Price a 2026 mattress pickup by size (twin to king), box spring count, and curbside vs in-home access — then connect with insured local haulers.
Mattress Details
Pickup Type
Location
Get an instant estimate—add your ZIP for local pricing
Get an instant estimate—add your ZIP for local pricing
Frequently Asked Questions
Q
How much does mattress removal cost in 2026?
Curbside removal of a single mattress runs $50–$150 nationally in 2026, with queen sizes (the most common) averaging $75–$125. Twin mattresses start at $50–$80; full (double) at $60–$90; king or Cal king at $85–$150. Box springs are counted as a separate piece and add $25–$50 each. In-home pickup where the crew carries the mattress out adds $10–$25 per piece; multi-floor or stair access adds $25–$75 per piece.
Twin curbside: $50–$80 per mattress
Full (double) curbside: $60–$90 per mattress
Queen curbside: $75–$125 per mattress
King or Cal king curbside: $85–$150 per mattress
Box spring add-on: +$25–$50 per unit
In-home stair surcharge: +$25–$75 per piece
Mattress Size
Curbside Cost
In-Home Pickup
With Box Spring
Twin / Twin XL
$50–$80
$60–$105
+$25–$50 each
Full (Double)
$60–$90
$70–$115
+$25–$50 each
Queen
$75–$125
$85–$150
+$25–$50 each
King / Cal King
$85–$150
$100–$225
+$25–$50 each
Q
Why do mattresses cost more to dispose of than regular junk?
Mattresses are among the most difficult items for waste facilities to process. They are bulky, spring-loaded, and compress poorly — a single queen takes up disproportionate truck space compared to its weight. More importantly, 17+ US states (California, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Oregon, and others) ban mattresses from landfills entirely and require certified recycling. Even in non-ban states, many transfer stations charge a separate landfill tip fee of $10–$20 per mattress on top of standard tonnage fees. Those fees pass directly through to the removal service quote.
Bulky geometry wastes truck space vs weight
17+ states mandate certified mattress recycling
Per-piece landfill tip fee: $10–$20 in most markets
Springs and foam require deconstruction for recycling
Recycling fee in ban states: +$11–$16 per piece at time of sale
Item
Per-Piece Disposal Complexity
Extra Tip Fee
Mattress
High (bulky, springs)
$10–$20 in most markets
Box spring
High (coil frame)
$10–$15 in most markets
Couch / sofa
Medium (foam, fabric)
Standard tonnage only
Dresser
Low (solid wood)
Standard tonnage only
Q
Can I just put my old mattress at the curb for regular trash pickup?
It depends on your municipality. In states with extended producer responsibility (EPR) laws for mattresses — California, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Oregon, and several others — putting a mattress at the curb for standard garbage pickup is prohibited; the hauler will refuse it or you may face a fine. Even in permissive jurisdictions, many municipal trash programs require a bulky-item appointment and charge a $25–$75 per-item fee for mattress pickup. Free options exist: many charity thrift stores (Goodwill, Habitat for Humanity ReStores) accept clean, stain-free mattresses under 10 years old; White Glove mattress retailers often include free haul-away of your old mattress when delivering a new one.
17+ states ban curbside mattress disposal outright
Municipal bulky-item pickup: $25–$75 per mattress
Charity pickup (clean, stain-free, under 10 years): free
Mattress retailer swap: often free with new delivery
Non-compliance fines in ban states: $50–$200
Disposal Method
Cost
Notes
Junk removal service
$50–$150
Any condition, any location
Municipal bulky item pickup
$25–$75
Appointment required; banned in 17+ states
Charity pickup
Free
Must be clean, stain-free, under 10 years
Retailer swap-out
Free
Only when purchasing a new mattress
Self-haul to transfer station
$15–$40
Requires a truck or van
Q
How much extra does box spring removal cost?
