[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":677},["ShallowReactive",2],{"nav-advice":3,"advice-getting-rid-of-large-items-bath":10,"footer-advice":674},[4,7],{"title":5,"slug":6},"How to get rid of a sofa, mattress or big furniture in Bath","getting-rid-of-large-items-bath",{"title":8,"slug":9},"Bath Recycling Centre: opening times, booking and what you can take","bath-recycling-centre-opening-times",{"id":11,"title":5,"body":12,"dateModified":657,"datePublished":658,"description":637,"extension":659,"intro":660,"mainImageAltText":661,"mainImageCaption":661,"mainImageCredit":661,"mainImageId":662,"meta":663,"navigation":664,"ogImage":665,"path":666,"readingTimeMinutes":667,"schemaImages":668,"seo":669,"shortIntro":670,"sitemap":671,"slug":6,"stem":672,"twitterImage":665,"__hash__":673},"advice/advice/getting-rid-of-large-items-bath.md",{"type":13,"value":14,"toc":636},"minimark",[15,26,29,32,37,50,130,133,136,159,162,171,177,181,184,219,222,225,229,232,241,245,248,251,257,261,508,514,520,524,527,534,537,549,556,560,563,566,582,586,591,594,598,601,605,608,612,615,619,622,626,629,633],[16,17,18],"blockquote",{},[19,20,21,25],"p",{},[22,23,24],"strong",{},"Last checked: 4 August 2026."," Council prices change every April and we update this page when they do.",[19,27,28],{},"A sofa that won't fit through the door, a mattress you can't get down the stairs, a wardrobe left behind by the last tenant. There are three ways to deal with it in Bath, and the cheapest one is the council.",[19,30,31],{},"We're a Bath clearance company, so you'd expect us to say otherwise. But if you have a few items, you can get them to the pavement, and you're not in a hurry, the council will do it for £41.97 and we can't compete with that. This page explains when their service works, when it doesn't, and what to do in the gap.",[33,34,36],"h2",{"id":35},"option-1-book-a-council-collection","Option 1: book a council collection",[19,38,39,40,49],{},"Bath and North East Somerset run what they call a ",[41,42,48],"a",{"target":43,"rel":44,"href":47},"_blank",[45,46],"noopener","noreferrer","https://www.bathnes.gov.uk/order-large-waste-item-collection","large waste item collection",". Prices from April 2026:",[51,52,53],"table",{},[54,55,56,76,96,113],"tbody",{},[57,58,59,66,71],"tr",{},[60,61,63],"th",{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},1,[19,64,65],{},"Number of items",[60,67,68],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,69,70],{},"Standard",[60,72,73],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,74,75],{},"Discounted rate",[57,77,78,84,91],{},[79,80,81],"td",{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,82,83],{},"1 to 3 items",[79,85,86],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,87,88],{},[22,89,90],{},"£41.97",[79,92,93],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,94,95],{},"£20.98",[57,97,98,103,108],{},[79,99,100],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,101,102],{},"4 to 6 items",[79,104,105],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,106,107],{},"£73.38",[79,109,110],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,111,112],{},"£36.69",[57,114,115,120,125],{},[79,116,117],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,118,119],{},"7 to 10 items",[79,121,122],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,123,124],{},"£91.52",[79,126,127],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,128,129],{},"£45.76",[19,131,132],{},"The discounted rate is for residents on Council Tax Benefit, Housing Benefit or PIP, and for full-time students in off-campus accommodation with a council tax exemption.",[19,134,135],{},"Ten items is the maximum, and how they count isn't obvious:",[137,138,139,147,154],"ul",{},[140,141,142,143,146],"li",{},"A bed frame and its mattress count as ",[22,144,145],{},"two"," items, not one",[140,148,149,150,153],{},"A dining table with its chairs counts as ",[22,151,152],{},"three"," in total, not one per chair",[140,155,156,157],{},"A three-piece suite counts as ",[22,158,152],{},[19,160,161],{},"So a bedroom clear-out that feels like four things on your fingers can easily land you in the £73.38 band. Count it their way before you book.",[19,163,164,165,170],{},"You can ",[41,166,169],{"target":43,"rel":167,"href":168},[45,46],"https://app.bathnes.gov.uk/webforms/waste/largewasteitemcollection/","book a collection on the council website"," or call them on 01225 39 40 41. You choose from whatever dates are available, so if you have a tenancy ending or a delivery arriving, check the slots before you commit to anything.",[19,172,173,176],{},[22,174,175],{},"The part people miss:"," everything has to be outside the front of your home by 7am on collection