If you live in the City of Reading and have city trash service, you can put out one bulky item per week with your regular trash. Anything beyond that, or anything too large, too heavy or on the refused list, needs another route. This guide covers the city’s rules, how to set items out correctly, and how to clear a whole room, garage or house without waiting weeks.
TL;DR
- The city’s curbside service takes one bulky item per week for residents on city trash collection, plus up to four 55-gallon bags.
- Mattresses and box springs each count as one item, must be wrapped in plastic, and go out on separate weeks.
- Fridges and air conditioners need a tag showing a certified technician removed the refrigerant. Construction debris over 70 pounds or 3 feet long is refused.
- For several items, heavy loads or a full cleanout, the city points residents to a private hauler or junk removal company.
- We handle those jobs in Reading and the rest of Berks County, with single items from $48 and volume pricing from $164.
Table of Contents
- What Reading counts as a bulky item
- How much the city will pick up each week
- How to set out a bulky item the right way
- What the city will not take
- When one item a week isn’t enough
- Renovation debris and what exceeds city limits
- Special situations in Berks County
- Our perspective on bulk trash in Reading
- Ready to clear more than one item?
- FAQ
- Sources
What Reading counts as a bulky item
The city’s technical specifications define bulky waste as trash or refuse that will not fit into a standard trash container. Think small furniture, carpet, mattresses and box springs. The same document says the city’s contract manager decides what counts as a single item.
In practice, that means one chair, one end table, one rolled carpet, one mattress. A sectional sofa, a dresser with a mirror and a pile of loose boards are not one item just because you can lean them together. If you are unsure whether something qualifies, call the city’s trash line before you drag it to the curb. A refused item sitting on the sidewalk can draw a notice, and it is a hassle to bring back in.
How much the city will pick up each week
The numbers are small and fixed:
- One bulky item per week for each residential unit, per the city’s residential trash and recycling page.
- Up to four bags of regular trash, each up to 55 gallons. The technical specifications cap each bag at 35 pounds, or allow one container up to 100 gallons.
- Weekly recycling on the same day as trash.
The city handles the default collection for residential properties with a small number of units. The city’s waste collection enrollment page says six or fewer units, while its public works page says four or fewer. If you own a small multi-unit building, confirm with the city which applies to you. Larger buildings and businesses generally arrange private service.
What it costs
Bulky pickup is not billed separately. It is part of the monthly trash and recycling charge on your water bill. The city lists the rate as $22.76 per month, split into $16.98 for trash and $5.78 for recycling. Rates can change, so check the city’s page for the current figure.
Pickup days and hours
Pickup runs Monday through Friday by neighborhood. Under the city’s specifications, collection can happen between 6:30 am and 8:00 pm on weekdays and 6:30 am to 11:30 am on Saturdays, with none on Sundays. That is a wide window, so do not wait for the truck at 9 am and assume you were missed. You can set out trash and recycling after 5 pm the day before, and bins should come back in after collection.
To confirm your day, use the city’s trash and recycling pages or call the city’s collection line. Your day can shift around holidays.
How to set out a bulky item the right way
Most missed pickups come down to preparation. Run through this list the evening before.
- Pick one item. One per unit per week. A second item will be left behind.
- Wrap mattresses and box springs. The city requires both to be completely wrapped in plastic. Each counts as a bulky item, so a mattress and box spring go out on separate weeks.
- Keep it separate from the bags. Place the item next to your trash bags, not on top of them, and keep it clear of parked cars, mailboxes and the recycling bin.
- Tag appliances with refrigerant. More on that below.
- Bundle or contain construction scraps. Construction debris must go in a separate container or bundle.
- Set out after 5 pm the night before, not days ahead.
What the city will not take
The city’s special collections page says no hazardous or restricted items are allowed, and it directs residents to a frequently asked questions list for prohibited items. A few rules matter most:
- Refrigerators, air conditioners and anything with refrigerant are not accepted unless tagged to show a certified technician has emptied the Freon. Dehumidifiers, freezers and window units fall in the same family, so check the tag rule first.
- Construction debris over 70 pounds or longer than 3 feet is not accepted. Lumber, drywall sheets, tile and old doors can quickly exceed those limits.
- Excessively large or heavy items will not be collected. The city tells residents to contact a private hauler or junk removal company for these.
- Hazardous materials such as paint, chemicals and similar products are out. Ask the county or city about household hazardous waste drop-offs.
The city’s page also links to a First Energy appliance recycling program, which can be useful for working fridges and freezers.
When one item a week isn’t enough
One item weekly works for replacing a worn armchair. It does not work for the situations that usually trigger a search like this one:
- Moving out with a couch, mattress set, dresser and a garage of boxes
- Cleaning out a parent’s home before a sale
- A landlord turning over a unit between tenants
- A basement, attic or storage unit that has not been touched in years
- A broken hot tub, above-ground pool or old camper in the yard
- Furniture and appliances after a renovation
Holding bulky items for months to feed them through the curb one at a time ties up your garage and delays a sale or lease. This is where a hauler fits. We are a locally owned, family-run company, and we serve Reading, Wyomissing, Sinking Spring and West Lawn from our Shillington location. When you call 1-800-41-PINKY, a local person answers, not a national call center.
