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How to get rid of bulky junk in Los Altos Hills, CA

Call GreenWaste at 650-947-4994 at least 48 hours ahead for one of two no-additional-charge on-call cleanups. Each offers either two bulky items or three cans of yard trimmings, placed curbside.

Last checked 2026-11-08 (Pacific Time). This guide covers incorporated Los Altos Hills, not every address with a similar mailing name. Fees, eligibility and appointments can change; confirm before loading or setting out items.

Quick answer
  1. Check the city/contract-hauler option below first and get a confirmed date before set-out.
  2. Separate mattresses, electronics and chemicals from mixed junk: they use different disposal routes.
  3. If self-hauling, check resident eligibility, material restrictions and current fees. Free recycling does not mean free mixed-trash disposal.
  4. Need indoor lifting? Compare a written all-in hauler quote with the city benefit before booking.

1. City and franchise bulky-item collection

GreenWaste

  • The town identifies GreenWaste as its franchise provider. Los Altos Hills is not the City of Los Altos; Mission Trail’s four-cubic-yard cleanup is not this town’s benefit.
  • GreenWaste’s current page allows two on-call cleanups a year, each for two bulky items OR three cans of yard trimmings. Call at least 48 hours ahead and confirm the item list and accessible collection location.
  • The July 1, 2026 residential rate sheet lists bulky pickup after the two included cleanups at $41.22 per item. A Freon-containing item carries a $61.81 surcharge in addition to the bulky-item fee; confirm applicability before booking.
  • The town’s own garbage page was last updated September 22, 2025 and emphasizes yard-waste piles and older rate links; use the current hauler page/rate sheet for the bulky-item option and 2026 prices.
  • The most recent verified town Clean Up Day was October 24, 2026 at Foothill College Lot 6. It required the original mailed notice and excluded HHW, tires, liquids and treated wood. That event is past; no future cleanup date is verified.

Sources: Town of Los Altos Hills: garbage and recycling · GreenWaste: Los Altos Hills on-call service · GreenWaste: Los Altos Hills rates, effective July 1, 2026 · Town of Los Altos Hills: October 24, 2026 cleanup (past) · last checked 2026-11-08

2. Drop-offs, mattresses and household hazardous waste

Free mattress recycling: a regional option at Zanker Site 2

GreenWaste Zanker’s official facility page says California residents may drop off up to four mattresses or box springs free. Site 2 is at 675 Los Esteros Road, San Jose; call 408-263-2384 before driving. This is a regional option, not necessarily the nearest site to Los Altos Hills. Wet, heavily soiled or bedbug-infested units are excluded, as are items such as toppers, pillows, sofa beds and attached futons. Keep other paid waste separate.

Confirm first: the same operator’s gate sheet lists a $21 mattress inbound charge and its general fee text mentions a $60 vehicle minimum. Do not treat those as a charge on qualifying free resident units, or assume nonqualifying units are free: ask how the program and any mixed-load fees apply. The website and rate PDF also disagree on Site 2 weekend hours, so no weekend opening is promised here.

Sources: GreenWaste Zanker: materials, mattress program and facilities · Zanker gate-tier rate sheet, effective July 1, 2026 · last checked 2026-11-08

County Household Hazardous Waste: free, appointment required

For Los Altos Hills households, the County of Santa Clara provides free HHW drop-off by appointment. Book through the County page or call 408-299-7300; bring proof of residency. Permanent facilities are in East San Jose and San Martin, plus temporary events. The exact address is given only after scheduling; do not drive to an assumed site.

The County names auto fluids, batteries, electronics, fluorescent/LED bulbs, garden chemicals, cleaners and paint as common HHW. Follow the appointment’s packaging and acceptance instructions and keep waste in the rear/trunk. Business waste does not use a household appointment. Do not confuse an HHW facility with a general furniture dump.

Sources: County of Santa Clara: free household hazardous waste appointments · last checked 2026-11-08

3. Dumps, transfer stations and verified fees

SMaRT Station: address-specific eligibility, not a countywide free dump

The City of Sunnyvale explicitly lists Los Altos Hills as eligible for paid garbage/self-haul disposal at the SMaRT Station, 301 Carl Road, Sunnyvale. Published hours: 8 a.m.–5 p.m. daily except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day (Pacific Time). Bring a driver’s license proving residence (businesses need proof of operating location).

The city lists household discards, appliances, fixtures, furniture, green waste, construction/demolition debris, concrete/dirt/sod, clean wood, asphalt, brick/pavers and tires as accepted waste categories. No hazardous waste, liquids or treated wood. Rates depend on material and cubic yards or large items. Current disposal dollar rates unverified: the fetched city text links a rate document but does not expose its amounts; call 408-752-8530. A verified $15 uncovered-load fee buys a tarp, so cover and secure the load before arrival.

