Santa Monica Bulky Item Pickup Rules: What the City Takes in 2026

What does Santa Monica's bulky-item program include?

The City of Santa Monica's Resource Recovery and Recycling division collects large household items that do not fit in a bin: sofas, mattresses, desks, bookcases, chairs and similar furniture. As of November 2026, the published rules are these:

• 3 free pickups per year for residents.
• Up to 5 items in each pickup.
• After that, or beyond five items, the city charges $429.55 per hour, with a one-hour minimum, effective July 1, 2026.
• 7 to 10 days is the usual wait between request and pickup.

Refrigerators and freezers are collected by a separate truck. Tree trimmings are accepted if bundled: no longer than three feet, no heavier than ten pounds per bundle, and a maximum of four bundles. The authoritative page is the city's bulky and abandoned item collection explainer. Check it before you book, because rates and rules are the city's to change.

How do I schedule a Santa Monica bulky pickup?

1. Request it by calling 311 or (866) 311-7266, emailing 311@santamonica.gov, or using the city's online request form at 311.santamonica.gov.
2. List your items. The city counts them, so be specific. A sectional that comes apart into three pieces is a conversation to have with the dispatcher.
3. Get a date. Plan for 7 to 10 days. A request on the 25th does not clear a unit by the 1st.
4. Set the items out the day the city tells you, at the spot marked for city pickup.

Santa Monica's 311 is the city's own line. The City of Los Angeles runs a different system with a different, uncapped program, which we compare in our LA bulky item pickup guide, along with every nearby city's allowance.

Where do I put the items, and will crews come inside?

Put them at the front curb or at the alley location labeled "For City Pick-up." City crews do not enter private property. That includes the garage, the back yard, the building's lobby and the stairwell. If your items are on the third floor of a walk-up in Pico, they have to get to the alley by the time the truck arrives.

This catches renters in Ocean Park and Mid-City, where most buildings are served from the alley. It also catches landlords with multiple units, because the five-item cap is per pickup, not per door. A tenant who leaves a bedroom set, a sofa, two mattresses and a desk has already used the allowance. Do not put items out early. Items left in an alley before the scheduled day may be treated as illegally dumped, so confirm the placement date with the city.

What does the city exclude?

The program does not take construction or remodel debris, and it does not take hazardous waste. In practice:

For hazardous waste, Santa Monica residents use a free door-to-door service run by CleanEarth. Call (877) 443-2371. There is no household hazardous waste drop-off at the City Yards on Michigan Avenue; the city's hazardous materials page has the details. We do not haul paint, solvents or chemicals, and neither does any reputable junk hauler.

What does the overage actually cost in practice?

A one-hour minimum at $429.55 is the floor. A full apartment turnover or a garage cleanout runs well past five items, and the city's hourly rate accumulates with crew time. That charge is the city's rate for its own crews, and we mention it because residents ask how it compares. A private quote is built differently: it covers carrying from inside, a scheduled window, donation handling and disposal, priced by truck space from a photo.

A practical way to decide: count items before you call. If it is five or fewer and they are already at the alley, the free pickup is the right call. If it is more than five, if the items are inside, or if it has to happen sooner than a week from now, get a photo quote from a hauler. Our pricing guide explains how to compare quotes.

When is the city program the right call, and when is a hauler?

The city is the right call for a few things. One couch, one mattress, a dead refrigerator, an old desk. Three times a year is generous, and a month is enough lead time if nothing is urgent.

A hauler is the right call when the move-out is on a deadline, such as a lease ending in Pico or Ocean Park. It also covers estate cleanouts north of Montana, where the volume is far past five items and the people handling the estate are not usually in Santa Monica. We are based in Santa Monica and run furniture removal and estate cleanout jobs across the city. Our Santa Monica page covers access, towers and alleys.

To get a price, text photos to (310) 905-5138. Miles replies with a clear number.