The short answer
Free is the City of Detroit's weekly bulk pickup, as long as you can carry the furniture to the curb by 7 a.m. and stay under 2 cubic yards a week. Next cheapest is giving it away. If you have a truck, SOCRRA's Troy transfer station starts at a $50 minimum. A flat-price pickup carries it out for you: sofa $126, coffee table $67, dresser $126, with a $100 order minimum.
1. Detroit weekly bulk pickup: $0
Since June 3, 2024, Detroit residents get bulk collection every week. You can put out up to 2 cubic yards of bulk, about the size of two stoves. It must be out by 7 a.m. on your day, off the curb by 9 p.m. if not collected, and never set in front of a vacant lot.
The way to make this work for a big clear-out is patience. Two cubic yards a week is a sofa one week, a dresser and chairs the next. Over a month that is a lot of furniture, for nothing. Going over in one shot is the expensive mistake; Outlier Media reported a $1,500 fine in 2022 for exceeding the limit.
Cost you pay instead: carrying it all to the curb yourself, often from a basement.
2. Give it away: $0
Post it free with good photos and an honest note about which floor it is on. Put it on the porch or in the garage first, so whoever comes does not need to be let into the house.
Works well for: solid wood dressers, dining sets, bookcases, kids' furniture. Works badly for: upholstered pieces with any wear, mattresses, anything particleboard that has been moved once already.
Timing helps. The end of a Wayne State term, when students are furnishing Midtown apartments, and late spring, when people are setting up new houses, are when free furniture moves fastest.
3. Your suburb's options
- Dearborn: weekly household bulk beside the cart, plus a free resident drop-off at the DPW yard, 2951 Greenfield, on the third Saturday of every month from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Large or heavy items at the curb need a fee-based special pickup.
- Warren: bulk items next to the rubbish containers on trash day. Warren residents also have the city's recycling center, which takes furniture.
- SOCRRA cities (Royal Oak, Ferndale, Berkley, Troy, Birmingham, Oak Park and others): each has its own curbside program. Check yours.
If you live in Livonia, Sterling Heights or Downriver, your city's public works page has the rule.
4. Drive it to Troy: from $50
SOCRRA's transfer station at 991 Coolidge charges $75 per ton with a $50 minimum (effective July 1, 2025). It is hand-unload only, open weekdays 6 to 10 a.m. and Saturday 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
If you already own a pickup and you live near Troy, this can be cheap. If you have to rent a van, buy fuel and give up a morning, it rarely is. Furniture is light for its bulk, so most car-and-trailer loads will pay the minimum.
5. Flat-price pickup: from the $100 minimum
| Item | Flat price |
|---|---|
| End Table / Side Table | $52 |
| Nightstand | $57 |
| Coffee Table | $67 |
| Bookshelf | $72 |
| Armchair / Accent Chair | $77 |
| Desk (Standard) | $83 |
| Loveseat | $119 |
| Sofa / Couch | $126 |
| Dresser (Standard) | $126 |
The price includes carrying from any floor, loading, hauling and disposal, with no stairs fee.
One living room, four ways
Take a common job: a sofa, a loveseat, a coffee table and two end tables in a brick bungalow in Warrendale or Cody Rouge.
- City curb: $0, but it is more than one week's 2 cubic yards. Plan on two or three bulk days, two people to carry the sofa and loveseat out, and a living room that stays half-empty in the meantime.
- Give away: $0 if someone wants it. The tables may go quickly; worn upholstery usually does not, so you end up at the curb for those anyway.
- Troy transfer station: the $50 minimum, plus a borrowed or rented truck, fuel, and a weekday morning before 10 a.m. or a Saturday before 12:30 p.m. Only open to the public at hand-unload hours, so you unload it too.
- Flat pickup: $126 + $119 + $67 + $52 + $52 = $416, carried out in one visit, in a 2-hour window you pick.
If you have time and a strong friend, the curb wins. If the job has a deadline, a closing date or a lease end, the single visit usually does.
How to make the minimum work for you
Orders under $100 are billed at the $100 minimum. So if you are paying for one small piece, add the next thing you were going to get rid of.
- An end table alone is $52, billed at $100. An end table and a nightstand are $52 + $57 = $109.
- A coffee table alone is $67. Add the armchair: $67 + $77 = $144.
- A desk alone is $83. Add the bookshelf: $83 + $72 = $155.
And combine the curb with a pickup. Put the light, easy pieces out for the city on bulk day, and book the heavy basement items you cannot get up the stairs.
When free costs more
Free stops being cheap when it needs a rented truck, a second person's Saturday, a ticket for missing the 7 a.m. set-out, or a back injury on a 1920s staircase. In a house in Woodbridge or on the east side where the furniture is solid wood and the stairs are narrow, the carrying is the real cost. Get an instant price from a photo and decide with real numbers. See also what to do with old furniture in Detroit.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest way to get rid of furniture in Detroit?
Detroit's weekly bulk pickup is free for up to 2 cubic yards a week set out by 7 a.m. Spread a big clear-out over several weeks to stay under the limit.
Is there a minimum charge for furniture pickup?
Yes, the order minimum is $100. Combining small items, such as an end table and nightstand for $52 + $57 = $109, makes the minimum go further.
How much does the Troy transfer station cost?
SOCRRA charges $75 per ton with a $50 minimum, effective July 1, 2025, with weekday and Saturday morning hours.
Does Dearborn have a free furniture drop-off?
Dearborn residents can use the DPW yard at 2951 Greenfield on the third Saturday of each month, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Are there extra fees for stairs?
No. Crews carry items out from any floor, basement included, at the list price.
Do you offer a discount for more furniture?
No. There are no volume discounts; every item is priced from the published list, or the job is priced as a truck-fill tier.