desh jack7 months ago
★★★★★
Thanks, Serge, for the quick, professional, and reasonably priced service. Will use you again - highly recommend!
Overview
The new fridge is in the kitchen and the old one is on the patio, 300 pounds of it, and the delivery crew would not take it. We carry it out from wherever it sits and get it to a recycler that recovers the refrigerant.
The delivery crew brought the new refrigerator in and left the old one parked on the patio, or in the garage, or still in the kitchen because the new one went in the garage. It weighs more than two people want to carry, the city will not take it with bulky pickup, and it cannot go to the curb. We pick it up the same day most days, carry it out, and route it to an appliance recycler that recovers the refrigerant before the metal is scrapped.
At a glance
- Upfront pricing from $90, confirmed before we start
- Same-day and next-day appointments, open 24 hours a day
- We take standard, chest and upright freezers, mini-fridges, commercial reach-in units from restaurants and break rooms and more
- Licensed and insured, locally owned in West Sacramento
- We donate what is usable and recycle what we can
- No tips expected and no hidden dump fees
What happens to refrigerators at a recycling facility?
A refrigerator cannot simply be crushed with other scrap. Federal law requires refrigerant to be recovered by an EPA Section 608 certified technician before disposal (U.S. EPA): that applies to older R-12 and R-22 units and to modern R-134a and R-600a appliances alike.
After the refrigerant is captured, the compressor oil is drained, mercury switches and capacitors are removed from older units, and the insulating foam is separated. Only then does the shell go to a shredder, where the steel, aluminum, copper, and plastics are recovered as separate commodity streams.
This is why curbside programs will not take a fridge and why appliance disposal is priced differently from ordinary junk: the unit has to pass through a certified de-manufacturing step first.
Refrigerator and appliance disposal questions
Can I put a refrigerator at the curb?
No. Appliances containing refrigerant are excluded from bulky-item curbside pickup across the Sacramento region because the refrigerant must be recovered by a certified technician before the unit can be processed.
Do you have to remove the doors before disposal?
For a fridge sitting outside awaiting pickup, yes. Removing or securing the doors is a long-standing safety requirement to prevent a child becoming trapped. Once our crew loads it, it goes straight onto the truck.
Does it cost more to remove a refrigerator than other junk?
Slightly, in most cases. Appliances carry a processing cost at the recycler because of the certified refrigerant recovery step. We include that in the upfront quote rather than adding it at the end.
Do you take freezers, AC units, and dehumidifiers too?
Yes. Anything with a sealed refrigerant system, chest freezers, window and portable AC units, dehumidifiers, wine fridges, and mini fridges. Follows the same recovery process.
Will my old refrigerator be recycled or landfilled?
Recycled. After refrigerant and oil recovery, the metal in a refrigerator is valuable enough that the shell is almost always processed for scrap rather than buried.
Why an Old Fridge Can't Just Go to the Curb
Every refrigerator and freezer has refrigerant and compressor oil sealed inside, and under federal and California rules both have to be professionally recovered before the unit is scrapped. Venting them is illegal. That is why the city excludes refrigerators from regular bulky-item pickup, why a fridge left at the curb can earn a fine, and why a scrap yard will not take one with the compressor still charged. Units made before 2000 often hold R-12 or R-22 Freon; older chest freezers can also carry mercury switches. We handle the chain of custody: the unit goes to a certified processor, the refrigerant and oil are captured, and the steel, aluminum, copper and plastic are reclaimed.
Fridge and Freezer Disposal: We Do the Heavy Lifting
A full-size refrigerator runs 150 to 300 pounds, and a side-by-side or a built-in is heavier and wider than the door it has to leave through. We bring a dolly, floor protection and two people, pull the doors if that is the only way through, and get it down the basement stairs or out of the garage corner it was buried in. One thing we need from you: the unit unplugged and any ice-maker water line disconnected before we arrive. We do not do plumbing or electrical work, so a plumbed built-in needs a plumber first.
What We Take
- Standard, side-by-side and French-door refrigerators
- Chest and upright freezers, including the one in the garage that quit in July
- Mini-fridges, beverage coolers and wine refrigerators
- Commercial reach-in units from restaurants and break rooms
- Window and portable AC units and dehumidifiers, same recovery process
How a Refrigerator Pickup Goes
- 1. Book online or text a photo to (916) 770-7619. Say where it sits and whether there are stairs.
- 2. Price confirmed at the door. If it matches the photo, we start. If something is different, you hear it before we touch it.
- 3. We carry it out. Basement, second floor, behind the water heater; you do not move it an inch.
- 4. It goes to the recycler, refrigerant recovered, metal scrapped. We sweep the spot where it stood.
