A couch is the item partners most want, and the one they turn down most often.
The rule is that it has to sell. A clean, intact sofa goes on a thrift store floor the day it arrives and pays for the truck that fetched it. A stained or sagging one costs the partner a dump fee. Below is how partners judge a couch, how to get one picked up free, and what to do when no nonprofit will take it.
What a partner will take
- Fabric or leather that is clean, with no rips, stains, pet damage or odor.
- All cushions and legs present, and a frame that doesn't sag or creak when you sit on it.
- Sectionals with every piece. Loveseats, recliners and armchairs follow the same rules.
- Sleeper sofas, with a note on the form that it is a sleeper. Some partners decline them for the weight.
What gets a no
- Stains, tears, pet hair, smoke or pet odor. Crews check at the door and leave it if they find any.
- A broken frame, collapsed springs or missing cushions.
- Water damage or any bedbug history.
- Furniture that can't be carried out the way it came in.
How a couch pickup works
- Enter your zip code and list the couch with its size and condition, then anything else that is going. A sofa plus a dresser is an easier yes than a sofa alone.
- The partners that pick up in your area review the request and decide whether it fits their truck and their sales floor.
- A partner that can take it contacts you within about 48 hours to set a time.
- On pickup day, most crews collect from a garage, porch or ground floor. Ask about stairs and inside pickup when they call.
If no nonprofit will take it
Priority Pickup
Local haulers in our network take couches no nonprofit will, for a fee quoted before you book. Choose it on the form, or after a free request goes unanswered.
City bulk pickup
Many cities collect large items by appointment or on set days, sometimes for a fee. Search your city’s name with “bulk pickup” for the rules.
Sell or give it away locally
A couch in good shape that a partner declined for size or style often goes within a day on a local marketplace or neighborhood giveaway group.
Hoping for Goodwill or Salvation Army?
Goodwill rarely picks up furniture and Salvation Army does in most areas with limits. See whether Goodwill picks up furniture and how Salvation Army pickup works.
Request a couch pickup
Enter your zip code, describe the couch and anything going with it, and we send the request to the partners who pick up in your area. A partner that can take it contacts you within about 48 hours. If you don’t hear from anyone, no partner was able to take it; Priority Pickup is available in most areas. For the broader rules, see what furniture qualifies for free pickup.
Frequently asked questions
Is couch pickup free?
Free when a nonprofit partner accepts it. Partners resell what they collect, so the couch has to be in sellable condition. A couch no nonprofit will take can go through Priority Pickup, a paid service with the price quoted before you book.
How soon can someone come?
Partners are usually booked a few days out. A partner that can take your couch contacts you within about 48 hours to set a time. If you need it gone sooner, Priority Pickup is the faster option.
Will the crew come inside?
It depends on the partner. Many collect from a garage, porch or ground floor; some will carry a couch down from an upper floor. Ask when they call, and mention stairs on the form.
Do partners take sleeper sofas and sectionals?
Sectionals yes, when every piece is there. Sleeper sofas vary; the mechanism makes them heavy and some crews decline them. Say it is a sleeper on the form so the right partner sees it.