What our pricing looks like
We price three ways, so you can match the price to the job:
| Job type | How we price it | Published price |
|---|---|---|
| One or two things (a couch, a mattress, a fridge) | Single item pickup | From $48 |
| Room, garage or basement cleanup | Volume-based truck pricing | $164 to $698 |
| Heavy debris (concrete, brick, soil, roofing) | Bedload pricing | $286 to $698 |
The pricing page shows how the volume and bedload tiers work. A few add-ons are listed there too: a car tire surcharge of $15, a truck tire surcharge of $30, and a labor surcharge of $100 per hour per person for jobs that need extra labor. Our promise is a fair price upfront with no hidden fees.
Worked examples for Reading homes
These show how to think about the choice. They describe which route fits, not a quote.
- One worn-out recliner, no other trash piling up. Set it out on your city bulky day. It costs nothing beyond your monthly bill.
- A mattress and a box spring, both needing to go this week. The city takes one per week. If you cannot wait, a single item pickup from $48 per item clears them the same week.
- An old refrigerator with no tag. The city will not take it without proof the refrigerant was removed. We handle furniture and appliance removal, so you do not have to arrange the technician visit and the curb timing.
- A garage full of 15 years of boxes, shelving and a broken workbench. That is a volume job, not a bulky item.
- A pile of broken concrete from a patio. That is a bedload job. It is far over the city’s weight limits.
Renovation debris and what exceeds city limits
Renovation is the biggest source of items the curb cannot take. Cabinets, subflooring, torn-out tile and framing lumber are routinely longer than 3 feet or heavier than 70 pounds. If you are planning a remodel, it helps to know the stages and when debris piles up. A homeowner guide to the demolition phase walks through what gets torn out and in what order, so you can plan the haul-away around it.
Our renovation and construction debris removal service takes this material away in one visit, so it does not sit in your driveway between contractor days.
Special situations in Berks County
Estate cleanouts and downsizing. Families handling a parent’s house rarely have time to ration items by week. We help with estate cleanouts and moving cleanouts, and we donate and recycle whenever possible.
Landlords and property managers. Turnovers need a clear unit fast. Our property and apartment cleanout service is built for that.
Electronics. Old TVs, computers and printers are best handled as e-waste. Our what we take page lists electronics and other items we haul.
Specialty items. Hot tubs, above-ground pools, boats and campers are not curbside material. We cover them under specialty item removal.
Our perspective on bulk trash in Reading
We hear the same story from Reading homeowners. They read the city rules, set out their one item, and then realize the other twenty things in the house are not going anywhere.
The city’s system is designed for the weekly trickle: a bag or four, one chair, one mattress. It is not designed for a move, a sale, an estate or a renovation. That is the gap we exist to fill.
What we promise is simple. Easy booking, clear communication, a fair price upfront, on-time arrival and doing it right the first time. We price by item, by truck volume or by bedload, so you know the number before we lift anything. Because we are family-run and local, you talk to a real person who knows the neighborhoods.
We also care where it all ends up. We donate and recycle whenever we can, so a usable sofa or dresser can go to a second home instead of a landfill.
David
Ready to clear more than one item?
If your list is longer than the city’s one-item rule, book us for a same-day or next-day pickup in Reading and nearby Berks County towns. Tell us what you have, and we will give you a clear price before work starts. Single items start at $48, and volume pricing runs from $164 to $698 depending on how much truck space your load takes.
You can schedule a pickup online or call 1-800-41-PINKY. For nights-before prep tips that can trim your bill, read our guide to preparing for junk removal.
FAQ
How many bulky items can I put out in Reading, PA?
One per residential unit per week if you are on the city’s trash service. You can also set out up to four 55-gallon bags of regular trash. A second bulky item will wait for the next week or need a private hauler.
Does Reading charge extra for bulky item pickup?
Not as a separate fee. The pickup is included in the monthly trash and recycling charge on your water bill, which the city lists at $22.76 per month. Check the city’s page for the current rate.
Will Reading take my old refrigerator or air conditioner?
Only if it carries a tag showing a certified technician has emptied the refrigerant. Without it, the city will not accept the item. A junk removal company can take the appliance away and handle it for you.
Can I put out a mattress and box spring together?
No. Each counts as one bulky item, and the city asks for them to go out on separate weeks, both fully wrapped in plastic. If you need both gone at once, a private pickup solves it.
What do I do with items that are too big or heavy for the city?
The city tells residents to contact a private hauler or junk removal company. We handle large furniture, appliances, hot tubs, renovation debris and heavy bedload material in Reading and Berks County.
Sources
- City of Reading: Special Collections
- City of Reading: Trash Cycle Main
- City of Reading: Residential Trash & Recycling
- City of Reading: Apply for Waste Collection Services
- City of Reading: Public Works
- City of Reading: Technical Specifications for Collection and Disposal
- What the Demolition Phase Involves: A Homeowner Guide