day. The crew work from the kerbside. They won't come into the house, up the stairs, into the garage or round the back, and they won't take a sofa apart for you. If you can't physically get it to the pavement the night before, this option isn't going to work.",[33,178,180],{"id":179},"what-the-council-wont-take","What the council won't take",[19,182,183],{},"This list is longer than most people expect, and it's where a lot of clear-outs come unstuck:",[137,185,186,189,192,195,198,201,204,207,210,213,216],{},[140,187,188],{},"Carpets and underlay",[140,190,191],{},"Soil, earth, stones, concrete, bricks or rubble",[140,193,194],{},"Garden waste",[140,196,197],{},"Boilers",[140,199,200],{},"Patio doors and windows",[140,202,203],{},"Glass",[140,205,206],{},"Large American-style fridge freezers, and double-length range cookers",[140,208,209],{},"Oil tanks and coal bunkers",[140,211,212],{},"Vehicle parts of any kind",[140,214,215],{},"Pianos",[140,217,218],{},"Paint, garden chemicals and anything hazardous",[19,220,221],{},"They'll take fridge freezers, fence panels, single wardrobes, internal doors and up to two black sacks of smaller bits like kettles and toasters.",[19,223,224],{},"One extra rule on sofas and armchairs: if the covering is torn, you need to tape it over, and anything you've taken apart has to be wrapped so the stuffing stays put.",[33,226,228],{"id":227},"option-2-take-it-yourself","Option 2: take it yourself",[19,230,231],{},"Free, if you have the vehicle and the time. You'll need to book a slot for the Bath site on Midland Road, and there are limits on rubble and building waste that catch people out.",[19,233,234,235,240],{},"We've written up the ",[41,236,239],{"target":43,"rel":237,"href":238},[45,46],"/advice/bath-recycling-centre-opening-times","opening times, booking rules and van permits for all three B&NES recycling centres"," separately, so we won't repeat it here. The short version: Bath is closed Tuesdays and needs booking, Keynsham doesn't need booking, and if you're driving a van or towing a trailer you need a free permit that only works on certain days.",[33,242,244],{"id":243},"option-3-a-man-and-van","Option 3: a man and van",[19,246,247],{},"You're paying for three things the other two options don't include: someone else does the lifting, it comes from wherever it currently is, and it can usually happen this week rather than whenever the next slot falls.",[19,249,250],{},"Our small jobs start from £100. Beyond that we price on weight, because that's how disposal is charged: the transfer station bills us by the tonne. You're paying for what you actually throw away rather than a flat fee for the van, so a load of light, bulky things costs less than the room it takes up would suggest.",[19,252,253,256],{},[22,254,255],{},"Why sofas and mattresses cost more everywhere."," Upholstered furniture contains persistent organic pollutants, so by law it can't be landfilled or recycled with general waste. It has to go for separate incineration, and it costs more than half as much again per tonne to dispose of as ordinary household waste. Mattresses carry their own per-item charge. Any operator who tells you a three-seater sofa costs the same as a flat-pack bookcase is either absorbing the difference or not disposing of it properly.",[33,258,260],{"id":259},"so-which-should-you-use","So which should you use?",[51,262,263],{},[54,264,265,284,306,328,349,369,387,406,428,449,468,489],{},[57,266,267,269,274,279],{},[60,268],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[60,270,271],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,272,273],{},"Council collection",[60,275,276],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,277,278],{},"Take it to the tip",[60,280,281],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,282,283],{},"Man and van",[57,285,286,291,296,301],{},[79,287,288],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,289,290],{},"Cost",[79,292,293],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,294,295],{},"From £41.97",[79,297,298],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,299,300],{},"Free",[79,302,303],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,304,305],{},"From £100",[57,307,308,313,318,323],{},[79,309,310],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,311,312],{},"Item limit",[79,314,315],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,316,317],{},"10 maximum",[79,319,320],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,321,322],{},"Rubble limits apply",[79,324,325],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,326,327],{},"Van