Box springs are almost always priced as a separate piece, not bundled with the mattress fee. Expect to add $25–$50 per box spring to your mattress removal quote. Split king setups (2 twin XL box springs side by side) incur two box spring fees. The reason is practical: box springs take up as much truck volume as the mattress itself, and in states with mattress recycling mandates, box springs fall under the same program and carry the same per-piece tip fee. If you have a platform bed frame that needs disposal too, that is typically quoted as a separate item at $50–$100 depending on size and material.
Box spring add-on: $25–$50 per unit
Split king = 2 box spring fees
Counted separately in state recycling programs
Platform bed frame disposal: +$50–$100 extra
Headboard / footboard: quoted a la carte
Item
Typical Add-On Cost
Standard box spring
$25–$50
Split king (2 twin XL box springs)
$50–$100 total
Platform bed frame
$50–$100
Headboard or footboard
$25–$60
Q
What is the difference between curbside and in-home mattress pickup?
Curbside pickup means you (or someone in your household) carries the mattress to the driveway or public curb before the crew arrives. The crew loads directly from outside, skipping interior labor entirely — this is the cheapest option at $50–$150 depending on size. In-home ground floor pickup means the crew enters your home and carries the mattress out; expect to add $10–$25 per piece above curbside. Multi-floor or stair carry-out (apartment building, second story bedroom, basement) is the most expensive because the crew has to navigate tight angles and stairs with a bulky item — this adds $25–$75 per piece. Elevator access in an apartment building typically counts as in-home rate even if you cannot help carry.
Curbside (base rate): $50–$150 per mattress
In-home ground floor: add $10–$25 per piece
Multi-floor / stairs: add $25–$75 per piece
Elevator access: typically in-home rate
Tip the crew $5–$10 per person for multi-floor hauls
Q
When is the cheapest time to book mattress removal?
Mattress removal is cheapest during off-peak scheduling windows: mid-week morning slots (Monday–Wednesday before noon) are typically $10–$20 less expensive than Saturday pickups at national chains. January (post-holiday) is historically the slowest month for residential haulers, making it a good time to negotiate with local independents. Spring (March–May) and late summer (August) are peak seasons driven by moving activity, apartment turnover, and spring cleaning — same-day and weekend premiums of 10–25% apply. Booking 3–5 days ahead (versus same-day) usually saves 10–15% on the base rate.
Cheapest: mid-week morning (Mon–Wed before noon)
Off-peak month: January (post-holiday lull)
Peak season: March–May and August (moving season)
Same-day / weekend premium: +10–25%
3–5 days advance booking saves 10–15% vs same-day
Example Calculations
1Single queen mattress, curbside, no box spring
Inputs
Mattress sizeQueen
Count1 mattress
Box springNone
Pickup typeCurbside
Result
Typical quote$75 – $125
The most common residential ticket: a single queen staged at the curb or driveway. No stair labor, no box spring fee. This is the baseline rate used by most national chains and local independents.
2King mattress + 1 box spring, in-home pickup
Inputs
Mattress sizeKing
Count1 mattress
Box spring1 box spring
Pickup typeIn-home ground floor
Result
Typical quote$125 – $225
King mattress ($85–$150) plus box spring ($25–$50) plus in-home labor surcharge ($10–$25). Crew enters the bedroom and carries both pieces out — standard for master bedroom swap-outs.
32 queen mattresses + 2 box springs, multi-floor stairs
Inputs
Mattress sizeQueen
Count2 mattresses
Box spring2 box springs
Pickup typeMulti-floor stairs
Result
Typical quote$280 – $450
Two queens ($75–$125 first, $55–$105 second after multi-piece discount) plus two box springs ($50–$100) plus stair surcharge for 4 pieces ($100–$300). Typical for a two-bedroom apartment on an upper floor.
