Refrigerator Removal · Freezers · Wine Coolers · Mini-Fridges · Southwest Riverside County
Refrigerator Removal in Temecula
Refrigerator removal in Temecula is $225 with us when the fridge goes by itself: our $195 quarter-load minimum plus a $30 charge for the refrigerant. A two-person crew carries it out of the kitchen, the garage, or an upstairs unit and takes it to a certified appliance recycler, not the landfill. Text a photo to (951) 837-8072 and you get a firm price back before we roll out.
Family-owned in Temecula since 2021 · Licensed & insured · 5,000+ loads since 2021 · Same-day slots most days · Mon to Sat: 7AM-7PM
Wild West Junk Removal · 41713 Niblick Rd, Temecula, CA 92591 · (951) 837-8072 · Mon to Sat: 7AM-7PM · Sun: Closed · Family-owned and operated by Weston Molitor since 2021
Refrigerator Removal Cost
How Much Does Refrigerator Removal Cost in Temecula?
Refrigerator removal in Temecula costs $225 with us when the fridge is the only thing going: the $195 quarter-load minimum plus a $30 refrigerant charge. If it goes out with other junk, we price the whole pile by how much of our 12-yard trailer it fills, and the $30 is the only thing the fridge adds. Those are the same four load prices we charge on every job in Temecula, Murrieta, and Menifee.
Quarter Load
3 cubic yards
$195
About one and a half full-size pickup beds. Our minimum.
Half Load
6 cubic yards
$350
About three full-size pickup beds.
Three-Quarter Load
9 cubic yards
$495
About four to five full-size pickup beds.
Full Load
12 cubic yards
$595
About five to six full-size pickup beds.
Whole Garage or House
Every load includes a two-person crew, the appliance dolly and straps, the carry from the kitchen, garage, or patio, taking the fridge doors off when a doorway is too tight, fuel, the recycler drop, and a sweep where the fridge stood. There's no deposit and no trip charge, and same-day pickups cost the same as any other day.
What Costs Extra on a Refrigerator Pickup?
- Refrigerant
- $30 for each refrigerator or freezer, mini-fridges and wine coolers included, and $30 for each window or portable AC unit. It covers getting the refrigerant recovered at the recycler, and it's charged once per unit, not per load.
- Stairs
- $150 on loads under 7 cubic yards, $300 on loads of 7 cubic yards or more. No stair charge if there's an elevator we can use. A fridge coming down from a second-floor apartment counts, so mention the stairs when you text.
- Mattresses
- $15 per mattress if one rides along. Box springs carry no fee but count toward the load volume.
- Extra loading time
- A full load includes one hour of loading. Past that hour, it's $75 an hour per crew member.
Ranges, dishwashers, and water heaters are on our appliance removal in Temecula page, and washers and dryers have their own page too.
Why Is One Fridge $225 and Not Less?
Because one fridge costs us the same trip as a quarter load of anything else: the same trailer, the same two guys, the same drive, and the same gate fee at the other end. That's why there's no per-item rate under $195. The $30 is what the refrigerant adds, since a fridge can't be scrapped until somebody recovers what's in the lines. If there's anything else in the garage, put it on the same trip. Whatever fits in that quarter of the trailer rides along for nothing extra.
What Does a Fridge Cost With Stairs or a Full Garage?
Here's how the math works on the calls we get most. One fridge from the ground floor in Temecula is $195 plus $30, so $225. One fridge carried down from a second-floor apartment is $195 plus $150 for the stairs plus $30, so $375. A fridge going out with half a garage of boxes and old furniture lands in a half load: $350 plus $30, so $380. A second fridge or a chest freezer adds another $30, and the trailer space it takes is already in the load price.
Your photo sets the real number. Text a photo and you get a load size and a firm price before we roll out. On site we confirm what the photo showed: if it comes in smaller, you pay the smaller price; if the pile grew, we re-quote before anything goes on the trailer. Nothing is added after loading starts, and there's no deposit.
The full ladder and every surcharge are on our junk removal prices page.
What We Haul
Which Refrigerators and Freezers Will You Haul Away?
