Figuring out what the city takes. Waiting for pickup day. Calling around for quotes. It’s a lot to sort out for something you’re ready to be done with.
Standard sofa$79First item example Before applicable tax
Your exact price. Upfront.
Find your items in the catalog and see your exact price online. Book without phone calls or an in-person estimate.
Gone as soon as today.
Choose your pickup day. Book by 2pm local time for same-day pickup, where available.
In the loop until it’s gone.
Get a booking confirmation, a text before arrival and pickup photos when it’s done. Follow along on your pickup page.
Made for your place
Your place. One easy pickup plan.
A house, a condo or an apartment. Choose an accessible outdoor spot that works for your property. You arrange the move outside; we take it from there.
1
Book before you bring it out.
Your items can still be inside when you book. Follow the readiness instructions in your confirmation.
2
Choose a clear outdoor spot.
You arrange any carrying out of your home or down interior stairs. Keep entrances, sidewalks and shared access clear. We handle loading and haul-away from outside.
3
Show us where to find it.
Add a photo and clear location notes. Contact us before booking if a gate, building rule or restricted access window needs an arrangement.
At a house: outside, accessible and easy to identify.At an apartment: an approved outdoor spot with shared access clear.
Access needs an arrangement?
Check any building or shared-area rules. Contact us before booking if access is limited to particular hours.
City collection Residents may place one qualifying furniture piece per week on trash day, subject to item-specific exceptions. The City says qualifying furniture needs no permit but does not publish a separate collection-charge statement.
City collection Cambridge residents schedule eligible standard mattresses and box springs through the City's contractor, UTEC. $45 each mattress or box spring. Eligible Cambridge residential UTEC collection.
The highest first-item price applies once. Every remaining item uses its additional-item price. Loading, transportation and disposal are included. Applicable sales tax is shown before payment.
Selected customer reviews. Counts checked September 2026.
The local disposal guide
Will the city take it?
Cambridge Public Works uses several item-specific routes. Furniture and some small electronics can follow the regular collection schedule, while mattresses use UTEC and air conditioners, larger screens and motorized exercise equipment need a City permit. Check the exact item in Get Rid of It Right before setting it out.
Cambridge residents schedule eligible standard mattresses and box springs through the City's contractor, UTEC.
City cost & eligibility
$45 each mattress or box spring. Eligible Cambridge residential UTEC collection.
When & how
Schedule in advance through UTEC. Buildings with more than 12 units should ask the property manager first because another process may apply.
Get it ready
Place each eligible piece at the curb in front of the address after 6pm the prior day and by 7am. Crews do not enter private property. Excessively torn or punctured, soiled, moldy, infested or previously infested pieces and nonstandard bedding are excluded.
Residents can use curbside collection without a permit for listed small electronics and screens 20 inches or less.
City cost & eligibility
The City lists no permit for these items but does not publish a universal charge statement; confirm the exact device.
When & how
Put an eligible small screen close to the curb edge by 7am on the regular collection day, or take an accepted small device to the Recycling Center.
Get it ready
Use Get Rid of It Right to confirm the device. The resident curbside no-permit list includes microwaves, stereos, box fans and small printers or fax machines. Commercial and industrial items are excluded from curbside collection.
Small exercise equipment needs an unpaid permit, while large motorized equipment requires a paid permit.
City cost & eligibility
The charge depends on the equipment: small items have an unpaid permit, while large motorized items need a paid permit of an unpublished amount.
When & how
Apply for the correct permit first. Most permitted pickups are scheduled for Wednesday or Thursday.
Get it ready
Confirm whether the equipment is small or large and motorized. Place it curbside after 6pm the prior evening or by 7am on the assigned date. Commercial equipment is excluded.
Air conditioners require a paid City disposal permit and refrigerant handling through the City process.
City cost & eligibility
A paid permit is required, but the current City page does not publish the amount.
When & how
Apply for a permit first. Most permitted items are scheduled for Wednesday or Thursday.
Get it ready
Use the assigned date and place the unit curbside after 6pm the prior evening or by 7am. The City arranges refrigerant removal before scrap-metal recycling. Commercial units are excluded.
Eligible residents receive weekly seasonal pickup for prepared leaves, grass, plants, twigs and qualifying branches.
City cost & eligibility
No charge. Residents receiving City recycling collection, from April 1 through December 31.
When & how
Set accepted material out after 6pm the prior evening or by 7am on the regular collection day during the season.
Get it ready
Use paper lawn bags or marked barrels no larger than 32 gallons or 50 pounds. Do not use plastic bags. A hired contractor must remove the yard waste it creates; soil, rocks, stumps and invasive plants are excluded.
