Columbus bulk pickup
What Columbus will take, what has to be prepared first, and where the rest goes. The city’s own pages call this bulk collection, which is the phrase to look for on their site.
Columbus bulk collection: what you can put out
Enter your address above to get your next bulk collection date.
Put it out as it is1
- Washers, dryers, stoves and dishwashers
Put it out, but get it ready first3
- Mattresses and upholstered furniture
- Anything with fabric on it, leather included, has to be sealed in plastic wrap. Tell 311 when you book if it has been near bed bugs.
- Carpet
- Rolled and tied, no longer than 4 feet and no thicker than 2 feet across.
- Furniture
- Leave it assembled, and tape any glass. You have to clear up any glass left on the ground afterwards.
Not this collection. Here is what does take it7
- Refrigerators and freezers
- Columbus will not take these at all, on any service, and there is no way to make them acceptable. The city tells you to hire a licensed private hauler. Dehumidifiers, heat pumps, water coolers and air conditioners are refused for the same reason.
- Furnaces, pianos, hot tubs and pool tables
- Private hauler.
- Tires and car parts
- A licensed private hauler. Car batteries count as household hazardous waste instead.SWACO household hazardous waste drop-off645 E. 8th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43201614-294-1300Weekdays 9am to 5pm, first Saturday of the month 9am to 2pmFree to Franklin County residents, except latex paint which is about $1 a gallon. No tires, ammunition, needles or medicines.
- Building and excavating material
- Roofing, concrete, drywall, lumber, fencing and railroad ties are all construction waste, which is yours to dispose of through a licensed hauler.
- Hazardous, flammable or explosive material
- Free drop-off.SWACO household hazardous waste drop-off
- Bags, boxes and storage tubs
- None of these count as bulk. Bagged and boxed items go in your trash container. Empty tubs left with a bulk pile get thrown away.
- Anything from a move-out, eviction or house clean-out
- Not eligible, whoever is clearing the property has to arrange a licensed hauler.
The rules for everything above
How much
- Columbus publishes no size, weight or quantity limit for a house.
- You can only book bulk at an address someone lives in, for items generated there.
- If there is an open violation notice on the property, bulk cannot be booked until it is cleared.
Where it goes
- Curbside households: in front of the house, clear of obstructions.
- Alley households: behind your property, on your side of the alley.
- At least 4 feet from your trash cart, so the truck's arm can reach it.
When to put it out
- No earlier than 72 hours before your scheduled day, and out by 6am on the day itself.
- Nothing is collected unless you booked it first, on 311 or 614-645-3111.
If you get it wrong
- $250 for putting bulk out more than 72 hours early (Columbus City Code section 1303.021(F)(1)) and $250 for leaving it in a mess (F)(2). $1,000 for items not generated at the property (F)(4), and $1,000 for setting out unacceptable waste (1303.021(D)(1) and (D)(2)). The whole penalty table is in the Title 13 document linked below.
What Columbus does not say
Columbus publishes no answer for televisions and other electronics, how often you may book a bulk collection, any size, weight or quantity limit for a house, or where to take medical waste. Ask them directly if it matters to you.
Read on August 29, 2026: division of refuse collection rules and regulations, title 13 revised 9 16 25, Unacceptable Items, Waste and Reuse Convenience Centers.
From Columbus’s own bulk collection page, read August 29, 2026. Read it on the city’s site.
Also on Columbus
- Columbus collection daysTrash, recycling and the rest, by address.
- Bulk pickup, city by cityWhat each city takes, and where they disagree.
Columbus schedule last checked September 5, 2026