Most people hunting for a stove drop-off in Victoria are solving the wrong problem. The city will come to you. Ovens and stovetops sit on the City of Victoria's accepted list for bulky item collection, and every household account gets two free pickups a year. An electric stove has no refrigerant, so it also skips the Freon sticker that holds up refrigerators and window AC units. The catch is timing. Bulky items can't go to the curb more than 48 hours before collection, and the city may tag anything left out longer. Below: booking steps, what pickup costs once the free ones run out, and where to take the stove yourself if you'd rather not wait.
Why This Matters
The city defines bulky items as anything that won't fit inside your gray city-issued cart. A range clears that bar by a mile, and it weighs more than most people want to move alone, so the cart is never an option.
Timing is the real squeeze on the Gulf Coast side of Texas. A stove parked in a driveway or side yard for two weeks collects rain and humidity, and the 48-hour curb rule means you can't solve that by parking it at the street early. The order matters: pick the route first, then move the stove.
Step 1: Disconnect and Prep the Stove
Do this before the collection date. Nothing on the city page says crews will disconnect a stove for you, so plan on handing it over ready to lift.
- Switch off the breaker, then unplug the 240-volt cord from the wall outlet behind the unit. If the stove is hardwired, have an electrician disconnect it. Don't pull wires yourself.
- Pull out oven racks, the broiler pan and any loose drip pans. Wipe off grease so nothing leaks onto the curb.
- Tape cracked oven glass. The city asks that glass items be taped down or boxed for safe collection, so treat a cracked oven door the same way.
- Confirm it's electric. The city page doesn't separate gas ranges from electric ones. If yours runs on gas, have the line capped by a plumber or the gas utility before anyone moves it, and call the city to confirm.
No Freon step here. Victoria's bulky page puts ovens and stovetops in the group without refrigerant, so no sticker is needed. Refrigerators and AC units are different, and our Houston refrigerator guide shows how that step works in another Texas city. Rules vary by city, so don't assume Houston's process applies in Victoria.
Where to Take an Electric Stove Yourself
Victoria County runs courtesy stations that take household trash and scrap metal. Neither county page names stoves specifically, and fees weren't listed on the page I pulled, so call before loading the truck.
| Center | Address | Phone | Hours | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victoria County Courtesy Station (Grouse Rd.) | 751 E. Grouse Rd., Victoria, TX 77905 | (361) 578-8212 | Saturday, 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM | Call ahead to confirm |
| Victoria County Courtesy Station (Aviation Dr.) | 415 Aviation Dr., Victoria, TX 77904 | (361) 579-6160 | Wednesday and Saturday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM | Call ahead to confirm |
| Crossroads Recycling (scrap yard) | 3007 S. Laurent, Victoria, TX 77901 | 361-572-8107 | Call ahead to confirm | Call ahead to confirm |
| Texas Port Recycling (scrap yard) | 3105 Odem St, Victoria, TX 77901 | 361-580-2341 | Call ahead to confirm | Call ahead to confirm |
County station details come from the Victoria County recycling and courtesy stations page. The two scrap yards are listed on the iScrap App directory, not on an official site. One listing says the yard takes appliances, and the other mentions household ferrous scrap without naming appliances. Confirm that a stove is welcome before you drive over.
- Free allowance: two bulky pickups per year, up to 6 cubic yards each (4 ft high by 4 ft wide by 10 ft long).
- Over 6 cubic yards: a $1.50 per minute collection fee may apply, billed on your next water bill.
- Third pickup and beyond: $20 plus $1.50 per minute, also on the water bill.
- Curb timing: no more than 48 hours before collection. Items left longer may be tagged and your address referred to Code Enforcement.
- Not eligible: vacant lots and unoccupied homes not billed for city service.
- County courtesy stations do not accept electronics, batteries, tires, lumber, brush or hazardous waste.
City Bulk Pickup: How to Book It
Book through the city's online request form linked from the Bulky Item Collection page, or call Solid Waste at 361-485-3220. The office answers Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM, and closes for lunch from noon to 1 PM. Schedule ahead. If you book online and approve charges, you get an email with your collection date and the day to set the stove out.
The city's Waste Wizard tool is meant for item-specific questions, but I couldn't pull a stove entry from it, so the Bulky Item Collection page is the source I'm relying on. Bulky pickup also takes furniture, mattresses, washers, dryers and similar items, so a stove clears one slot, not the whole allowance. If you're replacing more than the stove, stack the other items into the same pickup, as long as the total stays under 6 cubic yards.
Washers and dryers follow the same bulky logic. See the Odessa washing machine guide for how a different West Texas city handles it.
Other Options
Retailer haul-away. Stores that sell ranges often offer to take the old one when they deliver the new one. I couldn't verify a current Victoria policy or fee from an official retailer page, so ask at checkout whether haul-away is included, what it costs, and whether the crew will disconnect the old unit. Assume they won't, and unplug it yourself.
Donate a working stove. Golden Crescent Habitat for Humanity has a Victoria affiliate listed on habitat.org, with an office at 4103 North Navarro Street, Suite 200, Victoria, TX 77901. The affiliate's mission statement mentions a ReStore. I couldn't confirm the ReStore's address, hours or whether it takes stoves, so call before you load anything.
Private haulers. If you can't wait for a city date, Dropcurb lists same-day appliance pickup in Victoria at a $134 flat price as of October 2026. Prices change, so check at booking.
Common Mistakes
- Setting the stove out the weekend before a Thursday pickup. Past 48 hours, it can be tagged.
- Skipping the call and assuming the curb works like a cart day. Bulky pickup needs a booked date.
- Hunting for a Freon sticker you don't need. That rule is for refrigerators and AC units.
- Showing up at the Grouse Road station on a weekday. It lists Saturday hours only.
- Going over 6 cubic yards with a stove and a pile of other junk, then getting a surprise time-based fee on the water bill.
Tex's Take
Three numbers decide this: two free pickups, 6 cubic yards, $1.50 per minute. A single stove uses a small slice of the volume allowance, so the free pickup is only a good deal if you stack other bulky items into the same collection. A lone stove burns one of your two free slots for a fraction of what it could carry.
The county stations look cheaper on paper, but the pages I pulled list no fees, no stove-specific language and Saturday-only hours at one site. That's three unknowns before you've lifted the thing into a truck.
Book the city pickup. It's the right call here, full stop.
FAQ
Can I put an old stove in my gray cart?
No. The city defines bulky items as anything that won't fit inside the gray cart, and a stove doesn't.
Does Victoria charge to pick up a stove?
Not for the first two bulky pickups each year, up to 6 cubic yards. A third pickup costs $20 plus $1.50 per minute, billed on your water bill.
Do I need a Freon sticker for an electric stove?
No. The city's page lists ovens and stovetops among appliances without freon. Only refrigerators and AC units need the professional refrigerant removal sticker.
How early can I put the stove on the curb?
No more than 48 hours before your scheduled collection. Earlier than that, the city may tag it and send your address to Code Enforcement.
Can I sell the stove for scrap?
Maybe. Crossroads Recycling's listing says it buys appliances and other recyclable metal, but I couldn't verify prices or whether it pays for a whole stove. Call first.
Where can I see more appliance guides?
Browse the full Electronics and Appliances section.
Data last verified October 2026 against official City of Victoria solid waste and Victoria County sources. Scrap yard details come from a third-party directory. Hours, fees, and accepted items can change without notice. Call ahead before making a trip.
Call 361-485-3220 before you pull the plug, get a date on the calendar, and ask whether your stove is gas or electric on the same call so the crew isn't guessing at the curb.
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