Garage cleanout in Wakefield, MA
Sorting a garage by where it goes
- Scrap metal: free dumpster at the Nahant Street site; no appliances, tires, batteries, paint or anything with oil or gas.
- Refrigerators, washers, dryers, stoves, freezers: curbside one week a month, $20 sticker each, doors off.
- TVs and CRT monitors: curbside one week a month, $20 sticker each.
- Paint, solvents, chemicals: household hazardous waste day, co-hosted with Reading. This year's was Saturday, October 31 at Wakefield High School; latex paint and lithium batteries are not accepted.
- Mercury items: the Nahant Street site on set dates, for residents and businesses.
Boxes, bikes and furniture can go as bulky items at $20 each.
Detached garages and tight driveways
Wakefield has many detached garages behind older houses, reached by a narrow driveway, so a trailer sometimes parks on the street. We tell you if we need a few feet of curb for loading.
Prices: quarter trailer $209, half $319, three quarters $409, full $519. A standard appliance is $119 if it joins the load. Say how many cars fit in the driveway and whether the garage door opens, so the crew knows where the trailer can park and how far the load has to be carried. A garage with a stored freezer or workbench holds more than it looks like, so photos from the doorway and from the back wall give the best estimate.
What to do with the keepers
Tools, bikes, sports gear and working appliances can go to Mission of Deeds on its Saturday drop-off mornings or the Habitat ReStore. Separate them into a pile near the door so the crew does not load them by mistake. Text a photo of the pile with the garage door open and we send the price the same day. Do the same for anything you plan to sell yourself, since once an item is in the trailer it is part of the load. Hazardous items such as paint cans and fuel should stay on a shelf for the next collection day; we cannot take them in a load.
What each garage item costs to dispose of in Wakefield
| Item | Where | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Scrap metal | Nahant Street dumpster | Free |
| Refrigerator or freezer | Curbside monthly week | $20 sticker |
| Washer or dryer | Curbside monthly week | $20 sticker |
| Old TV | Curbside monthly week | $20 sticker |
| Latex paint | Not accepted on hazardous day | Ask the DPW |
Local resources in Wakefield
Donation, reuse and recycling options near the pickup. We are not affiliated with these; confirm hours and what they accept before you go.
- Transfer station
Nahant Street Yard Waste Site ("the Pit")
Accepts: Leaves, grass, clippings, shrubs and brush
The one town drop-off; regular hours are not posted online, so call the DPW first. In Wakefield itself.
Nahant Street, Wakefield, MA 01880 - Town
Wakefield Town Hall (DPW office)
Accepts: Bulky item and white goods stickers ($20), yard waste permits ($25), cell phone and eyeglass drop in the lobby
Buy stickers and the Nahant Street permit here or online; extension 4120 answers pickup questions. In Wakefield itself.
1 Lafayette St, Wakefield, MA 01880 - Reuse
Mission of Deeds
Reading borders Wakefield on the north and gives furniture to local families. About 2 miles from Wakefield (straight line), in Reading.
6 Chapin Ave, Reading, MA 01867 - Habitat ReStore
Habitat for Humanity ReStore (Greater Boston)
Take good cabinets and furniture here after a cleanout. About 16 miles from Wakefield (straight line), in West Roxbury.
1580 VFW Parkway, West Roxbury, MA 02132
Quick answers
Does the Nahant Street site take tires?
+
Not in the scrap metal dumpster. The town page excludes tires, batteries, paint and items with oil or gas.
When is the next hazardous waste day?
+
This year's was October 31. Check the DPW page for 2027.
Do I need a permit for scrap metal?
+
No. The $25 permit is only for yard waste.
Sources
Rules, fees and hours change, so confirm with Wakefield before you go.
- Wakefield: Recycling (Nahant Street site): “This free service is available at the Nahant Street Yard Waste site; no permit is needed to participate” · accessed October 31, 2026
- Wakefield: Bulky Items, TVs & White Goods: “White goods, like refrigerators, stoves, treadmills, and dryers, are picked up one week each month” · accessed October 31, 2026
- Wakefield: Hazardous Waste: “Saturday, October 31, 2026 8:30 am to 12:30 pm Wakefield High School” · accessed October 31, 2026
Related
- Junk removal in Wakefield
- Wakefield dumpster permit
- Wakefield leaf pickup, fall 2026
- Mattress removal in Wakefield
- Estate cleanout in Wakefield
- Hot tub removal in Wakefield
- Bulky item pickup in Wakefield
- Junk removal in Reading
- Junk removal in Stoneham
- Junk removal in Lynnfield
- Christmas tree pickup in Wakefield
- Junk removal prices
- Dump and transfer station hours, all towns