Use trash day for one qualifying furniture piece. Put an eligible small screen close to the curb edge by 7am on its regular collection day. Check Get Rid of It Right for item exceptions and the carpet collection day.
Apply before set-out and use the date assigned by the City. Most permitted items are scheduled Wednesday or Thursday. Place the item curbside after 6pm the prior evening or by 7am; commercial and industrial items are excluded.
Put the eligible mattress or box spring at the curb in front of the address after 6pm the prior evening and by 7am. UTEC crews do not enter private property.
Use paper lawn bags or marked barrels within the size and weight limits. Put them out after 6pm the prior evening or by 7am. Keep yard waste out of plastic bags.
Use a permitted, accessible outdoor spot. Arrange the move out of your home, keep shared access clear and follow your confirmation’s readiness instructions. Check with your building about access or staging limits before booking.
The exact furniture piece, small electronic or residential carpet bundle qualifies at an eligible resident address.
Cost & conditions
Permit requirements and any charge depend on the exact item; check it in Get Rid of It Right.
Arrange it
Use the address's collection day and follow the item's preparation rule.
Furniture is limited to one qualifying piece per week. Carpet has a residential bundle limit. Commercial and industrial items are excluded from curbside collection; the Recycling Center has separate small-business and nonprofit eligibility.
A standard mattress or box spring meets the condition rules and the address is eligible.
Cost & conditions
$45 each mattress or box spring. Eligible Cambridge residential UTEC collection.
Arrange it
Schedule in advance with UTEC, then follow the curbside window.
Buildings with more than 12 units may use another process. UTEC does not take futons, toppers, other furniture or excessively torn or punctured, soiled, moldy, infested or previously infested pieces.
The Cambridge Recycling Center is a documented local drop-off for accepted small electronics, not a general bulky-item facility. The City lists no Cambridge mattress drop-off, and the retained sources do not establish local self-haul for furniture, carpet, exercise equipment or air conditioners. Confirm a private destination before transporting those items. Cambridge Recycling CenterMattress recycling and UTEC collection
Drop off accepted small electronics
Cambridge Recycling Center
147 Hampshire Street, Cambridge, MA
Computers, cell phones, small appliances, string lights and other small electronics confirmed through Get Rid of It Right.
Open to Cambridge residents and Cambridge small businesses or nonprofits with 50 employees or fewer. Contact DPW before bringing more than 50 items. The documented electronics scope is for small devices; confirm the exact item before travel.
Tuesday and Thursday, 4pm–7:30pm; Saturday, 9am–4pm. Check the City page before travel.
The City page does not list a drop-off charge; confirm before travel.
Prices, timing and the details that matter at your address.
How much does pickup cost?+
Choose your items to see the exact price. A standard sofa is $79 first and $29 additional. The highest first-item price applies once; every remaining item uses its additional-item price. Loading, transportation and disposal are included. Review any applicable sales tax and the final total before payment.
Can I book a pickup for today?+
Book by 2pm at your pickup address for same-day pickup, where available. Choose from the dates shown at checkout. Your booking is for a pickup day, and we text you when your hauler is on the way.
Do my items need to be outside when I book?+
You can book while your items are still inside. Arrange any indoor carrying and have everything outside and accessible according to your confirmation. We load and haul it away from there. Contact us before booking if your property has restricted access.
How does Cambridge mattress pickup work?+
Book an eligible mattress or box spring through UTEC, then place it at the curb in front of the address within the City's set-out window. Buildings with more than 12 units should ask the property manager before booking. UTEC excludes excessively torn or punctured, soiled, moldy, infested or previously infested pieces and does not collect futons, toppers or other furniture on this route.Official guidance
Can Cambridge collect a couch on trash day?+
A resident may place one qualifying furniture piece per week on trash day. The City notes that exceptions apply, so check the couch or other exact piece in Get Rid of It Right before bringing it to the curb. Commercial and industrial pieces are excluded.Official guidance
Does a large TV need a Cambridge disposal permit?+
Yes. A TV or monitor over 20 inches diagonally needs a paid City permit. Apply before set-out and follow the date on the permit. Smaller screens use a different route, so measure the diagonal and verify the item before arranging collection.Official guidance
What yard debris does Cambridge collect?+
For residents receiving City recycling collection, the seasonal route accepts leaves, grass, plants, twigs and qualifying branches in paper lawn bags or marked barrels. Plastic bags, soil, rocks and stumps are excluded. A hired contractor must remove the yard waste generated by its work.Official guidance
Which Cambridge bulky items need a permit?+
Air conditioners, screens over 20 inches diagonally and large motorized exercise equipment need a paid permit. Small exercise equipment needs a permit without payment. Qualifying furniture, residential carpet bundles and listed small electronics use different rules, so check the exact item before set-out.Official guidance
