Sacramento County’s Free Bulky Waste Pickup: How It Works

If you live in unincorporated Sacramento County, you’re entitled to one free bulky waste pickup appointment every 12 months, covering up to 5 cubic yards of acceptable items — no truck rental, no dump run, no cost beyond what’s already in your regular waste service. Most residents never use it, mostly because nobody explains clearly how to book it, what actually qualifies, or what happens once you’ve used your one free pickup for the year.

This guide walks through exactly how the program works, straight from Sacramento County’s own rules, plus what your options are once you’ve outgrown it.

What You Get, Once a Year

One appointment, up to 5 cubic yards of acceptable bulky items, included in standard residential curbside collection service — no extra charge. Need a second pickup within the same 12 months? You can still book one, it’s just billed at the county’s current rate instead of being free.

How to Schedule It

Sacramento County gives you three ways to book:

• Call Customer Service — Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm, at 916-875-5555.
• Submit the online request form at wmr.saccounty.gov.
• Use the free SacGreenTeam app on your phone.

Appointments fill up, especially in spring and around the holidays, so booking a few weeks ahead beats waiting until the pile is already on your lawn.

Setting Items Out Correctly

The county is specific about placement, and getting it wrong can mean a missed pickup:

• Items go out by 6:00am, but no more than 24 hours before your scheduled appointment.
• Place everything on your property line, on the same side of the street as your house, about one foot from the curb.
• Set it on a flat, hard surface — not on grass or dirt.
• Keep it clear of utility lines and tree limbs — the county needs 14.5 feet of overhead clearance to access it.

Special Items Need Their Own Pile

Appliances, e-waste, fluorescent tubes, clean lumber or tree and shrub trimmings, and tires all need to be flagged when you schedule your appointment — and physically set to one side, separate from your main pile, so the crew can route them for proper recycling instead of the landfill.

When the Free Pickup Isn’t Enough

Five cubic yards sounds like a lot until you’re staring at a garage clean-out, an estate clean-out, or the aftermath of a remodel. The county program has real limits worth knowing about before you count on it:

• Volume caps out fast. A full garage or a torn-out deck routinely runs well past 5 cubic yards in one go.
• It’s once a year. If you already used your free appointment in March and need another pickup in July, you’re paying county rates for the next one anyway.
• Scheduling isn’t same-day. If you’re trying to close on a house sale, clear a rental before new tenants move in, or just want it gone this week, waiting for the next open appointment slot doesn’t always work.
• Sorting is on you. The county picks up what you’ve already sorted and set out correctly — it doesn’t send anyone inside to help load a couch down two flights of stairs.

That’s the gap a full-service junk removal service fills: no volume limit, no 12-month wait, no separate pile for appliances or e-waste, and a crew that does the lifting and loading, not just the driving. If your Sacramento project is bigger than one appointment’s worth, see what we cover in our full breakdown of free junk removal options in Sacramento — including donation pickups and what a dump run actually costs once you add up the fees.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many free bulky waste pickups does Sacramento County give per year?

One appointment covering up to 5 cubic yards of acceptable items every 12 months, included in standard residential curbside collection service. Additional appointments within the same 12 months are billed at current rates.

How do I schedule a Sacramento County bulky waste pickup?

Three ways: call Customer Service Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm at 916-875-5555, submit the online appointment request form at wmr.saccounty.gov, or use the free SacGreenTeam mobile app.

Does the county bulky pickup program cover cities like Roseville, Folsom, or Elk Grove?

No — this specific program is run by Sacramento County for unincorporated areas. Incorporated cities contract their own haulers and run separate bulky pickup programs with their own rules and schedules. Check your specific city’s waste department if you’re not in unincorporated Sacramento County.

What happens if I have more than 5 cubic yards of junk?

You can pay for an additional county appointment at current rates, or book a private junk removal service that isn’t limited by volume, doesn’t require a special set-aside process for appliances or e-waste, and doesn’t make you wait for the next available appointment slot.

What items need to be set aside separately for county pickup?

Appliances, e-waste, fluorescent tubes, clean lumber or tree/shrub trimmings, and tires all need to be flagged when you schedule and physically placed to one side of your main bulky waste pile so they can be recycled correctly.

Whether you’re working with the county’s free program or need something bigger handled faster, contact us or grab a free quote — we know exactly which Sacramento neighborhoods have overhead clearance issues, HOA rules, or narrow alleys, because we work in them every week.