Formulas Used
Mattress removal cost driver breakdown
Quote = Base cost (by size) × Count + Box spring fee per unit + Pickup type surcharge ± Regional adjustment
Mattress removal is priced per piece, not by truck volume like general junk removal. The base cost scales with mattress size because larger pieces take more truck space and carry higher landfill tip fees. Each piece in a multi-piece order is typically $10–$20 less than the first due to shared dispatch. Recycling mandates in 17+ states add $11–$16 per piece. Regional labor rates add 20–40% in coastal metros above the Midwest baseline.
Where:
Base cost (by size)= Twin $50–$80; Full $60–$90; Queen $75–$125; King $85–$150 per unit (curbside)
Count modifier= 2nd piece: $10–$20 less than first; 3rd+ piece: additional $10–$20 less each
Box spring fee= $25–$50 per box spring, counted as a separate piece
Pickup type surcharge= Curbside = base; in-home ground floor +$10–$25; multi-floor stairs +$25–$75 per piece
Regional adjustment= NYC / SF / LA / Boston +20–40%; Midwest −10–20% below national average
Mattress Removal Costs in 2026: What You'll Actually Pay Per Piece
1
Summary: 2026 Mattress Removal Costs at a Glance
Mattress removal in 2026 runs $50–$150 per piece nationally for curbside pickup, with the exact price driven almost entirely by size. Twin mattresses start at $50–$80; full (double) at $60–$90; queen — the most common US mattress size — at $75–$125; and king or Cal king at $85–$150. These per-piece rates reflect the true economics of mattress disposal: unlike general junk removal priced by truck volume, most haulers bill mattresses individually because landfills and recycling facilities charge per-unit tip fees, not tonnage. A mattress that weighs 80 lbs takes up the same truck real estate as a sofa that weighs 200 lbs, which is why volume-tier pricing would penalize small mattress loads unfairly.
Box springs are almost always priced as a separate piece and add $25–$50 per unit to the base mattress fee. A king bed with a split-box-spring foundation (two twin XL units) incurs two separate box spring fees. In-home pickup where the crew carries the mattress from a bedroom adds $10–$25 per piece; multi-floor or stair access — the most common scenario in apartment buildings and two-story homes — adds $25–$75 per piece because the crew navigates tight hallways and stairwells with a 7-foot mattress. Regional variation adds the final 20–40% swing: coastal metros (NYC, SF, LA, Boston, Seattle) run above the national figures, while Midwest and rural markets typically come in 10–20% below.
Use the calculator above to size your quote by mattress count, size, box spring count, and pickup type, then read on for the state-level disposal bans that complicate curbside pickup, the full breakdown of what moves the price, and how to avoid the three most common booking mistakes. For jobs that involve more than just mattresses, the junk removal service cost calculator covers the full truck-volume model for general cleanouts and estate hauls.
2
Why Mattresses Cost More to Haul Than Regular Junk
Mattresses sit in an unusual category among bulky household items: they are simultaneously too large for standard trash pickup, too complex to recycle without industrial equipment, and legally restricted in a growing number of states. The physical awkwardness is the first cost driver — a compressed queen mattress measures roughly 60 inches wide and 80 inches long with a profile that prevents stacking, meaning two queen mattresses in a standard junk truck consume the same space as approximately one-third of the truck's total capacity. Compare that to a stack of 10 dining chairs, which might take the same cubic footage but weigh three times more and compress efficiently. Haulers pass through the per-trip inefficiency as a per-piece premium over general household junk.
The second cost driver is the landfill surcharge. Transfer stations in most markets charge a separate mattress fee on top of the standard per-ton tip rate — typically $10–$20 per unit — because mattresses are difficult to compact in a landfill cell and get caught in the equipment used to compress and cover refuse. In states with mattress stewardship programs (California, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Oregon, and more than a dozen others), licensed haulers must route mattresses through certified recycling facilities rather than landfills, and the per-piece recycling fee of $11–$16 is collected at the point of sale when you buy a new mattress but is also passed through as a disposal surcharge when a hauler recycles an old one. This is why a “full-service” mattress removal quote in Sacramento will be $15–$25 higher than the same job in Indianapolis, which has no state stewardship mandate.
