Junk removal jobs north of Boston for haulers: Melrose, Somerville and the 93 and 128 towns
Town rules checked October 24, 2026 · by JUNKRUN, Melrose MA
JunkRun gets more junk pickup requests than we can run ourselves. We send the extra jobs to independent haulers with a truck or trailer. In this area that means Melrose, Stoneham, Wakefield, Malden, Medford, Lynnfield, Somerville, Everett, Arlington, Belmont, Reading, North Reading, Winchester, Woburn, Burlington, Wilmington, Lexington and Bedford. Each job shows the exact pay before you claim it. It is free to join and there are no lead fees. You work for yourself and carry your own insurance.
What the jobs look like here
Most jobs are furniture, mattresses, appliances, and basement and garage cleanouts from homes. Size and pay are on each job before you claim it. This is what the homes are like in each town, from the pages we run for customers.
- Typical homes and access
- Melrose is mostly 1850s–1950s Victorians, Colonial Revivals and Capes on tight lots: steep driveways, narrow basement stairs, and attics nobody has emptied since the '90s.
- Typical homes and access
- Stoneham is mostly early-1900s single-families with Victorians around Central Square and newer homes up by Bear Hill.
- Typical homes and access
- Wakefield skews pre-1940 (Federal, Greek Revival and Queen Anne homes near the Common) with Capes and Colonials further out.
- Typical homes and access
- Malden is dense pre-war housing: triple-deckers, two-families and apartment buildings with back stairs, shared basements and tight street parking.
- Typical homes and access
- Medford mixes West Medford Victorians, triple-deckers and newer condos.
- Typical homes and access
- Lynnfield is mostly single-family Colonials, Capes and ranches on big lots: full basements, two-car garages and sheds that have had decades to fill up.
- Typical homes and access
- Somerville is among the densest cities in New England: triple-deckers, two-families, condo conversions and walk-up apartment buildings with tight stairwells and little curb space.
- Typical homes and access
- Everett is dense older housing: triple-deckers, two-families and small apartment buildings with back stairs, shared basements and tight street parking.
- Typical homes and access
- Arlington is mostly two-families and older single-family homes, with condo buildings along Mass Ave.
- Typical homes and access
- Belmont mixes single-family colonials and capes with a lot of two-families, triple-deckers and condos around Waverly and Cushing Squares.
- Typical homes and access
- Reading is about 70% single-family: pre-war homes around the Common and downtown, then postwar Capes and Colonials.
- Typical homes and access
- North Reading is mostly owner-occupied Colonials, Capes and ranches around Martin's Pond and the Town Common.
- Typical homes and access
- Winchester is mostly pre-war single-family homes (Colonials, Victorians and Capes) around the Center and Wedgemere.
- Typical homes and access
- Woburn has condos and multi-families downtown and mid-century single-families in the neighborhoods around Horn Pond.
- Typical homes and access
- Burlington grew fast in the 1950s–60s, so it's mostly Colonials, Capes, ranches and split-entries with full basements, plus a big office market along Route 128.
- Typical homes and access
- Wilmington is suburban Capes, Colonials, split-entries and ranches around the Centre Village and Silver Lake.
- Typical homes and access
- Lexington ranges from Colonial-era homes near the Battle Green to mid-century modern neighborhoods like Peacock Farm and Six Moon Hill.
- Typical homes and access
- Bedford has Federal-era homes along the Great Road, postwar single-families, and a growing share of condos and apartments.
Town rules that matter when you haul
Massachusetts has banned mattresses from the trash: the ban on mattresses and textiles took effect on November 1, 2022, so any you pick up must go to a recycler. Towns also set their own drop-off rules. This is what each town says, with the source below.
- Town drop-off site
- Melrose City Yard. Listed as residents only.
- Mattress rule
- Mattresses and box springs are recycled through Tough Stuff Recycling: schedule curbside online, or bring them to the City Yard on open Saturdays with a prepaid receipt. Fee: $40–$65.
- Town drop-off site
- Stevens Street Recycling Center. Listed as residents only.
- Mattress rule
- Mattresses are picked up at the curb through Casella (1-800-950-9293) for a special recycling charge. Fee: Varies.
- Town drop-off site
- Nahant Street Yard Waste Site.
