The couch problem: it doesn’t fit in the bin, it doesn’t fit in the car, and the two people willing to help you carry it are suspiciously busy. Every bulky item in your house eventually becomes this problem. Here are your options in Portland, ranked honestly.
Option 1: Sell it or give it away (free, but slow)
Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and Buy Nothing groups are the classic first stop, and for desirable items in good shape they work. The honest catch: heavy items sit. You’ll field messages for two weeks, get ghosted twice, and still need someone with a truck to actually come get it. Great when it works – just don’t let a couch camp in your garage for a month waiting.
Option 2: Donation (great if the item qualifies)
Donation centers around the metro accept furniture and household goods, and some offer pickup. The catch is condition: stains, rips, pet odors, or broken frames usually mean rejection – sometimes at your curb after you hauled it there. If your item is genuinely nice, donate it. If it’s on its last legs, skip the detour.
Option 3: The DIY dump run
Metro’s transfer stations take bulky items. You’ll need a truck, a helper, tie-downs and a tarp, and part of a Saturday. Our Portland dump guide covers locations, fees, and how the scale house works. Worth it for a truck owner with one big item; less so once you factor in a rental.
Option 4: Full-service pickup (we do all the loading)
Text a photo, get a price, and it’s gone – from wherever it sits, stairs included. Our 2026 single-item rates:
- Couch or sofa: $150-$180
- Mattress and box spring: $150-$180
- Refrigerator: $150-$180
- Washer or dryer: $150
- Hot tub (small, drained): $540-$720
- Piano: $480-$960
Have two or three things? Ask – combining items into one pickup usually beats scheduling twice, since the $150 minimum covers the trip. Full rates on the pricing page.
Item-specific guides
We’ve written detailed local guides for the three most common bulky headaches:
- Couch removal in Portland: your 5 options
- How to get rid of a mattress in Portland
- Refrigerator and freezer disposal
Apartments, condos, and stairs
Third-floor walkup? Narrow basement stairs? Tell us in the text so we plan for it – the crew handles all the loading either way, and our furniture removal service deals with tight Portland staircases weekly.
Make it disappear
Text a photo of the item to (503) 455-7920 for a fast, free estimate – same-day and next-day pickups are often available. We cover the whole metro, including Milwaukie, Beaverton, and Gresham.