Couch and bulk furniture disposal in Charlotte, North Carolina

Rules

Curbside allowed

Yes

Appointment required

Yes

Limits

The solid waste FAQ says bulky waste is furniture, mattresses, appliances, and other large household items, that the published list is not exhaustive, and that residents should call CharMeck 311 with questions about an item. The collection guidelines and the bulky-item eligibility list do not state a numeric cap on couches. On that list, the line is "Couches." with no weight or length condition. The same list has a separate line, "Recliner." It does not print a loveseat line. The December 1, 2023 administrative policy lists "Couches" and "Loveseats" with no weight or length condition, and the non-recyclable accepted section read on 2026-10-22 does not print a recliner line. The multi-family page's request to contact the city about more than five items is for appliances, not couches. At county drop-off, the July 2026–June 2027 fee sheet puts one large bulky item, such as a sofa, in a no-charge category, and more than one bulky item in a different category.

Preparation

• Collection guidelines: schedule bulky items before set-out. Items placed at the curb without scheduling will not be collected.
• Collection guidelines: to be eligible, you must currently receive garbage collection from the City of Charlotte.
• Bulky-item request form: Charlotte residents currently receiving rollout service are eligible. Addresses not currently listed in the Solid Waste Services database cannot be scheduled. The form says to call 3-1-1 or 704-336-7600 with questions.
• Collection guidelines: place bulky items at the curb no later than 6 a.m. on the scheduled collection day and no sooner than the day before collection. There should be 3 feet between items.
• Administrative policy dated December 1, 2023: place bulky waste within 6 feet of the curb and at least 3 feet away from other collection items and obstacles such as mailboxes, phone poles, and vehicles. Do not block the sidewalk. Do not place bulky waste in the city-issued rollout carts. All items must be free of food, clothing, trash, and flammable materials such as gasoline and oil.
• Administrative policy: when you submit a request you receive a collection date and confirmation number. Have your name, address, and a description of the items.
• Collection guidelines and the bulky-item form: to cancel or change a pickup, call 311 at 704-336-7600 by noon on the business day before the scheduled pickup. The form prints that time as 12 noon.
• Multi-family page: call 311 or 704.336.7600 and give your name, address, multifamily property name, and a list of items. After scheduling, place items at the property's designated bulky location, near the dumpster or compactor, in a way that does not obstruct garbage collection. Do not place bulky items inside the dumpster or compactor. If access is blocked, the items must be rescheduled.
• Multi-family page: collection service times may occur Monday through Friday between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. Dumpsters, compactors, recycling carts, and bulky item areas must be accessible by 7 a.m. on the scheduled collection day. Collections may take place on the weekend because of holidays or inclement weather. That page says Waste Pro of North Carolina, Inc. is the city's contractor for multi-family collection, effective July 1, 2018, and later on the same page says Waste Pro LLC is the contracted service provider.
• Administrative policy: residents who cannot roll a cart to the curb can call 311 about special arrangements for garbage and recycling. That same paragraph says yard waste and bulky waste are only collected from the curb.
• Trash and recycling page: if scheduled bulky items were not collected on the assigned day, call CharMeck 311 at 704-336-7600 and report it within 48 hours.

How to schedule

1. Schedule the couch before you set it out. The collection guidelines say to call 311 at 704.336.7600, use the CLT+ app, or request online. The city's bulky-item form is at servicerequest.charlottenc.gov/service/BULKITEM. The December 1, 2023 policy instead tells residents to schedule online at curbit.charlottenc.gov.
2. You must already get City of Charlotte garbage collection. The form also says the address has to be in the Solid Waste Services database and that rollout-service customers are eligible. A multifamily property schedules by phone with the property name and a list of items, then uses the designated bulky spot near the dumpster or compactor.
3. On the scheduled day, have the couch out by 6 a.m., and not earlier than the day before. At a single-family home, put it at the curb with 3 feet between items. The 2023 policy also says within 6 feet of the curb, 3 feet from obstacles, off the sidewalk, and out of the trash cart, with no food, clothing, trash, or flammable materials left on it.
4. The eligibility list and the 2023 policy do not tell residents to cut, wrap, or bag a couch or loveseat. Other bulky items on those lists have those kinds of conditions. A couch and a loveseat do not.
5. To change or cancel, call 311 by noon on the business day before. If the scheduled pickup is missed, the trash and recycling page says to report it within 48 hours.
6. Or take the couch to a Mecklenburg County full-service center. The July 2026–June 2027 fee sheet defines bulky waste as non-spoilable items that may include furniture, couches, tables, mattresses, and similar items. Separate bulky trash from yard waste and construction debris before you arrive.

