Bed frame disposal in Detroit

The short answer

Most bed frames can go out with Detroit's weekly bulk pickup if they are at the curb by 7 a.m. and your week's total stays under 2 cubic yards. If you want it taken from the bedroom, the flat prices are: standard, metal or platform frame $68, solid, upholstered or storage frame in twin to queen $126, king or Cal king $152, headboard alone $57, bunk bed $123. Orders under $100 are billed at the $100 minimum.

The frame came in pieces, so it leaves in pieces

Detroit's median home was built in 1947, and the stairs in a lot of bungalows and two-flats were built for people, not furniture. Most beds in those upstairs bedrooms were carried up in parts and bolted together in the room. The same applies on the way out.

• Metal frames: usually a few bolts or slip-together corners. Five minutes with a wrench.
• Wood frames: rails often hook into the headboard and footboard with bed-rail brackets. Lift straight up.
• Storage and upholstered beds: drawers out first, then the platform panels, then the frame. They are heavier than they look.
• Bunk beds and lofts: top bunk off before anything else, and get the slats out so nothing falls on the stairs.

Bag the bolts and tape them to a rail if someone else might use the bed. Take a photo before you start.

Where the hard beds are

The bed itself is rarely the problem. The house is.

• Half-story bedrooms in Royal Oak, Ferndale and Berkley bungalows sit under sloped ceilings, reached by a tight stair with a turn. Tall headboards often will not clear the turn in one piece.
• Upper flats in two-flats on Detroit's west side have a long straight run down to a shared front door. Solid wood frames are heavy on that run.
• Victorians in Woodbridge and Brush Park often have high ceilings but narrow servant or back stairs, and old wood floors worth protecting.
• Newer colonials in Troy, Canton and Macomb Township usually have wide stairs, but king storage beds and adjustable bases are common there and weigh a lot.

Whichever it is, the crew carries the frame out from any floor at the list price. No stairs fee.

Putting it at the curb

Detroit collects bulk every week since June 3, 2024, up to 2 cubic yards, about the size of two stoves. Out by 7 a.m., off the curb by 9 p.m. if not collected, and never in front of a vacant lot.

A disassembled frame takes up little room. The mattress and box spring are what fill the 2 cubic yards. If the whole bed is going, check your total.

In the suburbs, rules differ. Dearborn collects household bulk weekly next to the cart; large or heavy items need a fee-based special pickup. Warren takes bulk next to the rubbish containers on trash day. SOCRRA cities like Royal Oak, Ferndale and Troy run their own programs.

Give away, sell, curb or book: the trade-offs

1. Give it away. A clean solid-wood frame with all its hardware is worth listing for free. Expect to wait for someone with a truck and to help them carry it.
2. Sell it. Worth it for good hardwood or a bunk bed in good shape. Takes days and a few messages; the buyer still has to get it down your stairs.
3. Curb it. Free in Detroit if you can carry it out and it fits the week's allowance. Costs you the carry and a 7 a.m. deadline.
4. Book a pickup. One visit, carried from the room, priced before booking. We try to donate usable items when local charities accept them, and we recycle whatever we can.

Metal frames and scrap

A steel bed frame is mostly metal, which is recyclable. If you have a pile of scrap anyway, it can go with it. If not, it is rarely worth a separate trip. We recycle whatever we can from each load, metal included.

Note that Detroit's bulk program excludes metal poles and pipes. A standard bed frame is not that, but if you are clearing a basement full of old pipe and rails along with the bed, the pipe will be left behind at the curb.

Bed frame prices

Whole-bed examples

• Metal frame plus a queen mattress and box spring set: $68 + $143 = $211.
• Solid king frame plus a king mattress: $152 + $114 = $266.
• Kids' bunk bed plus two twin mattresses: $123 + $82 + $82 = $287.
• Headboard alone is $57, under the $100 minimum. Add a nightstand: $57 + $57 = $114.
• A Birmingham primary bedroom: king storage frame, king mattress and an adjustable base: $152 + $114 + $118 = $384.
• A basement guest room in a Livonia ranch: daybed with trundle and a dresser: $89 + $100 + $126 = $315.

Every price includes carrying from any floor, basement guest rooms included. No stairs fee.

When to book instead

Book a pickup when the frame is solid wood and heavy, when it is a storage bed with a lift mechanism, when the stairs are narrow, or when the bed is part of a room clearing that would put you over the week's bulk limit. End of the month and late spring are the busy stretches, as leases turn and houses go on the market; winter weekdays are usually easiest. Same-day pickup is available when you book by 4 PM, 7 days a week. Get a price from a photo. For the mattress side, read how to get rid of a mattress in Detroit.

Frequently asked questions