How To Get Rid Of Old Appliances in 2026

Figuring out how to get rid of old appliances usually starts the same way: a new fridge is arriving Thursday, the old one is still in the kitchen, and nobody in the house can lift 280 pounds of steel. You’ve got about six real options, and they range from paying $150 to have it hauled to a landfill, to getting paid a few hundred dollars for the exact same machine. Most people pick the expensive one because it’s the one they know about.

I move large household items for a living, and appliances are one of the busiest categories we handle. I’ve seen what these machines are actually worth, and I’ve seen what people pay to make them disappear. The gap is bigger than you’d think. So here’s the honest rundown of every way to get rid of an old appliance in 2026, what each one costs, what each one pays, and how to pick the right one in about two minutes.

Every way to get rid of old appliances, side by side

The right method depends on one question: does the appliance still work? If it runs, selling it is almost always the best answer, and it’s the only option that ends with money coming toward you instead of leaving. If it’s dead, you’re choosing between free (with effort) and fast (with a fee).

Method	Cost to you	Works if broken?	Typical timeline	Do you lift it?
Sell it (with pickup handled)	You get paid	No	Days to 2 weeks	No
Retailer haul-away with new delivery	$0 to $50	Yes	Same day as delivery	No
Municipal bulk pickup	$0 to $40	Yes	1 to 4 weeks	Yes, to the curb
Junk removal service	$75 to $200 per item	Yes	1 to 3 days	No
Scrap metal yard	You get $10 to $40	Yes	Same day	Yes, and you haul it
Donate to a charity resale store	$0, plus a tax receipt	No	1 to 3 weeks	Sometimes

Read that table again and notice the first row. It’s the only line where the number is positive. That’s the whole point of this post.

Option 1: sell the old appliance (if it still runs)

A working appliance that’s under ten years old has real resale value, and most people give it away out of pure logistics fatigue. They’re not wrong to be tired. Selling used to mean listing it, fielding lowballs, arguing about pickup time, and then watching a stranger back a pickup truck over your lawn.

But the money is real. A working front-load washer and dryer pair sells for $400 to $800. A three-year-old French door refrigerator sells for $400 to $900. Even a plain top-load washer that runs will move for $150 to $250. That’s not nothing when you just spent $2,000 on the replacement.

The reason people don’t do this is the part in the middle. Which is exactly what we built Commonplace to remove. You list the appliance for free, and buyers and sellers never meet. When it sells, background-checked drivers come to your house, disconnect it, run a 30 to 50 point inspection, and load it. You get paid the moment the machine is on the truck, and you never coordinate with a buyer, never rent a truck, never hold the door open for a stranger.

If your appliance runs, start here. Everything below this section is what to do when it doesn’t. Our guide on where to sell used appliances breaks down what each selling channel actually nets you after fees and hassle.

Option 2: retailer haul-away when your new appliance is delivered

Most major retailers will take the old machine when they deliver the new one, either free or for a fee that usually runs $25 to $50. It’s the path of least resistance, and if your old appliance is genuinely dead, it’s a fine choice.

Two rules. First, you have to arrange it when you place the order, not when the truck shows up. Delivery crews will not take an appliance that isn’t on their paperwork, and they’re not being difficult, they just can’t. Second, the old unit usually has to be disconnected and accessible before they arrive. A fridge still plugged in with a water line attached will get left behind.

The tradeoff is obvious once you see it. If your old appliance works, retailer haul-away means handing a company a machine worth several hundred dollars so they can resell or scrap it. That’s a fast $0 when a slow $500 was on the table.

Option 3: municipal bulk pickup

Most cities will take a large appliance from the curb, and it’s usually free or close to it. Call your sanitation department or check the city website, because the rules are extremely local. Some cities run bulk pickup on a schedule. Some require an appointment. Some cap you at two items per year.

There’s one universal wrinkle: refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, and dehumidifiers contain refrigerant, and federal law requires it to be recovered by a certified technician before the unit is scrapped. Cities handle this by either charging a small fee (usually $20 to $40) or requiring a tag showing the refrigerant was already removed. Don’t try to route around this. A fridge left at the curb without a tag will simply sit there, and then you’ll get a citation.

Also remove the doors from any fridge or freezer before it goes to the curb, or at least tape them shut. This is a child-safety requirement in most jurisdictions and it’s the law in many of them.

Option 4: junk removal services

Junk haulers are the “make it go away today” option. Expect $75 to $200 for a single appliance, with the price climbing if it’s in a basement, up a flight of stairs, or in an apartment with no elevator. Some charge by volume rather than by item, so a single fridge can end up costing you a minimum-load fee that feels absurd.

It’s the most expensive option per pound of steel removed. But it’s fast, it’s total, and if you’re clearing out a house on a deadline (estate sale, closing date, move-out), speed is worth paying for. Just don’t use a junk hauler for a working machine. That’s paying $150 to throw away $500.

Option 5: scrap metal and recycling

A dead appliance is still 60 to 100 pounds of recoverable steel, and scrap yards will pay you for it. Not much, mind you. Steel scrap generally moves for pennies per pound, so a washer nets you maybe $10 to $25 and a full-size fridge $20 to $40. You also have to get it there yourself, which means a truck, a dolly, and a friend who owes you.

