Should I hire a junk hauler before trying Montgomery County drop-off?

No. MoCo Drop-Off always puts free or DIY county options first: material-specific drop-off pages, county bulk trash for eligible customers, and self-haul under 500 lb at no charge for residents. A paid junk haul is a last step when you cannot transport the load, you are not eligible for county bulk, or caps and refuse lists block the free path. Confirm official county pages the morning you go.

What free Montgomery County options exist before a paid haul?

Use the kind-specific lookup pages: leftover paint, bulk trash, mattresses, electronics, freon appliances, and HHW. County-trash customers may schedule up to 5 free bulk collections per calendar year. Residents may self-haul trash under 500 lb at no charge to Shady Grove or Poolesville Beauty Spot (Beauty Spot Saturdays only, bulk ≤499 lb). Hours, caps, and eligibility change — confirm on the official page.

Who is not eligible for county bulk trash pickup?

Residents with private or HOA/community-association subscription trash service are not eligible for County bulk trash service. Contact your collector or self-haul under posted weight rules. Use the Collection Day Lookup or call 311 to see who provides your trash.

When does a paid junk haul make sense?

When you cannot safely load or drive the material, county bulk is used up or unavailable, the item is refused at the free pad, or drop-off timing does not work. This site is not a hauler. Any junk-haul link here is a labeled sponsored/affiliate placeholder with no live tracking ID until the owner applies. No quotes, prices, or star ratings on this page.

Is MoCo Drop-Off a junk hauler or the county?

No. This is an unofficial lookup. Not Montgomery County government. Not a hauler. Not 1-800-GOT-JUNK. Official county pages control hours, fees, and caps.

When drop-off is too far — haul vs county options in Montgomery County, MD (unofficial)

Hours, fees, caps, and eligibility change. Confirm on the official page the morning you go. This page is unofficial and not the county. Not a hauler. Not 1-800-GOT-JUNK. No invented prices, quotes, reviews, or star ratings.

Which path fits?

You know the material and can drive it?

Free · county drop-off first

Start on the kind page, not a haul quote: leftover paint, bulk trash, mattresses, electronics, freon appliances, HHW. Each page has hours / who / fee / cap / phone from official sources. Self-unload at Shady Grove when the material page says so.
County-provided trash and bulky furniture / mattress / non-metal junk?

Free · bulk pickup (5/year)

Eligible residential properties: up to 5 free bulk collections per calendar year. Schedule ahead (online by 11:59 p.m. the day before trash day, or 311 / 240-777-0311 by 7 p.m. the business day before). Set out by 7 a.m. Details and refuse list: bulk trash. Last-checked 15 Sep 2026 on this summary; confirm on the county page.
Private / HOA trash, or bulk already used up?

Self-haul · or your collector

Private/HOA subscription trash: not eligible for county bulk. Call your collector, or self-haul. Residents: trash under 500 lb at no charge to Shady Grove Transfer Station or Poolesville Beauty Spot (Saturdays 8 a.m.–4 p.m., 19200 Jerusalem Rd — bulk ≤499 lb; not HHW). Proof of residency. See bulk trash and hours.
Latex paint you can dry at home?

DIY · dry then trash

County How Do I: harden or dry residual latex before trash (air-dry if <1/4 full; hardener / kitty litter / mulch / shredded paper if fuller). Wet latex or oil-based → HHW / PaintCare paths on leftover paint. Supplies how-to: paint hardener.
Drop-off still too far, no vehicle, or cannot unload?

Sponsored · paid haul placeholder

Only after free/DIY paths above. Hire a junk / bulky hauler for pickup. This site is not a hauler and does not quote jobs. Placeholder affiliate only (see disclosure below).

Free / county paths (use these first)

MoCo free and DIY paths before a paid haul
Kind	Free / DIY path	Lookup page	Last-checked
Leftover paint	Dry latex then trash, or wet drop at HHW / PaintCare	leftover-paint.html	15 Sep 2026
Bulk furniture / non-metal junk	County bulk (eligible) or self-haul <500 lb	bulk-trash.html	15 Sep 2026
Mattress / box spring	Shady Grove mattress pad / bulk rules on geo page	mattresses.html	15 Sep 2026
TV / electronics	Electronics pad (Recycling Area) or on-call pickup if eligible	electronics.html	15 Sep 2026
Fridge / AC (Freon)	Scrap-metal / refrigerants pad — not HHW	freon-appliances.html	15 Sep 2026
Household hazardous waste	HHW compound at Shady Grove (caps / call-ahead rules)	hhw.html	15 Sep 2026

These rows point at existing MoCo Drop-Off lookups. Hours and caps live on those pages and on montgomerycountymd.gov — not restated as inventable clocks here. Last-checked 15 Sep 2026.

