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Haul it yourself
Do-it-yourself junk removal in San Diego
You can take your own junk to Miramar. Cover the load, sort it first, and know which gate it belongs at. A truck rental is not automatically the cheap option.
Where San Diego loads actually go
City of San Diego homes do not have a routine bulky-item pickup. A couch next to the gray bin is not collected. It is illegal dumping. Self-haul means you drive it to the Miramar campus on Convoy Street, 92111, and you use the right entrance.
- Ordinary trash and broken furniture. Miramar Landfill, 5180 Convoy St. Monday–Saturday 7 a.m.–4 p.m. Self-dumping vehicles are accepted until 4:30 p.m. Closed Sunday and City holidays. Fees depend on weight, waste type, and whether you live in the City. Confirm the current rate on the City fee page before you rent a truck.
- Mattresses and box springs. Free at the Mattress Collection Site, 5161 Convoy St, Monday–Friday 7 a.m.–3 p.m., when the unit is not wet, heavily soiled, twisted, or infested. Closed Saturday and Sunday.
- Refrigerators, washers, and other appliances. Miramar Recycling Center, 5165 Convoy St, Monday–Saturday 7 a.m.–4:30 p.m. The City posts a separate fee for refrigerators, freezers, and air conditioners because of refrigerant. Do not cut the lines yourself.
- Paint, oil, fuels, batteries, and bulbs. Household hazardous waste is free for City residents by appointment at 5161 Convoy St. It does not ride in the same load as the couch.
The full address and phone list is below. Item-by-item rules are also in the San Diego disposal guides. If you live in Chula Vista, La Mesa, or unincorporated county, your franchise hauler — not the City — sets bulky pickup. Ask the company on your trash bill before you assume Miramar is the only option.
San Diego Junk Disposal Sites
Dumps and transfer stations
Every public landfill and transfer station on the County of San Diego landfill and transfer map, plus the Miramar Recycling Center and EDCO’s San Marcos construction drop-off. Call before you load. Fees depend on weight, what is in the truck, and whether you live in that city.
Miramar Landfill
5180 Convoy St, San Diego, CA 92111
City landfill. Mon–Sat 7 a.m.–4 p.m. Self-dumping vehicles until 4:30 p.m. Closed Sunday and City holidays. Cover the load. The County fire-debris map also lists the entrance at 5161 Convoy St, (858) 492-6100.
Miramar Recycling Center
5165 Convoy St, San Diego, CA 92111
Mon–Sat 7 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Appliances and scrap metal, not the trash deck. City fee list: $25 for a refrigerator, freezer, or air conditioner; $12 for a stove, washer, dryer, or water heater. Call to confirm scrap prices.
Sycamore Landfill
8514 Mast Blvd, Santee, CA 92071
Republic Services. East County landfill. Also a mattress drop-off. Call for the current public rate and hours.
Otay Landfill
1700 Maxwell Rd, Chula Vista, CA 91911
Republic Services. Mon–Fri 7 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Sat 7 a.m.–3 p.m. Closed Sunday and major holidays. Mattress drop-off. Chula Vista residents can ask the City about a free disposal pass.
Borrego Landfill
2449 Palm Canyon Dr, Borrego Springs
County landfill and transfer map. Call before you haul. Desert hours are limited.
EDCO Recycling and Transfer
3660 Dalbergia St, San Diego, CA 92113
Public disposal and transfer. Call for what they take from a pickup or trailer.
SANCO Resource Recovery
6670 Federal Blvd, Lemon Grove
On the County landfill and transfer map. Call for public hours and the minimum load.
EDCO Station
8184 Commercial St, La Mesa, CA 91942
Transfer station and buy-back center. La Mesa and nearby East County.
WM El Cajon Refuse and Recycling
1001 W Bradley Ave, El Cajon
County map listing for El Cajon. Mattress Recycling Council also names an El Cajon transfer station for mattresses. Call this number and confirm they are taking mattresses that day.
Ramona Transfer Station
324 Maple St, Ramona, CA 92065
Ramona Disposal. Public transfer and a mattress drop-off.
Escondido Resource Recovery
1044 W Washington Ave, Escondido, CA 92025
EDCO. Public disposal. Call for the scale rate before you load.
Palomar Transfer Station
5960 El Camino Real, Carlsbad, CA 92008
Republic Services. County map phone above. Carlsbad customer service is (760) 332-6464. Republic’s resident flyer lists the station Mon–Sun 7:30 a.m.–4 p.m. Mattress drop-off. Some programs need proof of residency.
Fallbrook Transfer Station
550 W Aviation Rd, Fallbrook, CA 92028
EDCO public transfer and buy-back. Call for hours.