capacity",[57,329,330,335,340,345],{},[79,331,332],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,333,334],{},"Carpets",[79,336,337],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,338,339],{},"No",[79,341,342],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,343,344],{},"Yes",[79,346,347],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,348,344],{},[57,350,351,356,360,365],{},[79,352,353],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,354,355],{},"Rubble and hardcore",[79,357,358],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,359,339],{},[79,361,362],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,363,364],{},"Two bags a week",[79,366,367],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,368,344],{},[57,370,371,375,379,383],{},[79,372,373],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,374,194],{},[79,376,377],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,378,339],{},[79,380,381],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,382,344],{},[79,384,385],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,386,344],{},[57,388,389,394,398,402],{},[79,390,391],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,392,393],{},"Boilers, windows, patio doors",[79,395,396],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,397,339],{},[79,399,400],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,401,344],{},[79,403,404],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,405,344],{},[57,407,408,413,418,423],{},[79,409,410],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,411,412],{},"Collected from",[79,414,415],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,416,417],{},"Kerbside, by 7am",[79,419,420],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,421,422],{},"You transport it",[79,424,425],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,426,427],{},"Inside, upstairs, garden",[57,429,430,435,440,444],{},[79,431,432],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,433,434],{},"Who does the lifting",[79,436,437],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,438,439],{},"You",[79,441,442],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,443,439],{},[79,445,446],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,447,448],{},"We do",[57,450,451,456,460,464],{},[79,452,453],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,454,455],{},"Dismantling",[79,457,458],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,459,439],{},[79,461,462],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,463,439],{},[79,465,466],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,467,448],{},[57,469,470,475,480,484],{},[79,471,472],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,473,474],{},"How soon",[79,476,477],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,478,479],{},"Next available slot",[79,481,482],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,483,479],{},[79,485,486],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,487,488],{},"Often same day",[57,490,491,496,500,504],{},[79,492,493],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,494,495],{},"Business waste",[79,497,498],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,499,339],{},[79,501,502],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,503,339],{},[79,505,506],{"colSpan":62,"rowSpan":62},[19,507,344],{},[19,509,510,513],{},[22,511,512],{},"Book the council"," if you have three or four items, they're on the ground floor or you have help getting them out, and nothing on their exclusion list. At £41.97 it's the best value waste service in Bath and it would be daft to pay us instead.",[19,515,516,519],{},[22,517,518],{},"Call us"," if any of the following is true: it's on the list the council won't take, it's upstairs or round the back, there's more of it than ten items, you can't lift it, or you need it gone before the weekend.",[33,521,523],{"id":522},"check-the-licence-before-you-pay-anyone","Check the licence before you pay anyone",[19,525,526],{},"This applies to us and to everyone else, and it's worth two minutes of your time.",[19,528,529,530,533],{},"If you pay someone to take your waste away, the legal responsibility for where it ends up stays with ",[22,531,532],{},"you",". If it turns up fly-tipped in a lay-by on the Wellsway, the council traces it back to your address, not the van. Householders can be issued a fixed penalty of up to £600 for not checking, and in serious cases prosecuted, with an unlimited fine and a criminal record.",[19,535,536],{},"What to do about it:",[538,539,540,543,546],"ol",{},[140,541,542],{},"Ask for the waste carrier registration number",[140,544,545],{},"Check it on the Environment Agency's public register, which is free and takes a minute",[140,547,548],{},"Keep the receipt, and make sure it shows the company's name and licence number. That's