How to get rid of appliances in Riverside: washers, dryers, stoves and water heaters

The short answer

Appliances split into two groups. Anything with refrigerant (refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners) is excluded from the City of Riverside's bulky-item pickup. Other appliances are not on the City's excluded list, so a washer or stove can usually ride on one of your two yearly appointments; confirm when you book. Riverside County landfills charge a $7 per-item appliance surcharge. A flat pickup is $133 for a washer, $128 for a dryer, $134 for an electric range and $131 for a tank water heater.

What the City of Riverside program takes

The City's bulky-item program allows two appointments per address per year, five items per appointment, curbside by 5:30 am and not out more than 24 hours before. Its published exclusions include:

• Refrigerant appliances: air conditioners, freezers, refrigerators.
• Electronics: TVs, computers, monitors, cell phones, stereos.
• Tires and auto parts, construction debris, and household hazardous waste.

Washers, dryers, stoves and dishwashers are not on that list. The practical problem is weight: a washer or a range has to get from the laundry room or kitchen to the curb by 5:30 am, and nobody from the City comes inside to get it. Book by calling the City at (951) 826-5311, and say which appliances are going out so there are no surprises on the day.

Neighboring programs

• Ontario: four appointments a year for single-family homes, five large items each, and the City explicitly takes appliances and water heaters.
• Moreno Valley: up to four bulky or e-waste pickups a month through Waste Management, excluding anything one person cannot safely lift, which rules out most full-size appliances.
• Corona: three special collections a year, with oversized and heavy items excluded.
• Fontana and Rialto (Burrtec): three and two pickups a year respectively for single-family homes.

For the many cities in the region whose rules are not listed here, such as Temecula, Murrieta, Menifee or Rancho Cucamonga, check your own city or hauler's page before planning around a free pickup.

Self-hauling: the county rules

Riverside County's fee ordinance for July 2026 to June 2027 adds a $7 surcharge per appliance requiring special handling. The list covers washers, dryers, refrigerators, stoves, water heaters, air conditioners and microwaves, up to four a day. On top of that is the load fee, a flat $15.70 for a car, SUV or pickup with a bed up to eight feet, and a $25 surcharge if the load is not covered.

Badlands (Ironwood Avenue, Moreno Valley) and Lamb Canyon (Beaumont) are open Monday to Saturday 6:00 to 4:30. El Sobrante (Dawson Canyon Road, Corona) is open to the public Monday to Saturday 6:00 to 6:00.

Before you go: you need an appliance dolly, straps, a second person and a vehicle that can carry 150 to 200 pounds of steel. A tank water heater still holding sediment is heavier than it looks. A washer and dryer self-hauled together cost $15.70 + $7 + $7 = $29.70 at the gate.

Flat appliance prices

The order minimum is $100, so a lone countertop microwave is billed at $100.

Typical Inland Empire appliance jobs

Most IE homes are slab-built, with the laundry in the garage or a hall closet and a water heater in the garage. That shapes the common jobs.

• Laundry upgrade in a Moreno Valley tract home: washer and dryer, $133 + $128 = $261.
• Kitchen remodel in the Wood Streets: gas range, dishwasher and built-in microwave, $137 + $109 + $54 = $300.
• Garage water-heater swap: if the plumber is not hauling the old tank, $131.
• Full kitchen in an Orangecrest flip: fridge, electric range and dishwasher, $164 + $134 + $109 = $407.

Disconnection is on you or your installer. Gas lines and water heaters should be shut off and disconnected by someone qualified before pickup. The crew handles carry-out and disposal.

Apartments, condos and mobile homes

Renters face a different problem: the appliances usually belong to the landlord, and city programs often do not serve the building. Ontario and Rialto send apartment residents to their property manager, and Rialto does the same for condos and mobile-home parks. If you own a stacked washer-dryer in a Canyon Crest or Rancho Cucamonga condo, check the association's rules on moving heavy items through shared hallways and stairs, and whether the building needs a certificate of insurance; JunkRabbit emails one within 1 hour. In Hemet, San Jacinto and Sun City mobile-home parks, laundry often sits in a narrow utility room or a carport, so photograph the doorway. A stacked combo from a mobile home plus a tankless water heater from the same remodel is $189 + $90 = $279.

Before pickup day

1. Disconnect power, water and gas (or have a pro do it).
2. Drain the washer hoses and the water heater if you can.
3. Empty the dryer lint trap and remove anything left in drums or ovens.
4. Clear a path from the laundry room or garage to the driveway.
5. Upload a photo on the instant quote page. The price is fixed before you book and only changes if you approve.

We recycle whatever we can, and appliances are mostly steel. Same-day pickup when you book by 4 PM. In summer, a morning window makes a garage water-heater carry far more pleasant.

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