The short answer
Take the frame apart, then use Virginia Beach's bulky-item pickup, which asks that beds be disassembled and requires a request at least three days before your trash day. A plain steel frame may also qualify as scrap metal at the city's Resource Recovery Center for residents, so check with them first. If you'd rather not, a flat pickup is $68 for a standard metal or platform frame and $126 for a solid, upholstered or storage frame in twin through queen. Because $68 is under the $100 order minimum, pair it with the mattress or another item.
Know which frame you have
Bed frames cover a wide range, and the right route depends on what's in your bedroom.
- Metal rail frames. The basic steel frame under a box spring. Light, comes apart with a few bolts, mostly metal.
- Platform frames. Usually flat-pack wood or metal with slats. Light to medium.
- Solid wood or upholstered frames. Heavy sleigh beds, padded headboards, storage beds with drawers. These are the ones that get stuck on stairs.
- Bunk and loft beds. Common in Navy family rentals and student housing near ODU. Heavy, and long rails.
- Adjustable bases. Motorized. Heavy, with wiring and a motor.
Take a photo of the frame and the headboard before you start. If you book a pickup, that photo gives you an exact price. If you use the city, it helps you plan the disassembly.
Taking it apart
Most frames come apart with a hex key, a screwdriver and a socket wrench. Start with the mattress and box spring off, and photograph the joints so you know how the pieces fit if anyone wants it later.
Remove slats and center supports first, then the side rails, then separate the headboard and footboard. Put all the bolts in a bag and tape it to the headboard. Storage beds need their drawers out before you lift anything.
On older Norfolk and Portsmouth homes, where staircases are narrow and turn sharply, disassembly isn't optional. A solid sleigh bed assembled in a Ghent bedroom decades ago may only leave in pieces. Measure the stairwell and the tightest door first.
If a bolt is seized, don't force the wood. Solid frames can crack, and a cracked rail with a sharp edge is hard to carry. A crew will deal with it at the same price.
Virginia Beach's free routes
Bulky pickup. The city's bulky program covers beds, provided they're disassembled. Request online, by phone or by email at least three days before your trash day. Set the pieces out after 5 p.m. the night before and by 7 a.m., three feet from obstructions and not under power lines. The city's page doesn't list a fee.
Resource Recovery Center. The center at 1989 Jake Sears Road takes metals and appliances free from Virginia Beach residents with proof of residency, Tuesday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. A bare steel rail frame may fit there. Confirm before you load the car.
Elsewhere in the 757. Norfolk takes bulk requests until 3 p.m. the day before. Chesapeake allows one 4 by 4 by 10 foot pile a week, twelve times a year. In Moyock and Knotts Island, there's no curbside bulk; residents with a permit use the convenience centers.
Flat bed-frame prices
| Item | Flat price |
|---|---|
| Bed Frame (Standard / Metal / Platform) | $68 |
| Bed Frame (Solid/Upholstered/Storage) — Twin / Full / Queen | $126 |
| Bed Frame (Solid/Upholstered/Storage) — King / Cal King | $152 |
| Headboard | $57 |
| Bunk Bed | $123 |
| Bunk Bed — Solid Wood / Loft | $148 |
| Daybed | $89 |
| Trundle Bed | $100 |
| Adjustable Bed Base (Motorized) | $118 |
| Murphy Bed (Wall Bed) | $130 |
Crews take the frame apart if needed and carry it out from any floor, with no stairs fee.
Common combinations
Whole queen bed in a Kempsville master bedroom: a queen mattress and box spring set plus a metal frame. $143 + $68 = $211.
King sleigh bed in a Great Bridge house: heavy king frame plus a king mattress. $152 + $114 = $266.
Kids' room before a PCS move: a bunk bed and two twin mattresses. $123 + $82 + $82 = $287.
Guest room in an Oceanfront condo: a daybed and its trundle. $89 + $100 = $189.
Just a metal frame: $68, which is billed at the $100 minimum. Add a headboard and it's $68 + $57 = $125.
Timing and local tips
If you're moving on orders, frames are often the last thing out, because you sleep on the bed until the night before. Book the pickup for the morning after, or the day the household goods ship.
Don't leave frame pieces in the yard for days. Bolts and slats scatter, and in hurricane season, from June to November, loose boards are exactly what you don't want outside before a storm.
If the frame is in decent shape, try listing it first. Solid wood beds and bunk beds are popular with families arriving in Hampton Roads. Metal rail frames rarely sell, but they're easy to recycle as scrap.
Ready to price it? Upload a photo on the instant quote page. The total is shown before you book.
Frequently asked questions
Does Virginia Beach pick up bed frames?
Yes, through bulky-item pickup, and the city asks that beds be disassembled. Request at least three days before your trash day. Set the pieces out after 5 p.m. the night before.
Can I recycle a metal bed frame in Virginia Beach?
The Resource Recovery Center on Jake Sears Road takes metals free from residents with proof of residency. A plain steel frame may qualify. Confirm with the center before you go.
How much is bed frame removal?
A standard metal or platform frame is $68. A solid, upholstered or storage frame is $126 for twin through queen and $152 for king. A headboard alone is $57.
Do I need to take the frame apart before pickup?
Not for our pickup. Crews take it apart if needed at the same price. For the city's bulky pickup, beds should be disassembled.
What if I only have a bed frame?
A metal frame is $68, which is under the $100 order minimum, so it is billed at $100. Adding the mattress, headboard or another item makes better use of the visit.