what proves you checked.",[19,550,551,552,555],{},"Our registration is ",[22,553,554],{},"CBDU635149",". Look it up, and hold anyone quoting you a suspiciously cheap cash price to the same standard.",[33,557,559],{"id":558},"where-it-actually-ends-up","Where it actually ends up",[19,561,562],{},"Furniture and white goods in reasonable condition go to local charities rather than to a skip. Green waste is composted, and metals, cardboard and plastics are separated out. Only what genuinely can't be reused or recycled goes to landfill.",[19,564,565],{},"If something you're getting rid of is still in good order, mention it when you book and we'll make sure it goes to the right place.",[19,567,568,571,578,581],{},[22,569,570],{},"Call 07981 102602 or ",[41,572,575],{"target":43,"rel":573,"href":574},[45,46],"/contact/",[22,576,577],{},"request a quote",[22,579,580],{},"."," Tell us roughly what you have and where it is in the house, and we'll come back to you within 24 hours with a price.",[33,583,585],{"id":584},"frequently-asked-questions","Frequently asked questions",[587,588,590],"h3",{"id":589},"how-much-does-the-council-charge-to-collect-a-sofa-in-bath","How much does the council charge to collect a sofa in Bath?",[19,592,593],{},"£41.97 for one to three items, so a single sofa costs £41.97. A three-piece suite counts as three items and still falls in that band. Residents on certain benefits pay £20.98.",[587,595,597],{"id":596},"will-the-council-take-my-old-carpet","Will the council take my old carpet?",[19,599,600],{},"No. Carpets and underlay are excluded from the collection service. You can take a carpet to the recycling centre yourself, or have it removed as part of a clearance.",[587,602,604],{"id":603},"can-the-council-collect-from-inside-my-house","Can the council collect from inside my house?",[19,606,607],{},"No. Everything has to be outside the front of your property by 7am on collection day. Kerbside only, and you do the carrying.",[587,609,611],{"id":610},"how-many-items-will-the-council-take-at-once","How many items will the council take at once?",[19,613,614],{},"Ten, with bed frames and mattresses counted separately and dining sets or three-piece suites counted as three.",[587,616,618],{"id":617},"can-i-get-rid-of-a-sofa-for-free-in-bath","Can I get rid of a sofa for free in Bath?",[19,620,621],{},"Sometimes. If it's clean, undamaged and still has its fire safety label, a local charity may collect it for nothing. Charities can't resell upholstered furniture without that label, so check for it first. It's usually under the cushions or on the underside. Failing that, you can take it to the recycling centre yourself for free, as long as you can get it there. If neither works, it's the council's £41.97 collection or a paid clearance.",[587,623,625],{"id":624},"will-the-council-collect-a-mattress","Will the council collect a mattress?",[19,627,628],{},"Yes. A mattress counts as a large waste item, so it's covered by the same collection at the same prices. It counts separately from the bed frame though, so a bed and mattress together use two of your ten items.",[587,630,632],{"id":631},"how-quickly-can-you-collect","How quickly can you collect?",[19,634,635],{},"Often the same day, and usually within a couple of days. If you have a tenancy ending or a completion date, tell us the deadline when you call.",{"title":637,"searchDepth":638,"depth":638,"links":639},"",2,[640,641,642,643,644,645,646,647],{"id":35,"depth":638,"text":36},{"id":179,"depth":638,"text":180},{"id":227,"depth":638,"text":228},{"id":243,"depth":638,"text":244},{"id":259,"depth":638,"text":260},{"id":522,"depth":638,"text":523},{"id":558,"depth":638,"text":559},{"id":584,"depth":638,"text":585,"children":648},[649,651,652,653,654,655,656],{"id":589,"depth":650,"text":590},3,{"id":596,"depth":650,"text":597},{"id":603,"depth":650,"text":604},{"id":610,"depth":650,"text":611},{"id":617,"depth":650,"text":618},{"id":624,"depth":650,"text":625},{"id":631,"depth":650,"text":632},"2026-08-04T12:17:48.0780183Z","2026-07-22T14:04:54.3623598Z","md","There are three ways to get rid of a sofa, a mattress or a wardrobe in Bath, and the council is the cheapest of them. Here is what each option costs, what the council will not take, and how to work out which one you need.",null,13,{},true,"/api/images/13?w=1200&h=630&fit=cover","/advice/getting-rid-of-large-items-bath",8,[665],{"title":5,"description":637},"The council will collect large items from £41.97. Here is when that works, when it doesn't, and what to do with the things they won't take.",{"loc":666},"advice/getting-rid-of-large-items-bath","IAwcPQUFECFDb0NhrvFR3LvvY9Gcojls4Yb6cwJ5Nkk",[675,676],{"title":5,"slug":6},{"title":8,"slug":9},1785847181127]