- Town drop-off site
- Malden DPW Yard.
- Mattress rule
- Malden does not collect mattresses with regular trash.
- Town drop-off site
- DPW Recycling Drop-Off and City Recycling Compactor. Listed as residents only.
- Town drop-off site
- Lynnfield DPW Yard.
- Mattress rule
- Mattresses and box springs cannot go in the trash or curbside. Fee: Costs start at $50.
- Town drop-off site
- Somerville DPW Yard. Listed as residents only.
- Town drop-off site
- Not published by the town.
- Mattress rule
- All mattresses and box springs must be recycled. Fee: $45–$70.
- Town drop-off site
- Arlington Reuse & Recycle Center. Listed as residents only.
- Mattress rule
- Mattresses and box springs must be recycled (state law). Fee: $55.
- Town drop-off site
- Not published by the town.
- Mattress rule
- Mattress and box spring pickup is a separate town program run through DPW once a month on a Tuesday. Fee: $50.
- Town drop-off site
- Reading DPW Facility.
- Town drop-off site
- North Reading DPW Facility. Listed as residents only.
- Mattress rule
- UTEC curbside pickup, twice a month. Fee: $40.
- Town drop-off site
- Winchester Transfer Station / Recycling Center. Listed as residents only.
- Mattress rule
- Resident drop-off at the Transfer Station. Fee: $30–$40.
- Town drop-off site
- Not published by the town.
- Mattress rule
- UTEC curbside (city's listed partner), or another recycler. Fee: $40 per unit (UTEC).
- Town drop-off site
- Not published by the town.
- Town drop-off site
- Wilmington Yard Waste Center. Listed as residents only.
- Mattress rule
- Casella curbside, weekly, by appointment. Fee: $10–$25.
- Town drop-off site
- Lexington Composting and Recycling Facility.
- Mattress rule
- UTEC curbside, every other Friday. Fee: $49.50.
- Town drop-off site
- Bedford Recycling Center. Listed as residents only.
Hours and fees change. Call the town before you plan a route around a drop-off site.
Questions
Do I have to live in North of Boston?
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No. You pick the towns you want when you apply, and we only send you jobs in those towns. Hauling jobs here are in Melrose, Stoneham, Wakefield, Malden, Medford, Lynnfield, Somerville, Everett, Arlington, Belmont, Reading, North Reading, Winchester, Woburn, Burlington, Wilmington, Lexington and Bedford.
How do I see the pay?
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Each job we send shows the exact pay before you claim it. That is the pay you get. If we raise the price on a job nobody has claimed, we tell you.
Does it cost anything to join?
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No. There is no sign-up fee and no fee to see or claim jobs.
What do I need?
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A pickup, box truck, dump trailer or enclosed trailer, your own insurance, and the ability to lift, load and be on time. You work for yourself. A one-person crew with a truck is fine.
Can I use the town dump or transfer station for these jobs?
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Check the town first. Where a town lists its drop-off site, the table above shows whether the town lists it as residents only. Mattresses and box springs cannot go in the trash in Massachusetts, so plan for a recycler.
Sources
- MassDEP: Mattress and textile waste ban FAQ: “ban mattresses and textiles took effect on November 1, 2022”
- Wakefield: mattress rule: “The fee is $60, and a sticker is not required”
- Medford: mattress rule: “The charge for each mattress or each box spring is $55”
- Somerville: mattress rule: “a $55 Disposal Sticker”
- Reading: mattress rule: “$65.00 for curbside pickup $33.00 for drop off at DPW garage”
- North Reading: mattress rule: “cost of $40 per item (mattress and box spring are two items)”
- Burlington: mattress rule: “Each mattress or box spring will cost $40”
- Bedford: mattress rule: “mattress and box spring collection at www.utecinc.org/mattress-recycling $20 PER PIECE”
Related
- Haul for JunkRun: how it works and how to apply
- Junk removal jobs near Boston, all areas
- How to start a junk removal side business in Massachusetts
- Jobs for haulers: Boston
- Jobs for haulers: North Shore
- Jobs for haulers: Merrimack Valley
- Jobs for haulers: West of Boston
- Jobs for haulers: South of Boston
- Jobs for haulers: Plymouth + Cape Cod