EDCO CDI Recycling and Buy Back
224 S Las Posas Rd, San Marcos, CA 92069
Listed in the County construction-debris guide. Best for recyclable construction loads, not a mixed household dump. Call first.
Rather let Fred haul your junk?
Curbside pickup starts at $69. Price it before you rent a truck.
Mattress recycling
These are the San Diego County drop-offs named by the City and by the Mattress Recycling Council. A clean mattress is free at the City site. A soiled or infested one is trash. The Boulevard backcountry site takes mattresses by appointment only. They give the street address when you schedule, so it is not printed here.
City of San Diego Mattress Collection Site
5161 Convoy St, San Diego, CA 92111
Free. Mon–Fri 7 a.m.–3 p.m. Closed Saturday, Sunday, and City holidays. Next to the household hazardous waste site, east side of the Miramar entrance. No drop-off limit. Refused if wet, heavily soiled, twisted, frozen, or bedbug-infested.
Otay Landfill mattress drop-off
1700 Maxwell Rd, Chula Vista, CA 91911
Mattress Recycling Council lists Otay. Call before a large load. A mattress mixed with trash can be charged as trash.
Sycamore Landfill mattress drop-off
8514 Mast Blvd, Santee, CA 92071
Mattress Recycling Council lists Sycamore. Call before you go.
Ramona Transfer Station mattress drop-off
324 Maple St, Ramona, CA 92065
Mattress Recycling Council lists Ramona Disposal. Call before you go.
Palomar Transfer Station mattress drop-off
5960 El Camino Real, Carlsbad, CA 92008
Mattress Recycling Council lists Palomar. Facility line on the County map is (760) 603-0153.
El Cajon mattress drop-off
1001 W Bradley Ave, El Cajon
Mattress Recycling Council names an El Cajon transfer station. Confirm at this County-listed facility before you load the mattress.
Rather let Fred haul your junk?
Curbside pickup starts at $69. Price it before you rent a truck.
Scrap metal recycling
Yards that publish a street address and a phone and buy metal from the public. Bring a photo ID. California scrap laws require it. Prices change daily. A yard can refuse a load that still has gas, oil, or refrigerant in it.
SA Recycling — Main Street
3202 Main St, San Diego, CA 92113
Ferrous and non-ferrous, appliances, and vehicles. Mon–Fri 7:30 a.m.–4 p.m., Sat 7:30 a.m.–noon. Closed Sunday.
SA Recycling — Commercial Street
3055 Commercial St, San Diego, CA 92113
Public scrap drop-off. Mon–Fri 7:15 a.m.–4 p.m., Sat 7:15 a.m.–noon. Closed Sunday.
Ekco Metals
2846 Commercial St, San Diego, CA 92113
Buys ferrous and non-ferrous from the public. Mon–Fri 7:30 a.m.–4 p.m. Closed Saturday and Sunday.
AIM Recycling San Diego
981 Heritage Rd, San Diego, CA 92154
Otay Mesa. Steel, copper, brass, aluminum, wire, and household metal. Mon–Fri 7 a.m.–5 p.m. Closed Saturday and Sunday.
Allan Company — Consolidated Way
6733 Consolidated Way, San Diego, CA 92121
Metals plus CRV, cardboard, and e-waste. Mon–Tue 7–9 a.m., Wed 7–10 a.m., Thu–Fri 7 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Sat 7–11:30 a.m.
Allan Company — Convoy (Miramar Recycling Center)
5165 Convoy St, San Diego, CA 92111
Same address as the City recycling center. Metals, CRV, and appliances. Mon–Sat 7 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
C4S Recycling
1664 Industrial Blvd, Chula Vista, CA 91911
Scrap metal, appliances, and CRV. Their site lists Mon–Sat. Call before a large load.
Rather let Fred haul your junk?
Curbside pickup starts at $69. Price it before you rent a truck.
Hazardous materials
If the label says Caution, Warning, Danger, Poison, Flammable, or Corrosive, it is household hazardous waste. It does not go in a trash cart, a dumpster, or a junk truck. Paint, cleaners, pesticides, solvents, batteries, fluorescent bulbs, gasoline, antifreeze, and used motor oil stay out of the landfill load.
Keep products in the original container. Carry them upright in the trunk or truck bed, not on a seat. City of San Diego residents book a free appointment. Unincorporated county residents use the County sites below or call (877) 713-2784. The legal limit is 15 gallons or 125 pounds per trip. Fred’s does not haul hazardous waste. Pull it out, drop it off, and text a photo of the remaining junk.
- All battery types are hazardous in California, including alkaline cells. Tape the terminals.
