How to Get Rid of Appliances in Los Angeles

Step one: disconnect properly

Do this before the day, not on it. A washer holds several gallons in the pump and hoses after its last cycle, and a washer tipped onto a hand truck without draining empties that water onto a 1920s hardwood floor. Run the drain hose into a bucket and let it clear.

A refrigerator with an ice maker has a water line behind it. Shut the valve and disconnect before the appliance is moved, or the line parts under tension. A dishwasher has both a supply line and a drain connection under the sink, and both need to be closed off.

Gas ranges, gas dryers and gas water heaters need the gas shut off and the line disconnected by a qualified plumber. That is not a removal crew's job and it should be finished before the appointment.

Step two: empty and defrost

A refrigerator or a chest freezer needs to be emptied and defrosted the night before. Frost melts as soon as the unit is unplugged and tilted, and in a walk-up in East Hollywood or a Palms dingbat with an exterior stair, that meltwater goes down the steps and onto a neighbor's landing.

Leave the doors propped open overnight with towels underneath. It is a small thing and it is the difference between a clean removal and a conversation with your building manager.

Step three: measure the path

A standard refrigerator is roughly 33 to 36 inches wide. A 1920s courtyard building in Los Feliz or Miracle Mile has doorways and a stairwell that were sized before that appliance existed, and the stair turns ninety degrees on a half-landing. Refrigerator doors often have to come off to clear a doorway.

Measure the narrowest point. If the appliance came in before a remodel closed a doorway — which happens in renovated LA bungalows constantly — you have a problem worth knowing about in advance rather than at the top of a stair with a 300-pound object between two people.

What each appliance costs to remove

Refrigeration: a standard refrigerator is $164, a side-by-side or French door is $183, a built-in or Sub-Zero is $238, and a commercial glass-door merchandiser is $316. A chest freezer is $146, an upright freezer is $149, a commercial reach-in freezer is $316. A mini fridge is $115. A wine cooler is $111 countertop or $156 floor-standing. An ice maker is $115.

Laundry: a washer is $133, a dryer is $128, a stacked combo unit is $189.

Kitchen: an electric range is $134, a gas range is $137, a drop-in cooktop is $71, a range hood is $53, a dishwasher is $109, a built-in microwave is $54 and a countertop microwave is $30. A trash compactor is $61 and a garbage disposal unit is $47.

Utility: a tank water heater is $131, a tankless is $90, a furnace is $131, a dehumidifier is $77.

Common combinations

A laundry pair replaced together is $133 + $128 = $261. A kitchen remodel clearing the three big pieces — refrigerator, electric range and dishwasher — is $164 + $134 + $109 = $407. A garage cleanup that removes the old second fridge and the chest freezer is $164 + $146 = $310.

The visit minimum is $75, so a single small item like a countertop microwave at $30 is billed at the minimum. Bundling is why most people wait and do the whole kitchen at once.

Refrigerant is included, not extra

Refrigerators, freezers, wine coolers, mini fridges, ice makers, portable and window air conditioners and outdoor condenser units all contain refrigerant in a sealed system that has to be recovered by someone certified before the metal can be scrapped.

That handling is inside the published price. There is no refrigerant or freon fee, no environmental surcharge, and no separate disposal line. If another quote adds one after the fact, that is the reprice you were watching for.

The LA access problem, specifically

Appliances are where LA housing stock hurts most. Dingbats across Palms, Van Nuys and East Hollywood have an exterior stair and no elevator. Hillside houses in Mount Washington, Echo Park and Baldwin Hills sit a full flight above or below the street with a public stair run in between. Venice walk streets have no vehicle access, so a refrigerator travels two hundred feet on a dolly before it reaches a truck.

None of that changes the price. There is no stair charge and no long-carry fee — a refrigerator is $164 at the bottom of a canyon stair and $164 in a Sherman Oaks driveway. What it changes is the time, so mention it at booking.

If it still works

A working appliance under about eight years old has real value in Los Angeles and sells quickly, particularly stainless kitchen pieces. Some reuse charities accept working appliances too, though condition standards are strict and pickup lead times commonly run two to four weeks.

Also check your utility's current appliance recycling program before you scrap a working refrigerator or freezer, especially the old one humming in a Valley garage. Those programs exist specifically to retire inefficient units and sometimes pay an incentive. Terms change, so use the utility's own current page.

Frequently asked questions