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Bulky item pickup in Orange County: how each city's program works
Bulky item pickup in Orange County is run city by city through each city's trash hauler: you book a date with Republic Services, CR&R or WM, put the sofa or old dryer out at the curb, and the hauler collects it. Pickup counts, item caps and refused lists change at the city line, so this guide sets eleven cities side by side and says when a paid pickup fits better.
How bulky item pickup works, step by step
WM's 2025 Irvine guide calls bulky collection a special service, picked up separately from the automated cart program. Every city in this guide asks you to book ahead, and the routine has three steps:
- Book ahead. Huntington Beach and Mission Viejo ask for 48 hours of notice, and Fullerton wants the call at least 24 hours before your regular collection day.
- Have your list ready. Anaheim's Republic newsletter and Garden Grove's city FAQ both tell residents to name the items when they call, since most programs cap the count.
- Put it out on the right day. Anaheim wants items out by 7 a.m. In Huntington Beach a special truck comes on your regular collection day.
Sources: WM: City of Irvine 2025 residential guide; City of Huntington Beach: residential trash information; City of Mission Viejo: recycling for residents; Republic Services: Fullerton newsletter 2025-2026; Republic Services: Anaheim residential newsletter, Summer 2026; City of Garden Grove: collection schedule FAQs.
Bulky trash pickup in 11 Orange County cities
Counts come from each city's page or its hauler's guide for that city, as of November 2026, and mostly apply to single-family homes with cart service. Where no source we could read gives a count, check with the hauler.
| City | Hauler | Pickups a year | Per pickup | How to schedule |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anaheim | Republic Services | 3 per calendar year (cart customers) | Up to 20 items | Call (714) 238-2444; items out by 7 a.m. |
| Santa Ana | Republic Services | Up to 4 at no charge (curbside carts) | Up to 4 items, 4 trash bags or 20 yard waste bags (30-gallon) | Call (657) 467-6220; collected within five working days |
| Huntington Beach | Republic Services | 4 (weekly cart service) | Up to 10 items | Call (714) 847-3581 with 48 hours of notice |
| Fullerton | Republic Services | Not stated; check with Republic | Ask when you call | Call (800) 700-8610 at least 24 hours before your collection day |
| Garden Grove | Republic Services | Up to 3 per calendar year | Up to 10 items | By appointment only: (714) 238-3300 |
| Tustin | CR&R | Up to 4 per calendar year (single-family homes) | Up to 4 items | Call (714) 372-8272 |
| Irvine | WM | 4 per calendar year (WM 2025 guide) | Up to 4 items | Call 949-642-1191 at least 48 hours before collection day |
| Newport Beach | CR&R | Up to 5 per year at no charge | Up to 5 items | CR&R Web Pak account, or 949-667-4158 |
| Mission Viejo | WM | 3 | Up to 5 large items | 949-642-1191 or email, 48 hours before trash day |
| San Clemente | CR&R | 4 per calendar year | Up to 4 large items or 4 bags | CR&R online scheduler; regular collection day |
| Aliso Viejo | CR&R | Not stated; check with CR&R | Items a two-person crew can handle | Call 877-728-0446 |
Garden Grove's collection FAQ lists (714) 238-2444 for Republic, so try that line if the appointment number does not connect. The City of Irvine's undated e-waste page still says two pickups a year; the table follows WM's 2025 guide. WM's summer 2025 Irvine newsletter asks for two business days of notice rather than 48 hours.
Sources: Republic Services: Anaheim residential newsletter, Summer 2026; Republic Services: Anaheim residential service guide; City of Santa Ana: illegal dumping and bulky item pickup; City of Huntington Beach: residential trash information; Republic Services: Fullerton newsletter 2025-2026; City of Garden Grove: cleanup days and bulky item pickup; City of Garden Grove: collection schedule FAQs; City of Tustin: residential collection services; City of Tustin: bulky items; WM: City of Irvine 2025 residential guide; WM: City of Irvine summer 2025 newsletter; City of Irvine: electronic waste; City of Newport Beach: CR&R collection program FAQ; City of Mission Viejo: recycling for residents; City of San Clemente: trash and recycling; City of Aliso Viejo: single-family waste and recycling services guide; City of Newport Beach: additional waste services.
Apartments, condos and pickups past the yearly allowance
- Santa Ana: buildings of three or more units with bin service may schedule up to 10 bulky items per unit per calendar quarter at no charge.
- Garden Grove: Republic opens its free bulk item program to multi-family residents too; settle the pickup spot with property management.
- Tustin: apartment residents go through the property manager, since CR&R books a pickup only at the request of the person on the account, and multifamily pickups carry a fee.
- Huntington Beach: commercial and multi-family customers pay $37.93 per item (city page, November 2026).
Used up your pickups? Anaheim, Santa Ana, Irvine and San Clemente all sell extra collections for a fee, so ask the hauler for the current price.
Sources: City of Santa Ana: illegal dumping and bulky item pickup; Republic Services: Garden Grove; City of Garden Grove: cleanup days and bulky item pickup; City of Tustin: bulky items; City of Huntington Beach: commercial trash information; Republic Services: Anaheim residential service guide; WM: City of Irvine 2025 residential guide; City of San Clemente: trash and recycling.
What the city truck usually will not take
- Hazardous waste. It heads Santa Ana's refused list. Paint, cleaners, pesticides and batteries go to the county's four household hazardous waste centers, free to Orange County residents, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, closed on major holidays and in rainy weather (see the household hazardous waste guide).
- Remodel debris. Santa Ana, Huntington Beach and Mission Viejo all exclude construction and demolition waste; Huntington Beach also refuses pallets.