We haul every household refrigerator and freezer, working or dead, from any room in a Temecula home, plus wine coolers, mini-fridges, kegerators, and commercial reach-ins. Top-freezer, bottom-freezer, side-by-side, French door, and counter-depth all go the same way and carry the same $30 refrigerant charge. If it's a walk-in cooler or part of a restaurant line, text photos first so we can tell you what it'll take.
Which Kitchen Fridges Do You Take?
Every freestanding style: top-freezer, bottom-freezer, side-by-side, French door, and counter-depth. A built-in or panel-ready fridge that's screwed into the cabinets has to be pulled free and disconnected before it can move, so send a photo of the sides and the toe kick and I'll tell you whether that's us or your installer.
Do You Take Chest and Upright Freezers?
Yes. A chest freezer that quit in the garage and turned into a shelf is one of the most common things people text us about. It's priced like a fridge: the $30 refrigerant charge plus the trailer space it takes.
What About Mini-Fridges, Wine Coolers, and Kegerators?
They all run on refrigerant, so they go to the same recycler as a full-size fridge. Take the CO2 tank off a kegerator before we come and keep it. It's a compressed gas cylinder, which can't ride in our load, and most beverage suppliers will swap or refill it.
Do You Haul Commercial Refrigeration?
Yes: reach-ins, bar coolers, prep tables, and display merchandisers from restaurants and shops around Old Town and the Promenade. Walk-in panels and rooftop condensers usually need a refrigeration contractor to disconnect them first. The rest of a business move goes through our commercial junk removal page.
Will You Take a Fridge That's Rusted or Missing a Door?
Yes. A fridge that's sat in a side yard for years, rusted through, with a door off or the handle gone, still goes to the same recycler. It's also the one to deal with first, because California Penal Code 402b makes it a misdemeanor to leave an unused fridge with its door on anywhere kids can get to it.
What Doesn't Go on the Trailer With It?
Household hazardous waste, at any price: paint cans people keep in the garage fridge, pool chemicals, propane cylinders, and car batteries sitting on top of it. Riverside County takes those free at its collection sites, and our guide to household hazardous waste in Temecula lists where.
Cheaper Options
Can You Get Rid of an Old Fridge Without Paying Us?
Sometimes, yes, and I'll tell you so on the phone. If the store delivering your new fridge will take the old one, or you've got a truck and a free Saturday morning, either one costs less than $225. We're the better call when the fridge is upstairs, dead, buried in the back of the garage, or going out with a lot of other stuff.
Will the Store Take It When the New One Arrives?
Usually, if you set it up when you buy. Most appliance retailers will haul the old unit away on delivery day, sometimes for a fee, and EPA lists retailer pickup as one of the main ways to get rid of a fridge. The catches: it has to be the fridge being replaced, it has to be disconnected and easy to reach, and delivery crews often won't carry one down stairs or out of a packed garage. If it's one fridge in the kitchen spot, take the store's offer.
Does Temecula's Free Bulky Pickup Take Refrigerators?
Ask CR&R before you count on it. Temecula residents get two free CR&R bulky-item pickups a year, scheduled ahead at (800) 755-8112, and appliances are on CR&R's general bulky list. EPA notes that some cities want the refrigerant recovered before they'll pick up a fridge, so ask CR&R how they want yours handled. You'll still be the one getting it to the curb.
Can You Haul It to the County Landfill Yourself?
Yes, if you're a resident with a truck. Riverside County's landfills charge a flat $15.70 for a pickup or trailer load plus $7 for each appliance, at the rates running through June 2027. They take four appliances per person per day and none from businesses. The closest to Temecula is El Sobrante, off I-15 in Temescal Canyon, and Lamb Canyon on Highway 79 near Beaumont takes them too. That's about $23 and a morning, and it's the cheaper move if you can lift it.
Does SCE Still Pay You to Recycle an Old Fridge?
Check before you plan on it. Southern California Edison has run fridge turn-in programs before, and EPA's advice is to ask your electric utility first. The programs that do run usually want a working, full-size fridge at your service address, so a dead fridge or a mini-fridge often won't qualify.
Can a Working Fridge Be Donated?
