The short answer
If you live in a Pasadena single-family home and have a few items the city accepts, the free city bulky-item pickup is usually the right call: you get two free pickups a year by appointment. Hire a hauler when you need it gone soon, the items are inside or upstairs, it's something the city won't take like construction materials, dirt or tree stumps, or you've already used your free pickups.
Does Pasadena pick up bulky items?
Yes. The City of Pasadena's Public Works department lets single-family residents schedule two free bulky-item pickups per year. You book by calling the city for an appointment; the city's page lists booking by phone only.
The city lists these as accepted: appliances, furniture, mattresses, two tires, lawn furniture, barbecues, play equipment, bundled wood (3 feet max), fence material, and miscellaneous items (call and ask).
It's free, and for a couch, an old washer and a mattress, it's hard to beat. If your stuff is on that list and you can wait for an appointment, use it.
What won't the Pasadena bulky pickup take?
The city's page lists these as not accepted on a bulky pickup:
- Household hazardous waste
- Electronic waste and computers
- Construction materials
- Dirt and sand
- Large tree limbs and tree stumps
“I texted them @ 9pm and they responded immediately and showed up the next day before 8:30am as promised!”
Where do hazardous waste and electronics go?
Not on the bulky pickup, and not with Roa Solution Junk Removal either. Roa doesn't take hazardous waste.
Pasadena's residential services page links to the city's household hazardous waste resource and its one-day e-waste collection events. LA County also runs a free Household Hazardous and Electronic Waste program with collection events and centers across the county. Check the city's or county's program for what they accept and when.
What about apartments and LA County areas outside Pasadena?
Pasadena's bulky pickup page covers single-family homes. Apartments and multifamily buildings have a separate city page, so ask your property manager how bulky items are handled at your building.
Outside city limits, unincorporated LA County areas are served by private haulers under county contracts. LA County Public Works says most of those haulers, in unincorporated areas, Garbage Disposal Districts and residential franchise areas, provide free bulky-item pickup. Call your hauler; the number is on your bill or your trash containers.
In the county's Garbage Disposal Districts, service includes weekly bulky-item and e-waste pickup on request at no extra charge. Altadena's residential service comes from Universal Waste Systems under a county franchise, and the county says bulky item collection is part of that service. In Hacienda Heights, Valley Vista Services' July 1, 2026 subscription order allows up to eight on-call pickups a year at no extra charge, and $27.27 per collection after that.
Every city in the San Gabriel Valley has its own rules. See the city-by-city guide for each one.
When is the free city pickup the right call?
Use the city or county program when most of these are true:
- Your items are on the accepted list, like furniture, appliances and mattresses.
- You can wait for the next open appointment.
- You can get the items out to where the hauler collects them yourself.
- You still have free pickups left for the year.
- It's a handful of items, not a whole room or a cleanout.
When does hiring a hauler make sense?
A hauler like Roa Solution Junk Removal is usually the better fit when:
- You need it gone today or tomorrow. Roa does same-day and next-day pickups depending on availability, and the phone is open 24 hours, 7 days.
- The items are inside, upstairs, in a backyard or in a storage unit. The crew carries them out, so you don't move anything.
- It's on the city's no-take list. Roa does construction debris removal and yard waste removal for things like remodel scraps, dirt and big branches.
- You've used your free pickups for the year, or you have more than one pickup's worth.
- It's a cleanout: a garage, a house, an estate, or a tenant move-out.
- You're moving out on a deadline and can't wait for a city appointment.
Can I just leave junk on the curb?
No. City bulky programs work by appointment or on set days, and items left out unscheduled can count as illegal dumping. Baldwin Park, for example, says unscheduled bulky items can't be visible from the street at any time, with citations of $100 to $500 per violation.
Statewide, LA County Public Works notes that California Penal Code 374.3 makes illegal dumping punishable by a fine up to $10,000, and Health and Safety Code 117555 allows up to six months in jail. Schedule your pickup first, then put items out when your program says to.
What does a hauler cost compared to free?
Free is free, and Roa won't pretend otherwise. Roa Solution Junk Removal pricing starts at $250, priced by truck space, materials, weight, access and labor. First-time customers get $50 off.
A smart mix is common: use the city pickup for the couch and the washer, and call a hauler for the rest. Text photos to (562) 219-9266 and you'll get a price by text so you can compare.
Getting appliances ready to go
Whichever way you go, a little prep on appliances helps the pickup go fast.
If you're replacing an appliance, ask the store whether they'll haul the old one away when they deliver the new one. Some do, and that may be the easiest option.
- Empty the fridge or freezer and unplug it a day ahead so it can defrost
- Take out loose shelves and drawers or tape them shut
- Have gas appliances and water lines disconnected by a qualified person before pickup
- Clear a path from the appliance to the door and tell us about stairs
Before you book: furniture
Walk the house once, room by room, including the garage and backyard, and decide what's going. One pickup for everything is usually simpler than several small ones.
Take photos of each piece, plus the stairs or hallway it has to go through. Big sectionals, sleeper sofas and armoires sometimes need to come apart to get out a door, and the crew can break them down on site.
City pickup or Roa: a quick way to decide
Use the city if you're a single-family resident with a free pickup left, the items are on the accepted list, you can get them out of the house yourself, and you can wait for an appointment.
Call Roa if the items are inside or upstairs, you've used your free pickups, you live in an apartment, or you need them gone today or tomorrow. Your first pickup with us is $50 off.
Sources
- City of Pasadena: Residential Recycling and Refuse Services
- LA County Household Hazardous and Electronic Waste Program
- LA County Public Works: Countywide Mattress Recycling Program
- LA County Public Works: Garbage Disposal Districts
- LA County Public Works: Altadena/Kinneloa Mesa Residential Franchise
- Valley Vista Services: Hacienda Heights Subscription Order (July 1, 2026)
- City of Baldwin Park: Free Weekly Bulky Item Pickup
- LA County Public Works: Illegal Dumping
Rules change. Check the city or county page before you rely on a limit, fee or date.