The third driver is labor intensity relative to weight. A queen mattress weighs 80–150 lbs depending on construction type (innerspring vs memory foam vs hybrid) but is nearly impossible for one person to navigate around corners, down stairs, and into a truck without damaging walls or injuring themselves. Two-person crews are standard for in-home mattress removal, meaning labor cost per pound is much higher than for dense items like bookshelves or appliances. This is why mattress removal — and bulky-item hauls generally — is priced per piece rather than per pound or per cubic foot.
Mattress removal pricing by size and pickup type, 2026. Curbside = items at driveway. Box spring column adds one standard box spring at $25–$50. Source: HomeGuide, Angi, Thumbtack, contractor surveys.
Mattress Size
Curbside (Typical)
In-Home Pickup
With Box Spring Added
Twin / Twin XL
$50–$80
$60–$105
$75–$155
Full (Double)
$60–$90
$70–$115
$85–$165
Queen (most common)
$75–$125
$85–$150
$100–$200
King / Cal King
$85–$150
$100–$225
$110–$275
The single biggest price variable for most households is pickup type, not mattress size. A king mattress carried to the curb costs less than a queen mattress hauled from a third-floor apartment bedroom. If you can safely move the mattress to the curb before the crew arrives, you will save $25–$75 per piece in labor.
3
Curbside vs. In-Home Pickup: The Real Price Difference
Curbside pickup is the most straightforward scenario: the crew arrives, loads the mattress from your driveway or the public curb, and drives away. The crew does not enter your home, there is no stair navigation, and the job takes 10–15 minutes per piece. This is the base rate, and it is also the rate that most online price guides quote without clarifying the assumption. For homeowners with a ground-floor bedroom and a clear path to the front door, curbside is achievable if you can handle the mattress yourself or have a helper — and the $25–$75 you save per piece versus full in-home service is a meaningful amount on a two- or three-piece order.
In-home ground floor pickup is what most residential customers actually need. The crew enters the home, disassembles or collapses the mattress as needed, navigates it through doorways (queen and king sizes regularly require tilting to a 45-degree angle or rolling), and carries it to the truck. On a single-story home or ground-floor apartment with a direct path to the exit, the surcharge is modest — $10–$25 per piece for one to two rooms. Where it gets expensive is multi-floor access: a second-story bedroom, a basement bedroom, or an apartment building hallway with a 90-degree staircase. The narrow geometry of a stairwell combined with a 60-inch-wide mattress means slower carry time, increased damage risk to walls, and higher liability for the crew. Most services add $25–$75 per piece for any non-ground-floor access.
The elevator factor in apartment buildings sits between curbside and stairs in cost. If the building has a functioning elevator that fits the mattress (most residential elevators handle a queen on a diagonal; king sizes are borderline), the crew can use it and the job charges at in-home ground floor rate even though you are on the 8th floor — because the difficulty is the same as a ground-floor carry once inside the elevator. Confirm elevator dimensions with the service when booking a mattress larger than full size. For context, hot tub and piano removal — the other most labor-intensive residential hauls — face the same access surcharge economics as described in the hot tub removal cost calculator.
4
Mattress Recycling Fees and State Disposal Bans
As of 2026, at least 17 states have enacted extended producer responsibility (EPR) programs for mattresses, which prohibit disposal in general landfills and require certified recycling through a state-approved stewardship organization. California was the first, launching the Mattress Recycling Council (MRC) PVC program in 2016 with a $10.50 recycling fee embedded in the price of every new mattress sold in the state. Connecticut, Rhode Island, Oregon, Nevada, and others have since followed with their own programs, typically with fees ranging from $11 to $16 per unit collected at the retailer at the time of purchase. The fee funds the collection, transport, and deconstruction infrastructure for old mattresses — a single mattress can be broken down into steel springs (smelted), polyurethane foam (used as carpet padding), and wood fiber (composted or used as fuel), with 80–95% of materials diverted from the landfill.
