An old washer in the basement. A fridge that has not run since last summer. A stove you replaced three months ago and have been stepping around ever since. Appliance removal is one of those jobs that sits on the list because nobody wants to figure out where the thing actually goes.
In Massachusetts, you cannot just leave a fridge at the curb. The law says the refrigerant has to be recovered by a certified technician before the unit can be scrapped. That rule exists because the old coolant — R-12, R-134a — is bad for the atmosphere. Most people do not know that, and most haulers do not mention it. We handle it as part of the job.
What appliance removal and disposal actually costs
We price by volume — how much space the appliances take in the trailer. One or two appliances is a quick job. A basement full of them is a truck load. Here is the base, before any weight or access adjustments:
Those numbers include the disconnect, the loading, the hauling, and the disposal. If the appliance is sitting on the ground floor with clear access to the truck, it lands on the lower end. If it is in a basement down a flight of stairs, the access add-on applies: $40 for one flight, $80 for two or more.
Most single-appliance jobs — a dead fridge, a washer that stopped spinning, an old dryer — land at $90. That is the flat price for one or two items, and it covers everything. No surprise disposal fee waiting at the end.
| Volume | Flat base price | Typical jobs |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 appliances | $90 | Fridge, washer, dryer, stove, dishwasher |
| 3–5 appliances | $150–$200 | Kitchen remodel, laundry room clearout |
| Truck load | $250 | Full appliance cleanout, estate job |
Cost by appliance type
The volume-based pricing means a single appliance and a single appliance cost the same — $90. The difference shows up when you have multiples or when access gets complicated. Here is what each common appliance looks like in practice:
Refrigerators and freezers are the heaviest items, usually 150 to 300 pounds. They also require refrigerant recovery before disposal, which we handle. Washers and dryers are lighter — 150 to 200 pounds — and straightforward. Stoves and dishwashers are the easiest, usually under 150 pounds with simple disconnects.
If you have a mix — say a fridge, a washer, and a dryer — that is three items. It fits in the 1–2 item bracket at $90 if they are all on the same floor with easy access. If the fridge is in the basement and the washer is on the second floor, the stairs add $40 per flight.
| Appliance | Typical weight | Disposal requirement | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator | 150–300 lbs | Refrigerant recovery required | Heaviest item. Old units draw $150/yr in electricity. |
| Freezer | 100–200 lbs | Refrigerant recovery required | Same rules as fridge. Mass Save offers $50–$100 rebate. |
| Washer | 150–200 lbs | Standard scrap metal | Disconnect water and drain first. |
| Dryer | 100–150 lbs | Standard scrap metal | Gas dryers need gas disconnect before hauling. |
| Stove / range | 100–200 lbs | Standard scrap metal | Gas units need gas disconnect. Electric is simpler. |
| Dishwasher | 60–100 lbs | Standard scrap metal | Water disconnect required. Lightest kitchen appliance. |
Massachusetts disposal rules — what the law actually says
Massachusetts banned appliance disposal in landfills in 1992 under the Solid Waste Master Plan. You cannot put a refrigerator, freezer, washer, dryer, or any large appliance at the curb with your regular trash. The unit has to go to a licensed facility for recycling or proper disposal.
For refrigerators and freezers specifically, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection requires that the refrigerant — the coolant in the sealed system — be recovered by an EPA Section 608 certified technician before the unit can be scrapped. This is not optional. Dumping refrigerant is a federal violation under the Clean Air Act, and Massachusetts enforces it.
What this means for you: if you hire a hauler who just loads the fridge onto a truck and drives it to a scrapyard without recovering the refrigerant, that is their problem, not yours — but it is also the kind of corner-cutting that leads to illegal dumping. We recover the refrigerant as part of the job. The cost is included in the flat price.
Where your appliances actually end up
We do not dump everything at the transfer station. Here is the breakdown:
Working appliances — especially fridges and freezers less than 15 years old — go to donation programs when possible. Goodwill, Savers, and Habitat ReStore take working units. If the appliance is dead, the metal gets separated and sent to licensed recyclers. Steel, copper, aluminum — all of it gets recovered. The refrigerant gets recovered before the unit is crushed.
Only true waste — appliances that are damaged beyond any use — goes to the transfer station. That is the last resort, not the default. Most of what we pick up has enough metal value to justify the recycling route.
When you do not need to hire us
Sometimes a single transfer-station run is cheaper than booking us. If you have one appliance, a truck that can carry 200 pounds, and a Saturday morning free, the dump fee will beat our $90. We will tell you that. We would rather lose the job than charge you for something you could do yourself for less.
Mass Save offers free pickup for qualifying refrigerators and freezers — they pay you $50 to $100 to take it. The catch is the two-to-four-week wait, and they only take fridges and freezers that still work. If your fridge has been dead in the garage for two years, Mass Save will not touch it.
Some towns run periodic bulk-item pickup days. Billerica, Chelmsford, and Tewksbury have done them in the past. Check your town website — the schedules change every year and not every town offers it.
How the job works
You text us photos of the appliances and your town. We send back one flat price within 24 hours. Once you say yes, you pick a two-hour window, same day or next.
The crew arrives, disconnects the appliances if needed, loads them onto the truck, and sweeps the space before they leave. The whole job takes 30 to 90 minutes for a typical residential pickup. Payment comes at the end, only when you are happy — cash, check, Venmo, Zelle, or card. No deposit up front.