The short answer
It depends on the appliance and your city. The City of Riverside's bulky program refuses anything with refrigerant. Ontario's program takes appliances for single-family homes. Franchise haulers like Waste Management and Burrtec run the bulky programs in Moreno Valley, Corona, Fontana and Rialto, each with its own limits. Retailers may haul away on delivery. Scrap collectors take metal. A flat pickup with JunkRabbit covers all of them from inside the house: fridge $164, washer $133, dryer $128.
Your city's program (and who runs it)
Across the Inland Empire, bulky-item collection is run either by city crews or by a private franchise hauler under contract. Who it is changes what you get.
| City | Who runs it / what you get |
|---|---|
| Riverside | The City's bulky-item program: 2 appointments a year, 5 items each. No refrigerators, freezers or A/C. |
| Moreno Valley | Waste Management: up to 4 bulky or e-waste pickups a month. Nothing one person cannot safely lift. |
| Corona | Waste Management: 3 collections a year, 6 bulk items. No oversized or heavy items. |
| Ontario | City Integrated Waste: 4 appointments a year, 5 large items. Appliances and water heaters accepted; apartments go through the manager. |
| Fontana | Burrtec: 3 pickups a year. |
| Rialto | Burrtec: 2 pickups a year for single-family homes. |
| San Bernardino | Burrtec, under a city contract: bulky pickups offered, but limits are not published on the city page. Call Burrtec at (909) 804-4222. |
Every one of them is curbside. The appliance has to be outside, by the morning deadline, before anyone touches it.
Retailers, on delivery day
When you buy a new washer, fridge or range, ask the store whether it removes the old unit at delivery and what it charges. When it works, it is the cleanest swap: the old one leaves as the new one arrives.
The limits: it only applies to the item you are replacing, usually only when it is disconnected and ready, and only on the delivery date. It does not help with the second fridge in the garage, the chest freezer from a parent's house, or the dryer that died two years ago and has been holding up boxes ever since.
Scrap collectors and recyclers
Appliances are mostly steel, so scrap collectors will often take washers, dryers, stoves and water heaters. Refrigerators, freezers and A/C units are different: their refrigerant must be recovered properly before the metal can be scrapped, and many scrap yards will not take them without it.
A word of caution about informal collectors. If someone takes your appliance, strips the metal and leaves the rest somewhere, the trail still leads to your address. California Penal Code §374.3 sets illegal-dumping fines starting at $250. Ask anyone you hire where the appliance is going.
Renters, condos and mobile homes
If you rent, the appliances in the unit usually belong to the landlord, and the decision is theirs. If you own a washer, dryer or extra fridge in a rental, the city program may not help: Ontario sends apartment residents to the property manager, and Rialto excludes apartments, condos and mobile-home parks from its free pickups. In mobile-home parks in Hemet, San Jacinto, Sun City and Perris, park rules on truck access and hours apply, so check with the office first. A renter leaving a Corona apartment with their own stacked washer-dryer and a mini fridge pays $189 + $115 = $304, carried down from any floor. Buildings that require a certificate of insurance get one emailed within 1 hour.
Doing it yourself
Riverside County's landfills accept appliances with a $7 per-item special-handling surcharge, up to four a day, plus the load fee (a flat $15.70 for a car, SUV or pickup up to eight feet). Badlands in Moreno Valley and Lamb Canyon in Beaumont are open Monday to Saturday 6:00 to 4:30. Cover the load or pay a $25 surcharge.
You need a truck, a dolly, straps and a second person. Refrigerators must travel upright. Two appliances in one trip cost $15.70 + $7 + $7 = $29.70 at the gate, before the truck, fuel and help.
A flat pickup, from inside
| Item | Flat price |
|---|---|
| Dishwasher | $109 |
| Dryer | $128 |
| Water Heater (Tank) | $131 |
| Washer | $133 |
| Stove / Oven / Range (Electric) | $134 |
| Freezer (Chest) | $146 |
| Refrigerator (Standard) | $164 |
| Refrigerator (Side-by-Side / French Door) | $183 |
This is the route that covers what the programs do not: the refrigerator in the City of Riverside, the heavy washer in Moreno Valley, the garage freezer in Corona, the apartment appliance in Ontario. A garage freezer and a dead dryer from a Jurupa Valley home: $146 + $128 = $274. A fridge, washer and dryer from a move-out: $164 + $133 + $128 = $425.
Carried out from any floor, no stairs fee, disposal included, and we recycle whatever we can.
Choosing the right one
- Buying a replacement? Ask the retailer first.
- In Ontario with an appointment left? Use the City program.
- A washer or stove in the City of Riverside, and you can get it to the curb? A bulky appointment may work; confirm when you book.
- Anything with refrigerant in the City of Riverside, anything heavy in Moreno Valley or Corona, or anything still inside? Book a pickup. Get a fixed price from a photo on the instant quote page, same day when you book by 4 PM.
In summer, a garage appliance is easiest to move in the morning, before the garage heats up.
Frequently asked questions
Does the City of Riverside pick up old refrigerators?
No. Refrigerators, freezers and air conditioners are excluded from the City's bulky-item program. Use a retailer haul-away, a self-haul with the $7 appliance surcharge, or a pickup. A standard fridge pickup is $164.
Does Burrtec pick up appliances?
Burrtec runs bulky pickups in Fontana (three a year) and Rialto (two a year for single-family homes), and offers bulky pickups in the City of San Bernardino. Item rules vary by city, so check your own city's page. Everything is curbside.
Will a scrap yard take my refrigerator?
Many will not unless the refrigerant has been properly recovered. Call ahead before loading it. Washers, dryers and stoves are usually easier.
Who will take an appliance out of my house?
City and franchise programs are curbside only. JunkRabbit crews carry appliances out from any room or floor, with no stairs fee: a standard fridge is $164, a washer $133. Disconnect water and gas first.
Can you pick up several appliances at once?
Yes. Each is priced flat, so a fridge, washer and dryer are $164 + $133 + $128 = $425. They all go in one trip. You see the total before booking.