Tuolumne County Junk Removal
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Tuolumne County Free Dump Coupons: How They Work in 2026

From Tuolumne County Junk Removal. Published October 17, 2026.

Tuolumne County's 2026 Keep Tuolumne Clean coupon is good for one free trip of up to 2 cubic yards to the Cal Sierra Transfer Station at 19309 Industrial Drive in East Sonora. It is valid January 1 to December 31, 2026, limited to one per household, and picked up first-come, first-served at the Public Works office on the third floor of 48 Yaney Avenue in downtown Sonora.

A crew member carrying an old wooden dresser down a driveway to the truck, past bags, a bookcase and more old furniture
A heavy dresser and a driveway of bags and furniture: more than one pickup load, which is where the coupon stops making sense.

What the 2026 coupon gives you

One free trip of up to 2 cubic yards to the Cal Sierra Transfer Station, 19309 Industrial Drive, East Sonora. The load can be a mix of:

  • Regular household waste (trash, clothes and the like)
  • Up to 2 bulky items, such as appliances, furniture or mattresses
  • Up to 2 electronic waste items, such as TVs or microwaves
  • Up to 4 passenger car or truck tires

The 2026 coupons are valid from January 1 to December 31, 2026, with a limit of one coupon per household.

What the coupon does not cover

The county lists these exclusions:

  • Treated wood waste (railroad ties, fence posts, pressure-treated lumber)
  • Household hazardous waste
  • Construction and demolition waste
  • Business or commercial waste
  • Asbestos
  • Landscaping waste

That last one surprises people. Brush, limbs and pine needles are not covered; they go to a green waste site for a fee. See yard waste and storm debris hauling if you would rather not haul them.

How to get one

Coupons are handed out first-come, first-served at the Tuolumne County Public Works office, third floor of the A.N. Francisco Building, 48 Yaney Avenue in downtown Sonora. The county's coupon notice says the building is open 8 AM to 4 PM, Monday through Friday; another county page lists Public Works hours as 8:30 AM to 4 PM. Call the Solid Waste Division at (209) 533-5588 before you go to make sure coupons are still available.

How to use it

Bring the coupon with the load to Cal Sierra. The transfer station is open every day from 8 AM to 4 PM, closed on Christmas and New Year's Day, and loads that need to be weighed must be in line by 3:40 PM. If your load includes a fridge or freezer, declare it at the scale house: a Freon removal fee can still apply.

How big is 2 cubic yards?

Roughly what fits in a short-bed pickup truck. That is how Calaveras County describes the same 2 cubic yard limit at its own transfer stations. A couch, a few bags and a box of old electronics fit; a garage cleanout usually does not.

The dates change every year

The program is set each year. In 2025 the coupons were valid from April 15 to September 30; in 2026 they run the whole calendar year. Check the county's Solid Waste page for the current dates before you plan around it.

Other free and low-cost options

  • WM vouchers. WM residential customers in good standing get two vouchers a year for free trash disposal at Cal Sierra, mailed with the annual calendar. Questions go to Cal Sierra at (209) 532-1413.
  • Free mattress drop-off. The Groveland Transfer Station takes mattresses at no charge, and so does the county's monthly event at the Jamestown Household Hazardous Waste Facility, 17855 High School Road, third Wednesday, 9 AM to 1 PM.
  • Free e-waste. The same monthly Jamestown event takes electronics free for county residents.
  • Tire amnesty days. When grant funds are available, the county holds tire amnesty collection days in April and October.
  • New mattress? California law requires the retailer to offer to take your old mattress when the new one is delivered.

When hiring a hauler makes more sense

The coupon is a good deal when you have a truck, a small pile and the time to load it. It stops making sense when:

  • The pile is more than one pickup load
  • It includes yard waste, remodel debris or treated wood, which the coupon does not cover
  • Something is too heavy to lift safely: a fridge, a hot tub, a heavy dresser
  • You live out of the area and cannot be here to load it

In those cases our junk hauling crew loads it, hauls it and pays the dump fees inside one flat price. A few items usually run $200 to $400, and a 16-foot trailer piled high is typically $700 to $1,000. The full breakdown is in how much junk removal costs in Tuolumne County.

Sources

Have a pile that needs to go?

Call (209) 213-1324 or send the form with a few photos. We call back, usually within the hour, with one flat price, dump fees included.