do you handle appliance refrigerant?

Yes — recovered to EPA standards before the metal is recycled.

Frequently asked questions

How does Houston's heavy trash pickup work?

The City of Houston collects heavy trash on a monthly schedule by neighborhood, alternating tree-waste and junk-waste months. You set items at the curb during your scheduled heavy-trash week. It's the cheapest route for a few items you can move to the curb and don't mind leaving out for days — but it runs on the city's calendar, not yours, and won't come inside or down the stairs.

What do I do with furniture after a flood?

After a flood or storm, soaked furniture, mattresses, and drywall need to come out fast so the home can dry. The city runs special storm-debris collection after major events, but it can lag for weeks; a flat-rate hauler clears flood-damaged contents by the truckload right away — often same-day — so the dry-out can start.

Where can I donate furniture in Houston?

Usable furniture can go to Goodwill Houston, the Salvation Army, or a Habitat for Humanity ReStore, among others. Some offer pickup for larger pieces in good condition — call ahead, since they can't take damaged or water-soaked items.

How much does it cost to get rid of a couch in Houston?

Donation is free if it qualifies and you can deliver it. A flat-rate hauler is $126 for a couch, loaded from the garage or carried out of the tower, with a $75 minimum — usually worth it when you can't wait for the monthly heavy-trash week or it's a high-rise.

How much for a full house or apartment cleanout?

By how much of the truck the load fills: 1/4 truck $241, half $431, three-quarters $587, a full 16-cubic-yard truck $732. A garage or one room is often 1/4–1/2 a truck; a furnished home runs a full truck or several.

What do I do with a mattress or a TV?

Both are best recycled rather than landfilled — Texas has no statewide ban, but a mattress recycler and a certified e-waste recycler keep them out of the dump. A hauler carries the mattress out as-is and recycles the electronics responsibly, including the leaded glass in old sets.

Who handles the appliance refrigerant?

Refrigerators, freezers, and ACs contain refrigerant that must be recovered to EPA standards before the metal is recycled. A hauler disconnects the unit (a plumber cuts any gas line) and routes it to a recycler that handles the refrigerant.

Is renting a truck cheaper than a hauler?

Often not, once you add the rental, the transfer-station dump fee, fuel, Houston traffic, and your day — plus the mattress and e-waste you can't dump. A flat-rate hauler loads it from the garage and is frequently close on price, and far faster after a flood.

When should I just hire a hauler?

After a flood, when you can't wait for the monthly heavy-trash week, when it's a heavy piece or a full garage, or when it's a Galleria high-rise that needs a COI.