Refrigerators, washers, dryers, stoves, dishwashers, water heaters, window AC units — appliances are heavy, awkward, and often can't ride along with your regular trash. A few also have real disposal rules in Florida. Here's the plain version of your options, roughly cheapest to easiest.
First: know which ones have special rules
Anything that cools has refrigerant (Freon) — refrigerators, freezers, window and portable AC units, and dehumidifiers. By law that refrigerant has to be recovered by a certified technician before the unit is scrapped, so these can't just be tossed. Gas appliances (some stoves, dryers, and water heaters) need the gas line safely shut off first. Everything else — standard washers, electric dryers, dishwashers — is simpler, but still too big for the regular can.
Your options
1. Municipal bulk / appliance pickup
Most Palm Beach County cities and the Solid Waste Authority collect large appliances ("white goods") on a bulk schedule or by appointment — often free, but you have to know your day, get the appliance to the curb yourself, and wait. Check your city's solid-waste page for the rules.
2. Retailer haul-away with your new one
Buying a replacement? Many retailers will haul the old appliance away when they deliver the new one, sometimes free, sometimes for a small fee. It's the easiest time to deal with it — just ask when you order.
3. Scrap metal recyclers
Appliances are mostly steel, so scrap yards will often take them — and occasionally pay a few dollars for the metal. You'll need to haul it there yourself, and most won't take Freon units unless the refrigerant has already been recovered.
4. Donation (only if it works)
If the appliance still runs and isn't ancient, a charity resale store may take it. Call ahead — many only accept working appliances under a certain age, and won't take built-in or Freon units.
5. Junk removal / haul-away
The no-hassle route: a crew comes to you, carries the appliance out (down stairs, out of the kitchen or laundry room), and hauls it off — Freon units included, routed for proper recovery. Our appliance removal starts at our $99 minimum, with a $40 handling fee for Freon appliances, and gets cheaper per unit if you have several going at once.
A safety word on disconnection
We can unhook standard plug-in appliances and a washer's water lines. But if an appliance is on a gas line or is hardwired, have it shut off and disconnected by a qualified professional first — that part isn't worth risking. Once it's safely disconnected, the removal itself is quick.
What to avoid
- Leaving a fridge or freezer with the doors on at the curb — it's a child-entrapment hazard, and many pickups require the doors removed.
- Scrapping a Freon unit yourself without proper recovery — it's against the rules and bad for the environment.
- Curb-dumping on the wrong day — illegal dumping carries fines in Florida.
The quick decision
If the appliance still works and you have a truck and a helper, donation or a scrap yard can cost you nothing — or even put a few dollars in your pocket. If it's a dead Freon unit, a top-floor washer, or you've got a kitchen's worth going at once during a remodel or move-out, the time, the stairs, and the refrigerant rules usually make haul-away the sane choice. A single heavy appliance out of a second-floor condo is a two-person job on a good day; a whole-kitchen swap is more. Either way, a quick photo tells us what you're dealing with and gets you a clear number before anything moves.
Just want it gone? Send a photo of the appliance and where it sits, and we'll give you a clear estimate. Snap a photo for an instant estimate or text (561) 929-8359 — we do the lifting, you point.