Important: Los Altos Hills eligibility for paid garbage does not confer the free general recycling or paint-drop-off services reserved by the city table for Sunnyvale and Mountain View. Use your own local recycling/HHW program.

Sources: City of Sunnyvale: SMaRT Station eligibility and disposal · last checked 2026-11-08

GreenWaste Zanker: public bulky-material disposal, not a flat household dump fee

Zanker is open to the public and lists Site 2 (675 Los Esteros Road, San Jose) for bulky items including couches, chairs, tables and furniture. The official July 1, 2026 gate-tier sheet lists bulky items/miscellaneous at $173.25 per ton and trash at $147 per ton. The facility page states a $60 minimum per vehicle for paid disposal. These are published categories, not a guaranteed total for a pickup-truck load: ask about the applicable tier, load measurement, material classification, minimum and separate item charges.

No hazardous waste, wet garbage or food waste. The rate sheet lists Freon-containing items separately at $52.50 each; confirm whether charges combine with other disposal fees. Separate qualifying free mattresses as described above. Website/PDF hours differ, so call 408-263-2384 for the correct site and current arrival window.

Sources: GreenWaste Zanker: materials, mattress program and facilities · Zanker gate-tier rate sheet, effective July 1, 2026 · last checked 2026-11-08

4. Paid haulers: local service versus national pickup

LoadUp: national published starting prices, not a local guaranteed quote

LoadUp’s own mattress-removal page currently lists in-home pickup from $85, curbside from $80, and same-day from $95 when booked before 2 p.m., subject to local availability. Multi-item add-ons start at +$15; that is not a guaranteed price for every extra item. Final pricing depends on ZIP code, mattress size, access and pickup conditions. Confirm service at your Los Altos Hills address and the written total before booking. Wet/waterlogged mattresses are excluded, and bedbugs must be disclosed.

Sources: LoadUp: published mattress removal starting prices · last checked 2026-11-08

Local collection provider and independent haulers

Your verified local program contact above is GreenWaste. Ask about a paid extra collection before hiring an independent crew; no independent Los Altos Hills hauler with a verified published dollar price is listed here. Compare the same item list, indoor lifting/stairs, disassembly, disposal charges and access in each quote. Do not assume a national starting price is a local franchise tariff.

Sources: Town of Los Altos Hills: garbage and recycling · GreenWaste: Los Altos Hills on-call service · GreenWaste: Los Altos Hills rates, effective July 1, 2026 · Town of Los Altos Hills: October 24, 2026 cleanup (past) · last checked 2026-11-08

5. Dumpster rental: get the total before delivery

Check authorization, weight and add-on charges

Ask GreenWaste for the authorized temporary debris-box option and access requirements. Small-truck-only streets and on-premises cart service do not establish that a large roll-off can reach your property.

  • Get included tonnage, load measurement and per-ton overage in writing; heavy debris can reach a limit before a bin looks full.
  • Ask how many rental days are included, and the extra-day, delayed-pickup or failed-access/trip charge.
  • Identify restricted-item, mattress, tire, refrigerant-appliance, contamination and disposal surcharges.
  • Confirm delivery/pickup, taxes, cancellation, any street-placement permit, and whether the supplier is a broker or the actual hauler.
  • Keep the written quote and request a scale ticket if an overweight charge is disputed.

Search-index excerpts of public BBB dumpster complaints describe customers disputing weight-based charges after pickup. These are customer allegations, not verified findings about any company; they illustrate why written terms matter. Direct BBB-page retrieval was unavailable during this check. HaulGuide does not call any provider a scam.

Sources: Town of Los Altos Hills: garbage and recycling · GreenWaste: Los Altos Hills on-call service · GreenWaste: Los Altos Hills rates, effective July 1, 2026 · Town of Los Altos Hills: October 24, 2026 cleanup (past) · BBB: dumpster billing complaint excerpts (allegations, not findings) · last checked 2026-11-08

What remains unverified

The on-call page does not give a complete bulky-item acceptance/weight list. Confirm furniture/appliances, Freon fees and small-truck-access arrangements. The town’s older page is not treated as a current price sheet. No unverified price is substituted from another city or county. This is a researched options guide, not an appointment or guaranteed service offer.

Sources

Every listing above was last checked 2026-11-08. Municipal coverage: Santa Clara LAFCO: incorporated cities. Research used official municipal, county, facility and provider pages; BBB material is attributed complaint evidence. Times shown are Pacific Time.

See our methodology. Confirm the full accepted-item list and never leave items out without an approved collection date.