Sometimes. A clean, newer fridge that still cools can go to one of our donation partners if they'll take it that week, and they set their own rules. EPA actually discourages reselling old, power-hungry fridges, so a 20-year-old garage unit is better off recycled. Our page on where your junk actually goes lists who we work with.
When Is It Worth Paying Us Instead?
When the fridge is upstairs, when it's dead and the store won't take it, when there's a freezer or a second fridge too, or when it's going out with half the garage. Then you're paying for the load, and the fridge only adds its $30.
The Process
How Does a Refrigerator Pickup Work?
A fridge pickup in Temecula takes four steps: you text a photo, you empty and unplug the fridge the day before, we carry it out on an appliance dolly, and it goes to a certified recycler. Most of the work happens before we pull up.
What Should You Text Us?
A photo of the fridge, a photo of the path to the door, and whether there are stairs. Add anything else that's going. That's enough for a load size and a firm price before we roll out.
What Do You Do the Day Before?
Take out the food and anything loose, unplug it about a day ahead so the freezer can melt, and lay a towel at the base. We tape the doors shut before it moves, so you don't need to.
What Happens When the Crew Gets There?
We check that it matches the photo, pad the door frames, strap the fridge to an appliance dolly, and walk it out. If a French-door fridge won't clear a doorway with its doors on, we take them off and keep going.
Where Does It Go After the Trailer?
We sweep where it stood before we leave. Then the fridge goes to a scrap facility that's a state-certified appliance recycler, where the refrigerant and the other regulated parts come out before the metal is shredded.
Can You Get a Fridge Out of a Second-Floor Apartment?
Yes. Upstairs units in Temecula and Murrieta complexes are regular work for us, and a fridge comes down a flight on a dolly, strapped, with two people controlling it. The stairs add $150 on a small load, and there's no stair charge if there's an elevator we can use. Our apartment junk removal page covers parking and gate codes at complexes.
Do You Need to Be Home for the Pickup?
Somebody has to let us in and point at the right fridge, but it doesn't have to be you. Landlords and property managers give us a lockbox code all the time, and our page on junk removal for property managers, Realtors, and landlords explains how those jobs run.
Price Factors
What Makes a Refrigerator Pickup Cost More?
Stairs and the number of refrigerant units are what move a fridge price; the size of the fridge almost never does. A big French-door fridge and a small top-freezer are both $225 on their own in Temecula, because either one fits in a quarter load.
How Much Trailer Space Does a Fridge Take?
A full-size fridge takes up about a cubic yard and a half, roughly half of a quarter load. That's why a fridge plus a few boxes, an old grill, or a broken patio set usually still fits in the $195 load. Two fridges and a chest freezer start pushing into a half load.
Does a Second Fridge or Freezer Cost Another $30?
Yes. Each unit with refrigerant carries its own $30, because each one has to be recovered on its own at the recycler. The trailer space they take is already in the load price.
Does It Matter Whether the Fridge Still Works?
Not to the price. A running fridge and a dead one cost the same to haul, and both still have refrigerant in them. A working one might go to donation instead, if it's newer and clean enough that a partner will take it.
People sometimes try to drain the Freon before a pickup, thinking it makes the fridge lighter or easier to scrap. It doesn't, and it's illegal: federal law bans venting refrigerant, and many newer fridges run on isobutane or propane, which burn. Leave the sealed system alone and let the recycler deal with it.
Where It Goes
What Happens to Your Refrigerator After Pickup?
Your fridge goes to a scrap recycling facility that's a California Certified Appliance Recycler, where the refrigerant, compressor oil, mercury switches, and old capacitors come out before the cabinet is shredded for steel, copper, and aluminum. That isn't optional in California: state law says a fridge with those parts still in it can only be delivered to a scrap facility that holds that certification.
Why Can't a Fridge Just Go to the Landfill?
Because of what's inside it. Federal rules put the job of recovering the refrigerant on whoever handles the fridge last, usually the scrap recycler or the landfill operator, and the hazardous parts have to come out before it's disposed of. That's why county landfills charge extra for each appliance and set them aside instead of burying them with the trash. Our guide on how to dispose of a refrigerator with Freon walks through every rule.
