Bulky item pickup in Cambridge, MA
Permits, pieces and collection days
Couches and tables go out on trash day, one per week. Items that need a disposal permit include refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, dehumidifiers, washers, dryers, stoves and big TVs. Apply online or in person at 147 Hampshire Street; most permit items are collected on Wednesdays or Thursdays. Small exercise equipment, bikes, lawnmowers, radiators, snow blowers and metal desks or filing cabinets need a permit but no payment.
Place items at the curb by 7 a.m. on your collection day, or after 6 p.m. the night before.
What needs no permit
Residential carpet or lumber up to three tied bundles (3 ft x 3 ft x 1 ft), microwaves, stereos, small printers, one toilet or sink per household, and TVs or monitors of 20 inches or smaller can go out without a permit. Refrigerator and freezer doors must be removed, and the City removes the freon before the appliance goes to scrap.
No commercial or industrial items are accepted. That rules out a landlord's multi-unit cleanout, which is where private pricing helps.
When the one-piece rule doesn't fit
A move-out that includes a sofa, a dresser and a bed frame would need three weeks under the one-a-week rule. Our flat prices: sofa $139, regular dresser $99, bed frame $109, large table $109. A quarter trailer at $209 is cheaper once the pile has four or five pieces.
Stairs are free to us, so a third-floor triple-decker costs the same as a first-floor apartment.
Setting out a bulky item in Cambridge
- Check if the item needs a permit (appliances, big TVs).
- Apply online or at 147 Hampshire St for permit items; pay if required.
- Remove fridge and freezer doors.
- Place the item at the curb after 6 p.m. the night before or by 7 a.m.
- One piece of furniture per week without a permit.
- Use the Get Rid of It Right tool for items not listed.
Local resources in Cambridge
Donation, reuse and recycling options near the pickup. We are not affiliated with these; confirm hours and what they accept before you go.
- Recycling
Cambridge Recycling Center (DPW yard)
Residents plus small Cambridge businesses; the place for e-waste and scrap that cannot go curbside. No winter hours posted; call 617-349-4800. In Cambridge itself.
147 Hampshire St, Cambridge, MA 02139 - Donation
Goodwill Cambridge
Accepts: Goodwill takes clothing, household goods and small electronics in good condition, but its listing for this store shows store hours only (Mon-Sat 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Sun noon-6 p.m.), so call 617-868-6330 to ask about donating here.
Goodwill Industries of Massachusetts store. In Cambridge itself.
520 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139 - Thrift
Boomerangs by More Than Words (Cambridge)
Youth-run nonprofit thrift store; call 617-749-4278 to schedule a donation. In Cambridge itself.
563 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139 - Habitat ReStore
Habitat for Humanity ReStore (Greater Boston)
Staff help unload; pickup is scheduled through ReSupply for a fee, and you get a tax receipt. About 7 miles from Cambridge (straight line), in West Roxbury.
1580 VFW Parkway, West Roxbury, MA 02132
Quick answers
Does Cambridge pick up couches?
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Yes, one piece of furniture a week, on trash day.
What day are permit items collected?
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Mostly Wednesdays or Thursdays.
Can a landlord use the city service?
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Commercial and industrial items are excluded; call DPW at 617-349-4800.
Sources
Rules, fees and hours change, so confirm with Cambridge before you go.
- Cambridge DPW: Furniture, appliance and large-item disposal: “Residents are allowed to put one piece of furniture out per week on trash day” · accessed October 31, 2026
- Cambridge DPW: Furniture, appliance and large-item disposal (collection days): “Most items are scheduled for Wednesdays or Thursdays.” · accessed October 31, 2026
- Cambridge DPW: Furniture, appliance and large-item disposal (setting out): “Place items curbside by 7AM on your collection day, or after 6PM the night before.” · accessed October 31, 2026