For consumers and removal services, the practical effect of EPR programs is a mandatory per-piece recycling fee of $11–$16 that licensed haulers are required to pay when dropping off mattresses at a certified facility. Haulers in ban states pass this fee through to the customer, adding roughly $11–$16 per mattress and per box spring to the quote versus a non-ban state market. This is why a single queen mattress removal might cost $95–$130 in Portland, Oregon but $75–$110 in Columbus, Ohio for the same curbside service. If a hauler in a ban state quotes you substantially below the market rate and does not mention a recycling fee, it is worth asking how they handle disposal — some unlicensed operators illegally dump mattresses in rural areas or vacant lots to avoid the fee, which is both illegal and an environmental violation.
Even in non-ban states, most major urban transfer stations now charge a separate mattress surcharge because of equipment damage from coil springs and the processing time required to manually extract them. States that are not currently under EPR mandates — Texas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, and others — have been exploring legislation in recent legislative sessions, so the ban-state list is likely to expand. Consumers purchasing new mattresses should note that in ban states, most major retailers (IKEA, Casper, Saatva, Purple, and brick-and-mortar stores) offer free haul-away of your old mattress at the time of delivery, and that haul-away is funded by the recycling fee you already paid. For jobs that include other bulky items alongside mattresses, consider pricing the appliance removal cost calculator to see if bundling both in a single haul saves on dispatch costs.
If a hauler in California, Connecticut, or Oregon quotes you $40 for curbside mattress removal, ask how they dispose of it. Licensed haulers in ban states cannot legally charge below the recycling fee floor — sub-market quotes in ban states often signal illegal dumping.
17+ states with mattress EPR / landfill ban programs (as of 2026)
California (MRC program, $10.50 fee at retail since 2016)
Connecticut, Rhode Island, Oregon, Nevada, Vermont, and others
Recycling fee passed through by haulers: +$11–$16 per unit
Landfill surcharge in non-ban states: +$10–$20 per unit
Certified recycling diverts 80–95% of materials (steel, foam, wood)
Retailer swap-out (buy new, haul old): free in ban-state markets
5
Five Factors That Change Your Final Mattress Removal Quote
Mattress size is the primary driver because size determines both truck space consumption and the per-unit landfill or recycling fee category. A twin mattress at 38 inches wide is manageable for one crew member on a straight staircase; a king at 76 inches wide almost always requires two people and cannot fit upright through a standard 32-inch interior door without tilting to a 35-degree angle. This maneuverability premium is priced into the king rate at $85–$150 versus the twin rate at $50–$80. Memory foam mattresses of the same size tend to be heavier than innerspring (a queen memory foam often exceeds 130 lbs versus 90–100 lbs for innerspring) but are more flexible, which can actually ease stair navigation — most services do not distinguish by construction type, but it is worth mentioning if you have a very heavy foam or hybrid model.
Count and dispatch structure create the second major pricing variable. The first mattress covers most of the fixed cost of the job: dispatch scheduling, truck fuel, crew time to arrive, set up, and drive to the disposal facility. The second and third mattresses add very little to those fixed costs but do add incremental truck space and tip fees. Most services reflect this reality by discounting the second piece $10–$20 below the first, and the third piece by an additional $10–$20. A household clearing three queen mattresses at once — say, an estate cleanout or a full guest-room refresh — will pay roughly $195–$325 for all three versus $225–$375 if booked as three separate pickups. Timing and season add the fourth layer: spring and late-summer peak moving seasons add 10–25% premiums; mid-week January bookings can be 15–20% below those same haulers' Saturday rates.