Is Any of It Actually Recycled?
Most of the weight is. The steel cabinet, the copper in the coils and compressor, and the aluminum all go back into the scrap market. The foam insulation is the weak spot: EPA says foam recovery isn't required, so in most places it gets shredded and landfilled with the plastic and glass.
Can You Tell Me Which Recycler Took Mine?
Yes. Ask while we're loading and I'll tell you where your fridge is going. The recyclers we deliver to are listed on our page about where your junk actually goes.
Who We Are
Who Shows Up to Haul Your Fridge?
A two-person Wild West crew shows up, and on a lot of jobs one of them is me. We're a family-owned company based at 41713 Niblick Rd in Temecula, licensed and insured, and we've hauled more than 5,000 loads since 2021.
Who Is Weston Molitor?
Founder · Wild West Junk Removal · Temecula, CAI started Wild West Junk Removal in 2021, and I still answer a lot of the texts that come in with a fridge photo attached. A refrigerator is one of the heaviest single things most houses hand us, and it's the one thing in the garage that can't go just anywhere when it leaves.
That's why I care where it ends up. A fridge that gets dumped on a back road or cut open for its copper still had refrigerant in it. Ours go to a certified appliance recycler, and if you ask, I'll tell you which one.
"Text me the fridge and the way out. If the store will take it for free, I'll tell you to let them."
What Do Customers Say About Our Appliance Pickups?
These are copied word for word from our Google reviews. Hernan's names his old refrigerator, Kyle's is about sorting the scrap, and the last one is about the lifting.
★★★★★
Five star junk pick up service hands down! They came on time and promised scheduled! I’ve been calling Lowe’s for my old refrigerator pick up for months!!!
★★★★★
Thanks to Weston for fitting me in his schedule thru a busy day and came thru and helped sperate for fre scrap guy to save charges nothing better than a stand up owner definitely recommend for future
★★★★★
These guys did a great job, quick fast, reliable, and man they’re strong. They could lift an f150 if needed.
FAQ
What Else Do People Ask About Fridge Removal?
Only for a scheduled CR&R bulky pickup. Set out any other time, it's illegal dumping under California Penal Code 374.3. A full-size fridge is bigger than a cubic yard on its own, which the law treats as a commercial quantity, with a fine of $1,000 to $3,000 on a first conviction.
A standard full-size fridge weighs about 200 to 400 pounds, and the big French-door and built-in models sit at the top of that range. That's why we bring an appliance dolly and two people instead of trying to walk it out by hand.
Shut off the water to it before we come. The valve is usually behind the fridge or under the kitchen sink. Once it's off, we disconnect the line at the back of the fridge and leave it coiled for the next fridge. If the valve won't close or it's dripping, call a plumber before pickup day.
No. Riverside County's landfills don't accept appliances from business customers, only up to four a day from residents. A restaurant or shop has to send a reach-in or bar cooler to a certified appliance recycler directly or hire a hauler to do it, which is the job we do for businesses around Temecula.
Yes. A fridge that stopped cooling usually still has some refrigerant in it, and the recycler has to check it and handle it either way. Federal rules make whoever handles it last confirm the refrigerant was recovered, so a dead fridge doesn't skip that step.
Sure, keep anything that comes off by hand: shelves, drawers, the water filter, the magnets. Leave the back alone. The coils, the compressor, and the copper lines are the sealed system, and opening any of them releases refrigerant.
Yes. Mobile home parks around Temecula and Hemet have narrow doors and steep steps, so send a photo of the door and the steps with the fridge. If it won't clear the opening, the fridge doors come off and it goes out on the dolly.
Yes, and before the listing photos is the time to do it. The second fridge in the garage almost never helps a sale. If the kitchen fridge conveys with the house, leave it; everything else can go on one trip.
Most days we can do it the same day or the next, Monday through Saturday, 7AM to 7PM. Text the photo early in the day for the best shot at a same-day slot.
No. It's the same price in Temecula, Murrieta, Menifee, Wildomar, Winchester, French Valley, Lake Elsinore, Canyon Lake, and Hemet, and we also cover De Luz, Rainbow, and Fallbrook.