- Fluorescent tubes, CFLs, and LEDs go to HHW. Wrap an ordinary incandescent bulb and it can go in the trash.
- Clean used motor oil goes to a CalRecycle certified center, which pays 40¢ a gallon, up to at least 5 gallons a day. Do not mix gasoline or antifreeze into it. Search a center at 1-800-CLEANUP.
- Gasoline, diesel, and contaminated oil go to HHW, not to a shop’s used-oil tank.
- The HHW window does not take TVs or computers. Those go to the Miramar Recycling Center at 5165 Convoy St.
City of San Diego HHW Transfer Facility
5161 Convoy St, San Diego, CA 92111
Free for City of San Diego residents by appointment. Posted hours are Wednesday and Saturday 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Confirm when you book at sandiego.gov/hhw. Bring proof of residency. Limit is 15 gallons or 125 pounds. No containers larger than 5 gallons. Stay in the vehicle and keep materials in the trunk or truck bed. Does not take e-waste, business waste, asbestos, or swollen batteries.
Ramona HHW — unincorporated county
324 Maple St, Ramona
Unincorporated residents only. Appointment required. 1st and 3rd Saturdays, 9 a.m.–1 p.m. Limit 15 gallons or 125 pounds.
Chula Vista HHW — unincorporated county
1800 Maxwell Rd, Chula Vista, CA 91911
County lists this site for unincorporated residents. No appointment. Wednesdays and Saturdays, 9 a.m.–1 p.m. Limit 15 gallons or 125 pounds. If you live inside a city, confirm that city’s program before you use this gate.
Escondido HHW — unincorporated county
1044 W Washington Ave, Escondido
Unincorporated residents only. Appointment required. Select Saturdays, 12:30–2:45 p.m. Limit 15 gallons or 125 pounds.
El Cajon HHW — unincorporated county
925 O'Connor St, El Cajon
The County says appointments here are temporarily closed to unincorporated residents. Call before you drive.
County facility rules are posted at sandiegocounty.gov. City appointments are at sandiego.gov/hhw.
Rather let Fred haul your junk?
Curbside pickup starts at $69. Price it before you rent a truck.
Paint
Leftover house paint is free to drop off through PaintCare, California’s paint stewardship program. You already paid a small fee when you bought the can. The City of San Diego posts that fee as nothing on a half-pint or smaller, $0.30 on a pint, $0.65 on a 1- or 2-gallon can, and $1.50 on a can larger than 2 gallons up to 5 gallons. Drop-off itself is free.
Find a store at paintcare.org/drop-off-sites. Enter your ZIP and call the store before you load the car. Most sites take up to 5 gallons per visit. Keep the paint in the original labeled can, 5 gallons or smaller, with a tight lid. Do not mix colors into a bucket.
What PaintCare takes
Interior and exterior architectural coatings: latex, acrylic, water-based, oil-based, enamel, primers, stains, sealers, and single-component varnishes, lacquers, and urethanes. The full product list is at paintcare.org/products.
What PaintCare does not take
Leaking, unlabeled, or empty cans. Aerosol spray paint. Paint thinner and mineral spirits. Auto or marine paint, craft paint, adhesives, tar-based products, and two-component coatings. Those go to household hazardous waste, not a paint-store counter. About 100 gallons or more can qualify for PaintCare’s free large-volume pickup for contractors — that is their program, not a junk-removal job. Program details are at paintcare.org/states/california.
City of San Diego residents can also take unused paint to the HHW facility by appointment. Do not pour paint down a drain or dry it out for the gray bin. Fred’s will not haul paint, stain, thinner, or spray cans. Leave the cans out of the pile.
PaintCare drop-off locator
Stores across San Diego County — search by ZIP
No single phone
Free drop-off of leftover architectural paint. Use paintcare.org/drop-off-sites and call the store first. Most visits are limited to 5 gallons.
Find a drop-offCity of San Diego HHW Transfer Facility
5161 Convoy St, San Diego, CA 92111
Free for City of San Diego residents by appointment. Posted hours are Wednesday and Saturday 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Confirm when you book at sandiego.gov/hhw. Bring proof of residency. Limit is 15 gallons or 125 pounds. No containers larger than 5 gallons. Stay in the vehicle and keep materials in the trunk or truck bed. Does not take e-waste, business waste, asbestos, or swollen batteries.
Rather let Fred haul your junk?
Curbside pickup starts at $69. Price it before you rent a truck.