What Refrigerator Removal Costs in Sacramento
One refrigerator on its own is a minimum-load job, and appliances carry a small processing cost at the recycler for the refrigerant step, which we build into the quote rather than add later.
| Job | Typical price |
|---|---|
| One refrigerator or freezer, garage or kitchen | $90 to $130 |
| Fridge plus the dead washer and dryer | Quarter truck, $180 to $280 |
| Fridge with a garage cleanout | Half truck, $320 to $480 |
Stairs and long carries can nudge the number. Book online and we take $20 off. No hidden dump fee, no tip expected.
What Fridge Pickups Look Like in Our Reviews
Google reviews from appliance jobs, unedited.
“Point to what you want removed and it’s gone! I had a refrigerator buried in my garage. They tunneled through my mess and removed that old refrigerator plus all my junk!”
Richard Black, Google“Serge responded immediately, quoted a fair price & arrived same day right at the pick-up window.”
Jacky De La Garza, GoogleDelivery-Day Swaps and Garage Cleanouts
Most of our fridge pickups happen the week a new appliance is delivered. Bundling is the cheap move: the retired beer fridge, the chest freezer nobody opens and the old microwave ride along for far less than three separate pickups, because you pay for truck space, not the item count. If the fridge still runs and is less than about ten years old, a charity may take it; the ones we haul are usually the ones that do not.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does refrigerator removal cost in Sacramento?
One refrigerator typically runs $90 to $130 depending on size and access. Add a washer, a dryer or a garage's worth of junk and it becomes a quarter- or half-truck load, which is cheaper than three separate pickups.
Do you recycle the refrigerant properly?
Yes. Every fridge and freezer goes to a certified recycler that recovers the refrigerant and compressor oil to EPA and California standards before the shell is shredded for steel, aluminum and copper. Nothing is vented or dumped.
Can you remove a fridge from the garage or basement?
Yes. Garages, basements, upstairs units and the corner behind twenty boxes are all normal. Nothing needs to be moved to the curb first; tell us about stairs so the quote is right.
Do you offer same-day fridge removal?
Most days. Text a photo in the morning and we can usually be there that afternoon; evenings and weekends are open too. Next-day is almost always available.
Do I need to empty and defrost it first?
Empty helps; defrosted is optional. Unplug it the night before and lay a towel down for melt. The one thing we need is the unit unplugged and any water line disconnected, since we do not do plumbing.
Can you take a built-in or counter-depth model?
Yes. A built-in needs to be disconnected from water and power and freed from the cabinetry first, by a plumber if it is hard-plumbed. Once it is loose, we handle the carry and the recycling like any other unit.
Real Customer Reviews
Josh South8 months ago
★★★★★
Fast, convenient, and amazing service. I will definitely be a returning customer. Thank you!
Jason Roberts11 months ago
★★★★★
Great and punctual service! Reasonable prices and very friendly. I recommend highly. He hauled away an old piano. Very professional!
Erika Alvarez1 year ago
★★★★★
Fast, affordable, professional, and friendly! I called and Serge was here within about an hour.
BenWendy Webster1 year ago
★★★★★
Serge was awesome to work with. I am very grateful I found his company. I contacted them on a Tuesday and by Wednesday the hot tub was gone. He was on time and worked hard. Left the area cleaned up and I’m so excited to have my backyard back!
Lacey A1 year ago
★★★★★
Prompt response when I inquired about Hot Tub Removal. Fair price. Was available next day and only took about an hr and half. Would highly recommend.
Shawn Herrick1 year ago
★★★★★
Serge was amazing. Would definitely recommend. He was prompt, fair and very professional.
kyle c1 year ago
★★★★★
Reasonably priced, great communication, Serge was very friendly and got my junk hauled with ease! Would absolutely use TCJ Hauling again. Thanks so much
Luis Terrazas1 year ago
★★★★★
This guys are the real deal !!! Serge and his crew took care of our old furniture as we are transitioning into a new apartment. They were able to accommodate last minute and for a competitive price .
Prameet Chandra1 year ago
★★★★★
Messaged TCJ Hauling in need of getting rid of some junk that was accumulating in the garage. Not only was the company able to come the same day but were also very punctual and realiable which above all things mean the most me. The service was fast and the vehicle used was modern and able to accommodate for all the items I needed to be removed. Very Prosfessional and accommodating will definitely call them again and tell my friends and family to do the same. Thank you TCJ Hauling!
Ready for a Free Quote?
Text a photo of the fridge and the path out to (916) 770-7619 and we will send a price, usually within the hour. Upfront pricing, and $20 off when you book online.
Get your free, no-obligation quote
Book online and save $20. We text a price within the hour during business hours.
- 5.0 · 255 reviews
- BBB A+ Accredited
- Licensed & Insured
- Same-Day Service
- Upfront Price Guaranteed
- Locally Owned