The better version of this: many utility companies run appliance recycling programs that pay a rebate ($30 to $75 is common) to haul away an old working refrigerator or freezer, specifically because those units are energy hogs and the utility would rather they stop running. They pick it up from your house for free. Search your electric utility’s name plus “appliance recycling rebate” and see what’s on offer, because this is genuinely the best deal available for an old second fridge in the garage that still runs but costs you $10 a month to keep humming.

The EPA also runs the Responsible Appliance Disposal program, which certifies partners who dispose of refrigerant-containing units properly. If you care about the machine not leaking refrigerant into the atmosphere, that’s the label to look for.

Option 6: donate it

Charity resale stores will take working appliances, and you get a tax receipt for the fair market value. Habitat for Humanity ReStores are the most common option, and many of them will pick up large items for free.

The catch is that donation centers are picky, and they should be. They won’t take a machine that doesn’t work, they often won’t take anything over ten years old, and they won’t take a unit with visible rust or damage. Call first with the model number and the age. If they say yes, it’s a clean, free, feel-good exit. If they say no, you’re back to the other five options.

How to decide in two minutes

Run this list top to bottom and stop at the first one that fits.

1. Does it work? If yes, sell it. A working appliance is worth $150 to $900 depending on what it is, and you’re not getting that back any other way.
2. Does it work, but it’s old or you want it gone this week? Check your utility’s recycling rebate first (free pickup plus $30 to $75), then donation.
3. Is it dead and you’re buying a replacement? Add haul-away to the delivery order. It’s $0 to $50 and it happens the same day.
4. Is it dead, no replacement coming, and you’re not in a rush? Municipal bulk pickup. Free to $40, one to four weeks, and you have to get it to the curb.
5. Is it dead and you need it gone tomorrow? Junk removal. Pay the $75 to $200 and go on with your life.
6. Do you own a truck and enjoy this sort of thing? Scrap yard. You’ll clear $10 to $40 and an afternoon.
7. Is it a fridge, freezer, AC unit, or dehumidifier? Whatever path you chose above, confirm the refrigerant gets recovered by a certified tech. That step is not optional.

The mistake almost everyone makes

Here’s the pattern I see constantly. Somebody buys a new washer, pays $50 for haul-away without thinking about it, and hands over a five-year-old machine that a neighbor would have happily paid $350 for. The whole decision took four seconds at a checkout screen, and it cost $400 in real money.

It happens because getting rid of an old appliance feels like a chore, and selling feels like a project. The chore has a button. The project has a stranger in your driveway.

That asymmetry is the only reason haul-away wins as often as it does. Fix the logistics and the math flips immediately, because a used appliance in working condition has never had trouble finding a buyer. The buyers are out there. The friction was never about demand.

Frequently asked questions about getting rid of old appliances

How do I get rid of an old appliance for free?

Municipal bulk pickup is the most reliable free option, though refrigerant-containing units (fridges, freezers, AC, dehumidifiers) often carry a $20 to $40 recovery fee. Donation to a charity resale store is free if the unit works and they’ll take it, and many utility recycling programs will haul away an old working fridge for free and pay you a rebate on top.

Will anyone pick up an old appliance for free?

Yes, several people will. Utility recycling programs pick up old working refrigerators and freezers at no cost. Habitat ReStores often collect large working donations. And if the appliance is worth selling, a marketplace with its own logistics (like Commonplace) sends drivers to disconnect and load it, which means the pickup is handled and you get paid instead of paying.

Is it worth selling an old washer or refrigerator?

If it runs, almost always. A working washer and dryer pair sells for $400 to $800, and a modern refrigerator in good condition can bring $400 to $900. Compare that to paying $150 for junk removal and the decision makes itself. Once the machine is broken, though, resale value collapses to scrap value, so the honest answer flips.

What do I do with a broken refrigerator?

Get the refrigerant recovered by a certified technician, then recycle it. In practice that means municipal bulk pickup with a refrigerant tag, a junk removal service that handles it for you, or a scrap yard that’s equipped for appliance recovery. Do not just leave it at the curb, and remove or tape the doors shut in the meantime. Our guide on how to get rid of an old refrigerator covers the specifics.

How much does it cost to have an old appliance hauled away?

Between $0 and $200, and the spread depends entirely on which door you walk through. Retailer haul-away with a new delivery runs $0 to $50. Municipal bulk pickup is free to about $40. A junk removal service charges $75 to $200 per item, more for stairs. And selling it costs you nothing at all, because the buyer covers the delivery.

If the machine in your garage still runs, list it. It takes about ten minutes to start selling an old appliance on Commonplace, listing is free, and drivers handle the disconnect, the stairs, and the loading. You get paid the moment it’s on the truck. No buyer ever comes to your door.

And if you’re on the other side of this, replacing an appliance instead of removing one, buying used is the cheaper move by a wide margin. Every machine on Commonplace is inspected before it ships, you get 60 minutes to test it in your own home before your card is charged, and it’s covered by a free 60-day warranty. Start with our guide to buying used washers and dryers, which walks through exactly what to inspect before you commit.