What DIY junk removal actually costs
The dump fee is only one line. A homeowner pickup or a rented trailer still needs fuel, a tarp, tie-downs, and someone strong enough to load a sofa at the curb and unload it at the landfill. An uncovered load can add $50 before you reach the scale. A refrigerator is a recycling-center fee, not a “free drop.” A mattress is free only if it qualifies and you are there on a weekday before 3 p.m.
Fred’s curbside rate starts at $69 for one item or a small load under 200 pounds, staged at the driveway, garage, or alley. That number includes the haul and the disposal fee. Full-service, when we carry from inside, starts at $130. If the pile is mixed, the truck-load tiers price the space it takes in the dump bed. Compare that to a rental plus a scale ticket before you spend the Saturday.
DIY is a fair choice when the junk is light, already outside, and you own a vehicle that can take it covered. It is a bad trade when the piece is upstairs, the mattress is a king, or the “free” afternoon turns into a rejected load because a TV or a can of paint was still in the truck.
How to haul your own junk
- 1
Sort the pile before you load. Trash, mattresses, appliances, electronics, and hazardous items do not all go to the same gate.
- 2
Cover the load. The City charges an uncovered-load fee at Miramar, and a flying mattress on the freeway is a ticket, not a shortcut.
- 3
Take mattresses and box springs to the free Mattress Collection Site, appliances to the Miramar Recycling Center, and ordinary trash to the landfill trash deck.
- 4
Keep paint, fuels, batteries, bulbs, and chemicals out of the truck. Those need a household hazardous waste appointment, not the landfill.
- 5
Unload it yourself. Miramar does not send a crew to your truck. If you cannot lift it at home, you will not lift it at the dump.
DIY junk removal questions
- Can I dump a couch or mattress at the Miramar Landfill?
- Mixed household trash, including furniture that is truly trash, goes to the Miramar Landfill at 5180 Convoy St. Clean mattresses and box springs should go to the free Mattress Collection Site at 5161 Convoy St instead, Monday–Friday 7 a.m.–3 p.m., if they are not wet, heavily soiled, or infested. Appliances do not go on the trash deck.
- Do I have to cover a do-it-yourself junk load in San Diego?
- Yes. City rules require covered loads at Miramar. An uncovered load can be charged a $50 fee. Strap or tarp anything that can blow out.
- Is do-it-yourself junk removal cheaper than hiring Fred’s?
- Sometimes, for a few light bags you already have a truck for. A rental truck, fuel, the drive to Convoy Street, dump fees by weight, and half a day of labor often cost more than a $69 curbside pickup for one item or a small load. Full-service, when we carry from inside, starts at $130.
- What junk can I not haul to the landfill myself?
- Household hazardous waste, wet paint, fuels, batteries, fluorescent bulbs, and refrigerant appliances do not belong in a mixed trash load. Refrigerators and freezers go to the Miramar Recycling Center, which posts a fee for CFC units. TVs and e-waste are handled as electronics, not as garbage.
ZIP codes we haul
Fred's San Diego service area
Only the ZIP codes on this map — full Chula Vista through Eastlake, East County (Santee, La Mesa, Spring Valley, Lemon Grove, La Presa), Carmel Valley, Mira Mesa, Sorrento Valley, Scripps Ranch, San Carlos, Lake Murray, Skyline, Lomita, Tierrasanta, and Paradise Valley, plus the coastal and central neighborhoods we already haul. Same posted rates in every ZIP we serve. Click a ZIP or a neighborhood name.
Neighborhoods we haul
- Allied Gardens92120
- Bonita91902
- Carmel Valley92130
- Chula Vista91910
- City Heights92105
- Clairemont Mesa92117
- College Grove92115
- Coronado92118
- Del Cerro92120
- Downtown92101
- Eastlake91915
- Encanto92114
- Golden Hill92102
- Hillcrest92103
- Imperial Beach91932
- Kearny Mesa92111
- Kensington92116
- La Jolla92037
- La Mesa91942
- La Presa91977
- Lake Murray92119
- Lemon Grove91945
- Linda Vista92111
- Logan Heights92113
- Lomita92114
- Mission Beach92109
- Mission Hills92103
- Mission Valley92108
- Mira Mesa92126
- National City91950
- North Park92104
- Ocean Beach92107
- Old Town92110
- Otay Mesa92154
- Pacific Beach92109
- Paradise Valley92139
- Point Loma92106
- San Carlos92119
- San Ysidro92173
- Santee92071
- Scripps Ranch92131
- Serra Mesa92123
- Skyline92114
- South Park92102
- Sorrento Valley92121
- Spring Valley91977
- Talmadge92116
- Tierrasanta92124
- University City92122
- University Heights92116
Rather not drive to the dump?
Stage it at a drive-up spot and text a photo. Curbside junk removal in San Diego starts at $69.