Regional labor rate variation is the fifth and often-underestimated factor. The national average figures above reflect the full US market; within that, NYC metro service quotes run $120–$200 for a single queen curbside, while Midwest cities like Indianapolis, Columbus, and Milwaukee run $60–$95 for the same scope. The gap reflects both labor market rates and the density of licensed disposal facilities: in rural areas, the hauler may drive 30–50 miles each way to a certified transfer station, and fuel and time for that trip are embedded in the quote. The scenario most likely to produce a sticker-shock quote is a same-day weekend king mattress with box spring, multi-floor stairs, and a coastal metro ZIP — expect $200–$350 for that combination. Use the estimates from this calculator as a baseline and get at least two quotes before booking for jobs over $150.
Mattress size: twin $50–$80, full $60–$90, queen $75–$125, king $85–$150 curbside
Box spring: +$25–$50 per unit (separate piece, same tip fee applies)
Pickup type: curbside (base), in-home +$10–$25, stairs +$25–$75 per piece
Count discount: 2nd piece $10–$20 less; 3rd+ piece $10–$20 more off
Regional premium: coastal metros +20–40%, Midwest −10–20%
State recycling mandate: +$11–$16 per piece in 17+ ban-state markets
6
How to Book Mattress Removal Without Overpaying
Start with free and low-cost options before calling a junk hauler. When buying a new mattress, confirm whether the retailer offers free haul-away of your old one at delivery — Casper, Purple, Saatva, Sleep Number, and most major brick-and-mortar mattress chains offer this in ban states and some non-ban states, often for a nominal $25–$50 delivery fee that is competitive with or better than the cheapest junk service quote. Charitable donation is the best outcome if the mattress is clean, stain-free, less than 10 years old, and shows no structural sagging — organizations including Habitat for Humanity ReStores, local homeless shelters, and some Salvation Army locations accept mattresses in good condition. Check by phone before scheduling a pickup, as policies vary by chapter.
When a junk removal service is the right answer, get three quotes rather than one. National chains (1-800-GOT-JUNK, College HUNKS Hauling Junk, LoadUp) publish volume-based price guides that let you preview rough pricing without a sales call and provide baseline insurance and background-checked crews at a 10–20% premium over local independents. Angi, Thumbtack, and Yelp aggregate quotes from 3–5 local haulers in under 24 hours — well inside a same-day booking window if needed. Ask each hauler two questions before booking: whether the fee is all-inclusive (labor, hauling, and disposal) or whether a disposal surcharge is added on arrival, and whether they are licensed and carry general liability insurance of at least $1M. Cash-only services that cannot provide proof of insurance are the highest-risk category for damage claims and illegal dumping.
Three mistakes drive most post-booking surprises. First, underestimating the count: a king mattress set with a box spring is two pieces, not one, and forgetting the box spring when requesting a quote produces a price change on arrival. Second, booking without confirming stair access: in-home pickup at ground level is not the same as second-floor stair carry-out, and the price difference ($25–$75 per piece) is the most common source of "bait and switch" complaints in consumer reviews. Third, scheduling at peak season without a confirmed quote in writing: spring and late-summer haulers are at capacity and verbal estimates given over the phone can shift $30–50 by the time the crew arrives. Get the all-in price via text or email before the truck rolls. For estate and multi-room cleanouts that include both mattresses and appliances, compare this estimate to the junk removal service cost calculator to decide whether per-piece mattress pricing or a full truck-volume quote saves more money.
The most common mattress removal complaint is a price change on arrival. Prevent it by walking the crew to the mattress before they start, confirming the all-in number including any stair or box spring fees, and getting that number in a text message. Reputable haulers do this routinely — any crew that resists written confirmation is the one most likely to revise the price mid-job.
Check retailer swap-out first (often free or $25–$50 with new purchase)
Donate if clean, stain-free, under 10 years, and structurally sound
Get 3 quotes from national chains and local independents
This calculator is provided for informational and educational purposes only. Results are estimates and should not be considered professional financial, medical, legal, or other advice. Always consult a qualified professional before making important decisions. UseCalcPro is not responsible for any actions taken based on calculator results.