The short answer
The City of Cleveland collects appliances in bulk week, the first full week of each month, but only if they have been drained of coolants and fluids. That is the step most people cannot do themselves, because refrigerant has to be recovered under federal rules. The simpler route is a flat pickup: $164 for a standard fridge, $183 for side-by-side or French door, carried out from any floor.
Why a fridge is harder than a couch
A refrigerator holds refrigerant in a sealed system. Federal rules require that refrigerant to be recovered before the appliance is disposed of. You cannot just cut a line and let it out.
That is why Cleveland's bulk program wants appliances drained of coolants and fluids before set-out, and why Lakewood asks residents to call first for appliances with refrigerant. A fridge on the tree lawn without that step is not a valid set-out.
The suburb rules
- City of Cleveland: appliances drained of coolants and fluids; first full week of the month; one of three bulk items.
- Lakewood: appliances with refrigerant, call first.
- Cleveland Heights: refrigerator doors removed before set-out.
- Euclid: appliance doors removed.
Door removal is a child-safety rule. An empty fridge with a working latch can trap a child. Even if your city does not require it, take the door off or tape it shut before the fridge leaves the house.
The Cleveland basement fridge
A lot of Cleveland homes have a second fridge in the basement: the beer fridge, the overflow fridge, the one the previous owner left behind decades ago. Getting it out is the real job.
Basement stairs in pre-war houses are often steep, with low headroom and a turn at the bottom. A standard fridge is heavy and awkward, and doing it with a hand truck on a narrow wooden stair is how people get hurt.
Our crews carry appliances up from basements and down from upper units of doubles, with no stairs fee. The price for a standard fridge is $164 from the kitchen or the basement.
One question worth answering before you book: how did it get down there? Some basement fridges went in before a doorway was narrowed or a stair was rebuilt. Measure the fridge's depth with the doors off and compare it with the tightest opening. Send both numbers with your photos.
Four Cleveland fridges, priced
Parma basement: the beer fridge and friends
An old standard fridge, a chest freezer and a dead dehumidifier, all at the bottom of the basement stairs. $164 + $146 + $77 = $387.
Slavic Village double, both units turning over
A landlord replaces the fridge in each unit. $164 + $164 = $328 for both, carried down from upstairs and out from downstairs on one visit.
University Circle, two roommates leaving
Two mini fridges from a dorm-style apartment: $115 + $115 = $230.
Downtown condo remodel
A built-in fridge comes out of a Warehouse District loft kitchen: $238. The building will likely want a COI and a freight elevator booking; the COI is emailed within 1 hour of the request.
Sell it, give it away, or trade it in
A working, newer fridge can sell or go free to someone who needs one. Post it with the dimensions and a photo of the inside, clean. Someone furnishing the upstairs of a double or a first apartment near the Cleveland State campus may well want it.
A broken or very old fridge is not worth listing. Neither is one that has been sitting unplugged in a damp basement with the door shut. Open it before you decide.
If you're buying a new one, ask the store whether it hauls the old fridge away on delivery, and what that costs. It's an option when the old fridge is in the same spot the new one is going. It usually doesn't help with the second fridge in the basement.
Flat pickup prices
| Item | Flat price |
|---|---|
| Refrigerator (Standard) | $164 |
| Refrigerator (Side-by-Side / French Door) | $183 |
| Refrigerator — Built-in / Sub-Zero | $238 |
| Mini Fridge | $115 |
| Freezer (Chest) | $146 |
| Freezer (Upright) | $149 |
| Wine Cooler (Small / Countertop) | $111 |
| Wine Cooler (Large / Floor) | $156 |
A kitchen fridge and a basement chest freezer: $164 + $146 = $310. A French-door fridge and a gas range from a kitchen remodel: $183 + $137 = $320.
The flat price includes disposal. We recycle whatever we can, and appliances are mostly metal.
Before the crew arrives
- Empty it. Food, shelves you want to keep, magnets.
- Unplug it the night before and let the freezer defrost onto towels.
- Shut off and disconnect the water line if it has an ice maker.
- Clear a path. Move the kitchen table, the basement shelves, the boots by the side door.
- In winter, shovel and salt the side steps. A fridge on a dolly and an icy stoop don't mix.
Then book on the instant quote, choose a 2-hour window, and the fridge is gone the same day if you book by 4 PM.
Frequently asked questions
Can I put a refrigerator out for bulk pickup in Cleveland?
Only if it has been drained of coolants and fluids, during the first full week of the month, as one of your three bulk items.
How much does fridge removal cost in Cleveland?
A standard refrigerator is $164, side-by-side or French door $183, built-in $238 and a mini fridge $115.
Can you take a fridge out of the basement?
Yes. Crews carry from basements and upper floors with no stairs fee.
Do I need to remove the doors?
Cleveland Heights and Euclid require doors removed for curbside set-out. For a pickup, you do not need to.
Is disposal extra?
No. The flat price covers carry-out, hauling and disposal.
A tenant left a fridge full of food. Can you take it?
Empty it first if you can. If it's been sitting a while, tell us when you book so the crew comes prepared. The fridge itself is $164 for a standard model.