Keep Reading
What Should You Read Before Getting Rid of a Fridge?
Two guides belong to this page, and the rest are the services people book along with a fridge pickup.
Guides
- GuideHow to Dispose of a Refrigerator With FreonWhat federal and California law require before an old fridge can be scrapped.
- GuideHow Long Does a Refrigerator Last?The warning signs, the repair-or-replace call, and whether a garage fridge is worth keeping.
- GuideHousehold Hazardous Waste in TemeculaWhere the paint, chemicals, and batteries from the garage go instead.
- GuideWhere Your Junk Actually GoesOur donation partners and the recyclers we deliver to.
Related services
- ServiceAppliance Removal in TemeculaWater heaters, ranges, dishwashers, and window AC units.
- ServiceWasher and Dryer RemovalLaundry pairs disconnected and carried out.
- ServiceGarage Cleanout in TemeculaThe whole garage, the old fridge included.
- ServiceEstate Cleanout in TemeculaA full house, kitchen to garage.
- AudienceJunk Removal for Property Managers, Realtors & LandlordsTurnovers, listings, and fridges tenants left behind.
- ServiceCommercial Junk RemovalOffices, restaurants, and retail suites.
- PricingJunk Removal PricesThe four-load ladder and every surcharge.
Want a Firm Price on That Fridge Today?
Text a photo of the fridge and the way out to (951) 837-8072, and tell us about any stairs. You'll get a load size and a firm price back, usually within a few minutes, and same-day slots are open most days.
Wild West Junk Removal · 41713 Niblick Rd, Temecula, CA 92591 · (951) 837-8072 · Mon to Sat: 7AM-7PM · Sun: Closed
At a Glance
| Provider | Wild West Junk Removal, family-owned since 2021 |
|---|---|
| Owner | Weston Molitor |
| Address | 41713 Niblick Rd, Temecula, CA 92591 |
| Phone | (951) 837-8072, call or text |
| Hours | Mon to Sat: 7AM-7PM · Sun: Closed |
| Starting price | $225 for one refrigerator or freezer: the $195 quarter-load minimum plus the $30 refrigerant charge |
| Load ladder | $195 quarter · $350 half · $495 three-quarter · $595 full |
| Add-ons | Refrigerant $30 per fridge, freezer, or AC unit · Stairs $150 or $300 · $15 per mattress (no fee on box springs) · $75/hr per crew member past the included hour |
| Included | Two-person crew, appliance dolly, door removal when needed, recycler drop, sweep-up |
| Quoting | Text a photo for a firm price before we roll out; no deposit |
| Where it goes | A California Certified Appliance Recycler |
| Not accepted | Paint, chemicals, propane and other compressed gas cylinders, batteries |
| Service area | Temecula, Murrieta, Menifee, Wildomar, Winchester, French Valley, Lake Elsinore, Canyon Lake, Hemet; also De Luz, Rainbow, Fallbrook |
Sources & References
- epa.govEPA — Appliance Disposal (consumer guidance, updated July 2026)
- epa.govEPA — Section 608 safe disposal requirements
- epa.govEPA — Prohibition on venting refrigerants
- dtsc.ca.govCalifornia DTSC — Certified Appliance Recycler (CAR) Program
- rcwaste.rivco.govRiverside County Department of Waste Resources — landfill fees effective July 1, 2026
- rcwaste.rivco.govRiverside County — free household hazardous waste collection
- temeculaca.govCity of Temecula — two free CR&R bulky-item pickups a year
- codes.findlaw.comCalifornia Penal Code 374.3 — illegal dumping
- codes.findlaw.comCalifornia Penal Code 402b — abandoned refrigerators and appliances
- Wild WestJunk removal prices — the full ladder and surcharges
- Wild WestWhere your junk actually goes — donation and recycling partners
Written by Weston Molitor, owner of Wild West Junk Removal. Last reviewed and updated October 16, 2026 · Prices current as of October 2026.
Prices shown are our standard load ladder ($195 quarter, $350 half, $495 three-quarter, $595 full) plus the listed add-ons, as of October 2026. County landfill fees are Riverside County's rates effective July 1, 2026. The firm price comes from your photo.