The short answer
Sell what has value, give away what is clean and usable, put out what fits the City of Detroit's 2-cubic-yard weekly bulk limit, and book a pickup for the rest. Flat pickup prices include the carrying: dresser $126, chest of drawers $126, china hutch $160, six-to-eight-seat dining table $163, dining chairs $45 each. Orders under $100 are billed at the $100 minimum.
Start with what Detroit houses actually hold
Detroit's median home was built in 1947, and most city ZIP codes report a median of 1939 or earlier. The furniture in those houses tends to match. Clearing out a house in Indian Village, Boston-Edison or East English Village, you will often find:
- Solid wood case pieces: dressers, highboys, china hutches, sideboards. Heavy, well made, sometimes worth selling.
- Basement overflow: the old couch, a bar, a workbench, shelving, boxes.
- Particleboard from the last 20 years: bookcases, TV stands, flat-pack wardrobes. Rarely worth anything secondhand.
Sort it into those three piles before deciding anything. The first pile is worth an afternoon of photos. The third is not.
Option 1: sell it
Solid wood, mid-century pieces and anything with a maker's mark are worth listing. Take photos in daylight, measure everything, and say clearly which floor it is on and whether the buyer has to carry it. Buyers back out the moment they see a basement staircase they were not warned about.
Price for a quick sale if the house has a closing date. An estate cleanout on a deadline does not have time for three weekends of no-shows.
Option 2: donate or give it away
Charities in the metro accept furniture in good condition, but policies differ and most decline anything stained, torn, broken or with pet damage. Call before you load a car.
Giving it away for free on a local listing is often faster. Put it on the porch or in the garage, so people can collect it without coming into the house.
When we haul furniture, we try to donate usable items when local charities accept them, and we recycle whatever we can.
Option 3: the curb
The City of Detroit collects bulk weekly since June 3, 2024. Limits: up to 2 cubic yards a week, out by 7 a.m., off the curb by 9 p.m. if missed, never in front of a vacant lot. Exceeding the limit was reported by Outlier Media in 2022 as a $1,500 fine.
Two cubic yards is roughly a sofa, or a dresser and a few chairs. It is not a whole room. If you are clearing more than that, spread it over weeks or use another route for the overflow.
Suburbs differ. Dearborn takes household bulk weekly beside the cart, with a fee-based special pickup for large or heavy items. Warren takes bulk next to the rubbish containers on trash day. SOCRRA cities like Royal Oak and Ferndale set their own rules, so check your city's page.
Option 4: flat-price pickup
| Item | Flat price |
|---|---|
| Dresser (Standard) | $126 |
| Dresser — Large, Solid Hardwood (60"+) | $182 |
| Chest of Drawers | $126 |
| Cabinet / China Hutch | $160 |
| Sideboard / Buffet | $123 |
| Dining Table (6-8 Seat) | $163 |
| Dining Chair | $45 |
| Bookcase — Solid Wood (tall / 6ft+) | $123 |
| Entertainment Center / TV Stand | $96 |
| Sofa / Couch | $126 |
A dining room of table, hutch and six chairs: $163 + $160 + $45 + $45 + $45 + $45 + $45 + $45 = $593. At that size, a load can also be priced as a truck-fill tier: a 3/4 truck, about 12 cubic yards, is $587. Either way, you see the price before you book.
Three Detroit furniture decisions
A walnut dining set in a Boston-Edison house. Worth photographing and listing, and worth a few weeks if there is no deadline. If the family's closing is in ten days, list it for a quick sale and book the leftovers.
A particleboard wardrobe and a TV stand in a Hazel Park bungalow. Nobody will buy them and they will not survive another move. Curb them over two weeks if they fit, or book them together: $143 + $96 = $239.
A large solid hardwood dresser and a sideboard in a Grosse Pointe basement, brought down decades ago and too heavy for the family to carry up. Offer them to relatives first, then book: $182 + $123 = $305, carried up the stairs.
Heavy pieces and old stairs
A solid hardwood dresser from the 1920s is not the same object as a modern one. It is heavier, the drawers are often stuck, and the stairs it has to go down were built narrow. Take the drawers out, tape the doors shut on a hutch, and remove the mirror from a dresser before anyone lifts it.
Crews carry items out from anywhere in the home, any floor, with no stairs fee.
Booking
Get an instant quote from a photo or pick items from the list, choose a 2-hour window, and book by 4 PM for same-day service. Spring, when Metro Detroit houses go on the market, is the busiest time; winter weekdays are usually the easiest to book. For a full house, read estate cleanout cost in Detroit.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I get rid of old furniture in Detroit for free?
Detroit residents can use weekly bulk pickup within the 2-cubic-yard limit, set out by 7 a.m. on collection day. Dearborn residents also have a free DPW drop-off on the third Saturday of each month.
How much does furniture removal cost in Detroit?
Flat prices per item, for example dresser $126, china hutch $160, dining table for six to eight $163 and dining chairs $45 each. Orders under $100 are billed at the $100 minimum.
Will you donate my furniture?
We try to donate usable items when local charities accept them and recycle whatever we can. Donation depends on condition and what charities will take.
Do you charge more for heavy antique furniture?
Heavy pieces have their own list prices, such as a large solid hardwood dresser at $182. There is no stairs fee and no surcharge on top of the list price.
Can a big load be priced by the truck instead of by item?
Yes. Piles and cleanouts can be priced as a truck-fill tier, for example a 3/4 truck, about 12 cubic yards, at $587. You see the price before you book.
Should I empty drawers before pickup?
Yes. Empty drawers and cabinets so nothing personal leaves with the furniture, and so the pieces are lighter on the stairs.