Table of Contents: Why This Matters · Drain It First · Drop-Off Centers · Wichita Falls Rules · Bulk Pickup · Other Options · Common Mistakes · Tex's Take · FAQ
Getting rid of a water heater in Wichita Falls takes one more step than most people expect. It's too heavy for the curb cart, too big for a trash bag, and most scrap yards want you to call first before you show up with a rusted 40-gallon tank in the truck bed. The good news: Wichita Falls doesn't ban water heaters from the waste stream, and there's no permit standing between you and getting rid of it today. You've got four real options here. City transfer station, scheduled bulk pickup, a couple of scrap yards that pay you for the metal, or a retailer haul-away when you buy the replacement. Below is exactly what each one costs, what to bring, and which one makes sense for a tank sitting in your garage right now.
Why This Matters
A water heater isn't like a mattress or an old couch. It's steel, insulation, and sometimes standing water still inside the tank if it failed suddenly. Left in a garage or driveway, it rusts, leaks, and turns into the kind of eyesore a neighbor eventually calls the city about. Handled right, it's actually worth something. A standard 40-gallon tank runs 40 to 60 pounds of recyclable steel, and scrap yards in Wichita Falls will pay for that instead of you paying someone to haul it away.
Step 1: Drain the Tank First
Before you haul it anywhere, drain it. Turn off the water supply and the power source, gas or electric, at least a few hours ahead. Hook a garden hose to the drain valve near the bottom of the tank and run it into a floor drain or outside until it's empty. A full 40-gallon tank weighs close to 400 pounds. Empty, two people can move it without a dolly. This step matters everywhere you take it. Neither scrap yard wants a tank sloshing water in the truck bed, and the transfer station scale charges by weight, so water you didn't drain is water you paid to dump.
Drop-Off and Scrap Options in Wichita Falls
| Center | Address | Phone | Hours | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wichita Falls Transfer Station | 3200 Lawrence Road, Wichita Falls, TX 76301 | (940) 691-7631 | Mon-Fri 8am-6pm, Sat 10am-4pm | Free for primary residence with ID |
| Bell Processing (scrap yard) | 1326 Burkburnett Rd, Wichita Falls, TX 76306 | (940) 322-8621 | Mon-Fri 8am-5pm | Pays by weight — call ahead to confirm |
| Ray's Scrap Metals | 1200 Scott Ave, Wichita Falls, TX 76301 | (940) 723-0707 | Call ahead — hours vary | Pays by weight — call ahead to confirm |
Curbside and Bulk Pickup
The city doesn't pick up bulky items on your regular trash day. You have to schedule it through the Sanitation Office at (940) 761-7977 under the Payload Bulk Service. It's a $33.50 initial trip charge plus $3.10 per minute of loading time, so the final cost depends on how much else is going out with it. Set the water heater at the curb with 5 feet of horizontal clearance and 13.5 feet of vertical clearance so the grapple truck can reach it. Skip this step and the crew will drive past it.
Other Options
Home Depot and Lowe's both install new water heaters and will typically haul away the old one as part of that service, but confirm it at the time of purchase since it's not automatic everywhere. If you don't have a truck or the tank is too heavy to move alone, a private hauler like LoadUp will do a curbside or in-home pickup in Wichita Falls for a fee, usually cheaper than dragging one to the transfer station and back if you don't own a trailer. Donation isn't really an option here. Working water heaters occasionally get taken by a plumber doing a swap-out, but there's no local charity network set up for used units the way there is for furniture or mattresses.
Common Mistakes
People assume regular trash pickup takes bulky items. It doesn't, and you'll just have a tank sitting at the curb for weeks. Others show up at the transfer station without ID or a utility bill and get turned away at the scale. And more than a few haul a full tank to a scrap yard, only to find out the extra 300 pounds of water dropped what they got paid, or got them told to come back once it's drained.
Tex's Take
Scrap yard beats bulk pickup here, plain numbers. Bulk pickup costs you $33.50 plus time-based fees to haul away metal that's worth cash. Drain it, load it yourself, drive it to Bell Processing or Ray's, and you walk out with money instead of a bill. The only reason to skip that is if you can't lift it or don't have a truck. Then bulk service earns its fee.
FAQ
Does the City of Wichita Falls pick up water heaters curbside for free?
No. Regular trash and recycling carts don't take bulky items. You have to schedule Payload Bulk Service ahead of time, and it comes with a fee.
Can I take my water heater to the transfer station myself?
Yes, and it's free if it's from your primary residence. Bring a valid ID and your active water/utility bill to prove residency at the scale.
Will a scrap yard pay me for an old water heater?
Likely, since it's mostly steel, but neither Bell Processing nor Ray's Scrap Metals has a published water heater policy online. Call ahead to confirm they'll take it and what they're paying that day.
Do I need a permit to dispose of a water heater in Wichita Falls?
No permit is required for a standard residential unit at the transfer station, bulk pickup, or a scrap yard.
What if the tank is still full of water?
Drain it first. It cuts the weight by hundreds of pounds, and every option on this list gets easier, cheaper, or both once it's empty.
Data last verified July 2026 against official City of Wichita Falls solid waste sources and third-party business directories for scrap yard details. Hours, fees, and accepted items can change without notice. Call ahead before making a trip.
Call ahead before you load up the truck. Bell Processing is (940) 322-8621, Ray's Scrap Metals is (940) 723-0707, and Sanitation for bulk pickup scheduling is (940) 761-7977. Confirm they're taking water heaters that day and what they're paying or charging before you drive across town with a 200-pound tank in the bed.
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