Where to go (county first)

County drop-off & bulk — free path

Hours

Transfer Station facility clock: see transfer-station-hours

Bulk curbside: your County trash day (schedule ahead)

Do not invent a second pad clock here. Confirm the morning you go. Last-checked 15 Sep 2026.

Call 240-777-0311 Map

or 311 · facility

County free path summary
Address	Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station — residential signs often list 16101 Frederick Road, Derwood, MD 20855. Sunday facility entrance rule on hours pages: Commercial and Truck (16055 Shady Grove Road). Unreconciled with some Recycling Area signs — confirm the morning you go. Beauty Spot: 19200 Jerusalem Road, Poolesville (Sat bulk ≤499 lb). Last-checked 15 Sep 2026.
Who	Montgomery County residents (proof of residency for residential users). County bulk: only properties with County-provided trash. Private/HOA trash: not eligible for county bulk. Last-checked 15 Sep 2026.
What they take	Depends on the pad — use the material pages above. Not every item is bulk; metal ≥51%, Freon appliances, HHW, electronics, and propane have separate rules. Last-checked 15 Sep 2026.
Fee	Many recyclable / HHW / eligible bulk paths: no extra resident fee as stated on those How Do I pages. Trash ≥500 lb at Transfer Station: fee schedule on the county fees page (not restated as a invented flat price here). Last-checked 15 Sep 2026.
Cap	Bulk: 5 collections / calendar year (county-trash customers). Self-haul no-charge trash: under 500 lb (Beauty Spot ≤499 lb). Material-specific caps on each kind page. Last-checked 15 Sep 2026.
Phone	311 or 240-777-0311. Last-checked 15 Sep 2026.
Last-checked	15 Sep 2026
Source	paint bulk mattresses electronics freon hhw facility Last-checked 15 Sep 2026.

Address: Shady Grove campus + Poolesville Beauty Spot for eligible bulk self-haul — see map links above. Last-checked 15 Sep 2026.
Who: MoCo residents; county bulk only if you have County-provided trash. Last-checked 15 Sep 2026.
What they take: Material-specific — follow the linked kind pages. Last-checked 15 Sep 2026.
Fee: Free paths where the official pages say so; heavy trash fees on the county fees page. Last-checked 15 Sep 2026.
Cap: Bulk 5/year; self-haul weight rules; per-material caps on kind pages. Last-checked 15 Sep 2026.
Phone: 311 / 240-777-0311. Last-checked 15 Sep 2026.
Last-checked: 15 Sep 2026
Source: bulk trash hours facility Last-checked 15 Sep 2026.

Sponsored haul placeholder
Address	Pickup at your address when you book with the hauler — not a county facility. This page does not list franchise yards. Last-checked 15 Sep 2026.
Who	Residents who already checked free county / DIY paths and still need pickup. Last-checked 15 Sep 2026.
What they take	Bulky junk / clear-out loads as offered by the hauler you book — not stated as a fixed list here. Confirm with the hauler. Last-checked 15 Sep 2026.
Fee	not stated — no invented prices or “average job” claims on this page. Last-checked 15 Sep 2026.
Cap	Hauler load rules: not stated here. Last-checked 15 Sep 2026.
Phone	Hauler phone: use their site when a live link exists. Placeholder href only: #AFFILIATE_GOT_JUNK. Last-checked 15 Sep 2026.
Last-checked	15 Sep 2026
Source	disclosure Last-checked 15 Sep 2026.

Bring this / decide

Open the material page first (paint, bulk, mattress, electronics, freon, HHW).
Check whether you have County-provided trash before scheduling bulk (Collection Day Lookup or 311).
Proof of residency for residential Transfer Station use.
You unload at most drop-off pads — plan labor and a covered load if required.
Paid haul is optional and labeled; this site is not booking the truck.

Not here

Live affiliate checkout URLs or tracking IDs (placeholders only).
Invented haul prices, “we tested,” reviews, or star ratings.
Dumpster broker pages (queue #30 optional — skipped).
Ads inside hours tables on material pages.
Claiming to be montgomerycountymd.gov or a licensed hauler.
Meds / sharps (YMYL — not this site).

When drop-off is too far — haul vs county options (unofficial)