Phone, app, or portal

• Phone: CharMeck 311 at 704-336-7600. The collection guidelines print the number as 704.336.7600. The December 1, 2023 administrative policy also lists TTY 704.432.1649, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Online: https://servicerequest.charlottenc.gov/service/BULKITEM
• CLT+ app: The collection guidelines say to schedule with the CLT+ app. That page does not print a store link.
• Administrative policy online address: The December 1, 2023 administrative policy says to schedule online at curbit.charlottenc.gov. Opening that address on 2026-10-22 showed the Trash and Recycling page, which includes the words Schedule Bulky Collection.

Fees

Curbside

The collection guidelines page does not publish a separate dollar fee for a bulky pickup. The multi-family services page says bulky waste collection is included in the services provided to multifamily properties. That page says the current multi-family Charlotte residence (per unit) fee is $94.64, paid to the City of Charlotte, and $44.50, paid to Mecklenburg County, on the annual tax bill.

Notes

County drop-off is a different charge from city pickup. The centers page says residential and commercial fees now apply for bulky waste, construction and demolition, and yard waste. The fee sheet linked from the county fees page, labeled July 2026–June 2027 and FY-27-002, says a vehicle with one large bulky item, such as a sofa, or a chair, or a table, or a mattress set, is no charge when that is the only item and the amount is less than 2-96 gallon cans. More than one bulky item is Group 2: bulky waste at $15/unit, if the load stays under 3 cubic yards and fits that group's vehicle rules, including single-axle trailers 10 feet or smaller. The same sheet says all trailers over 8 feet will be weighed, and the centers page also says trailers over 8 feet need to be weighed or measured. Weighed bulky waste on the fee sheet is $65.00 per ton, or a $22 load minimum. The sheet says 1 unit equals 1 load of material, with a loaded vehicle plus a loaded trailer counting as 2 units. Any vehicle may be weighed at the fee attendant's discretion. Uncovered or unsecured loads may have all fees increased by 50 percent. Loads larger than 14 cubic yards must go to the Foxhole Landfill. The centers page says mixed loads are not accepted and also says mixed loads will be charged at the construction-and-demolition rate. The centers page says payment is by debit card or most major credit cards except American Express, and not by check or cash. A business credit card or a business or commercial vehicle is charged the business rate.

Drop-off locations

Mecklenburg County does not collect curbside bulky waste. The centers page says county residents can take bulky waste and furniture to any of the four full-service centers, Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., restrictions apply. County residents are asked to show a driver's license or other proof of a Mecklenburg County address and to display a blue entry sticker, which that page says is no cost. The fees page link text instead says the residential fee sheet is for county and non-county residents with an orange sticker. The July 2026–June 2027 fee sheet says a blue rectangle sticker for a Mecklenburg County resident is free and does not expire, and an out-of-county resident badge is $120, renewed annually, valid through June 30, 2027. That sheet says the out-of-county sticker has to stay on the vehicle and cannot be shared, and that a vehicle with no sticker pays the out-of-county category. Each facility page prints Solid Waste contact 980-314-3867 and SolidWaste@MeckNC.gov under an office block labeled Offices (No Dropoffs) at 2145 Suttle Ave., Charlotte, NC 28208. The fee sheet prints the same line as 980.314.DUMP (3867) or 311. Hours below are the regular hours each facility page states. Those pages do not list holiday closures.

What's not accepted

• A couch set out with regular garbage. The garbage guidelines say items outside the rollout cart will not be collected, and bulky items at the curb without a scheduled pickup will not be collected.
• Bulky waste placed in a city-issued rollout cart. The December 1, 2023 policy says not to do that.
• At a multifamily property, bulky items placed inside the dumpster or compactor.
• An address that does not currently receive City of Charlotte garbage collection. The online form also says an address that is not in the Solid Waste Services database cannot be scheduled.
• Materials resulting from work performed by a commercial contractor. Both the eligibility list and the 2023 policy list those as not eligible for bulky collection.
• Burnt or fire-damaged items. The eligibility list says they are not eligible for bulky collection.
• At a county center, a mixed load of yard waste, construction or demolition debris, and bulky trash. The centers page says mixed loads are not accepted, and also says mixed loads will be charged at the construction-and-demolition rate.

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