- Tires and car bodies. Santa Ana turns away both, and Fullerton sends old tires back through the shop that sells you new ones.
- Anything too heavy for two people. Santa Ana is blunt: "No single item that cannot be handled by two workers will be accepted." Aliso Viejo sets the same two-person limit.
- Electronics, by city. Santa Ana's pickup accepts monitors, TVs and laptops, but Huntington Beach's takes no TVs, and Tustin and Aliso Viejo both warn that e-waste is illegal in any of your carts (see the e-waste guide).
- Refrigerators and AC units. Garden Grove charges a small Freon recovery fee and Tustin's CR&R a nominal one; the refrigerator disposal post covers the refrigerant rules.
Sources: City of Santa Ana: illegal dumping and bulky item pickup; City of Santa Ana: bulky item pickup is free and easy; City of Huntington Beach: residential trash information; City of Mission Viejo: recycling for residents; Republic Services: Fullerton newsletter 2025-2026; City of Aliso Viejo: single-family waste and recycling services guide; City of Tustin: electronic waste; City of Garden Grove: collection schedule FAQs; OC Waste & Recycling: HHW center locations; OC Waste & Recycling: household hazardous waste.
Curb rules: when items may sit outside
Book before anything goes out. Santa Ana makes it illegal to leave furniture, appliances or bags on the street, sidewalk or parkway at any time without a scheduled pickup. Newport Beach names a bulky pickup as the only time loose, non-containerized waste is acceptable (Municipal Code 6.04.080), with a $2.47 charge per instance after a first documented warning, a charge the city's 2022 FAQ says began May 1, 2022. To report an unscheduled pile, Santa Ana runs a Public Works Helpline at (714) 647-3380 and San Clemente takes calls at 949-498-9436.
Sources: City of Santa Ana: illegal dumping and bulky item pickup; City of Newport Beach: CR&R collection program FAQ; City of San Clemente: reporting illegal dumping.
Drop-off days and other no-cost routes
Santa Ana's quarterly bulky item drop-off days are free to residents with proof of residency, though its November 7, 2026 event was postponed because a county labor dispute restricted landfill access. Garden Grove's community cleanup days take bulky items, appliances, e-waste and green waste at no cost, though not refrigerators, freezers or AC units; the November 6 event moved to Saturday, December 5. For mattresses, a California retailer selling you a new one must offer no-cost take-back of the old one, and participating Bye Bye Mattress sites accept used ones at no additional cost (see how to dispose of a mattress).
Self-hauling is harder this month. On November 7, 2026, the county posted that Prima Deshecha Landfill was closed to public self-haul and Olinda Alpha had long waits due to picketing, so check the county's landfill updates or the Orange County landfills guide first.
Sources: City of Santa Ana: quarterly bulky item drop-off day; City of Santa Ana: Nov. 7, 2026 drop-off day postponed; City of Garden Grove: cleanup days and bulky item pickup; Republic Services: Anaheim residential newsletter, Summer 2026; Bye Bye Mattress: California; OC Waste & Recycling: landfill updates.
When the city program does not fit and a paid pickup makes sense
City bulky pickup is hard to beat when the item already sits at the curb and is on the accepted list. It stops working when:
- The item is still indoors. The programs work from the curb. Aliso Viejo's guide puts it simply: "CR&R will collect bulky items and white goods from your curbside." Getting a sleeper sofa down the stairs is your job.
- The item is refused. Remodel debris, tires or a piece too heavy for two workers stays behind.
- The hauler's calendar is not yours. Pickups follow the route: your regular collection day, 48 hours of notice, or up to five working days in Santa Ana. A move-out date does not change that.
- The load beats the cap. Tustin, Irvine, San Clemente and Santa Ana stop at four items per pickup, and a full garage can use up a year's allowance at once.
That is the job we do. Send photos through the quote form or to help@ocfastjunkremoval.com, or call (657) 822-0016 for a quote. We carry things out from the garage, the backyard or the second floor and haul them away; see furniture removal, appliance removal and garage cleanouts. Household hazardous waste is the exception: no junk hauler may take it, so it still goes to a county center.
Sources: City of Aliso Viejo: single-family waste and recycling services guide; City of Santa Ana: illegal dumping and bulky item pickup; City of Tustin: bulky items; WM: City of Irvine 2025 residential guide; City of San Clemente: trash and recycling; City of Huntington Beach: residential trash information.
Questions people ask
Is large item pickup the same as bulky item pickup?
Yes. Large item pickup, bulky trash pickup and bulk item pickup all name one service: your hauler collecting things too big for the cart, by appointment.
Does bulky item pickup cost anything in Orange County?
For most single-family homes with cart service, a set number of yearly pickups comes with trash service. Apartments in some cities, pickups past the yearly allowance and some refrigerators carry a charge.
Can I leave a couch on the curb for the regular trash truck?
No. Cart trucks skip loose items, and some cities treat an unscheduled set-out as illegal. Book first, then put the couch out on your pickup day.
Will the city crew come into my house or garage?
No, these programs collect from the curb. If getting it outside is the hard part, send us photos for a quote and we carry it out.
Related
Furniture removal
Couches, sectionals, beds, dressers and office furniture carried out and hauled away
Appliance removal
Refrigerators, freezers, washers, dryers, stoves and water heaters hauled out
How to get rid of old furniture
Sell, donate, schedule a city pickup or hire a hauler
Household hazardous waste in Orange County
Paint, batteries, chemicals: where they go and what no hauler takes
How to dispose of a mattress
Every legal way to get rid of a mattress in Orange County
Get a quote for your junk removal
Send a few photos through the form or call (657) 822-0016, and tell us the city and where the items are.