Drop it off free
4 free paint drop-off sites within 12 miles.
- B and C True ValuePaint store1.5 mi
- Sherwin-WilliamsPaint store1.6 mi
- Knights PaintPaint store1.6 mi
Grass Valley, CA Paint Disposal
Everything you need to get rid of leftover paint responsibly in Grass Valley.
NOW AVAILABLE IN GRASS VALLEY
Paint recycling pickup. Book online.
Book a pickup $89 minimum · No next-day surcharge
All drop-off locations in and near Grass Valley6
Start with these
McCourtney Road Household Hazardous Waste Facility and Reuse Area (Nevada County)
14741 Wolf Mountain Road, Grass Valley, CA 95949
- Accepts
- Latex and oil-based paint (unlabeled paint too, per WM's facility page), paint solvents, turpentine, varnish and wood finish, partly full spray cans, cleaners, pesticides, pool chemicals, gasoline, motor oil and filters, batteries, fluorescent tubes and bulbs, and sharps in an approved container.
- Who can use it
- PaintCare lists it for Nevada County households and very small businesses, except Truckee. Businesses need an appointment and must bring a bill of lading, pricing and an EPA ID number; call 530-274-0120 and leave a message. PaintCare's listing gives a business limit of 27 gallons a month.
- Hours
- Wednesday–Sunday, 8 a.m.–3:30 p.m., per Nevada County's hazardous waste page and PaintCare; WM's 2026 guide and brochure give the same hours for the whole station. An older WM page still says hazardous waste is taken Friday–Sunday only, so call before a Wednesday or Thursday trip. Closed Monday and Tuesday and on New Year's Day, July 4, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
- Load limits
- 15 gallons or 125 pounds per visit.
- Fees
- Free for households, per the county's transfer station page. Business prices aren't published; ask when you book.
Not taken: ammunition, explosives, asbestos, biohazards, radioactive material, treated wood (charged separately at the station), medications and gas cylinders other than propane. Containers aren't returned. Use the second turn entrance and stop at the gatehouse.
Nevada County: household hazardous waste ↗Nevada County: transfer stations ↗WM: McCourtney Road Transfer Station brochure and rates, 2024-25 (PDF) ↗WM: 2026 Grass Valley collection calendar and service guide (PDF) ↗WM: McCourtney Road Household Hazardous Waste Facility page (older version) ↗PaintCare drop-off site locator ↗
B and C True Value (PaintCare drop-off, Grass Valley)
2032 Nevada City Highway, Grass Valley, CA 95945
- Accepts
- Latex and oil-based house paint, stain and varnish in containers up to 5 gallons.
- Who can use it
- Households and businesses, per PaintCare.
- Hours
- During store hours, per PaintCare. Store hours weren't checked; call ahead to make sure it has room.
- Load limits
- 20 gallons per visit, the largest limit of the three Grass Valley stores PaintCare lists.
- Fees
- Free.
No spray cans, empty cans, or unlabeled or leaking containers. Thinner and other chemicals go to McCourtney Road.
4 PaintCare drop-off sites within 12 miles of Grass Valley.
4 paint stores and 1 hazardous waste site, closest first. Paint stores take house paint, stain and varnish, usually up to a set amount per visit. Hazardous waste sites also take chemicals like thinner, but some only serve local residents. Call before you go.
Rules most stores here share
Who: Households and Businesses in California
Hours: Paint is accepted during regular business hours. Call ahead for hours and to make sure the store can accept the amount and type of paint you would like to recycle.
Products: This site accepts latex and oil-based house paint, stains and varnish in containers up to 5 gallons in size. This site does not accept aerosols (spray paint or other spray products), containers without original labels, or containers that are leaking or empty.
Each listing below shows only what’s different, plus its limit.
B and C True Value
1.5 mi2032 Nevada City Hwy, Grass Valley, CA 95945
- Limits
- Limit: 20 gallons per visit.
Sherwin-Williams
1.6 mi2085 Nevada City Hwy, Grass Valley, CA 95945
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
Knights Paint
1.6 mi1219 Sutton Way, Grass Valley, CA 95945
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
McCourtney Road Transfer Station HHW Facility
4.6 mi14741 Wolf Mountain Rd, Grass Valley, CA 95949
- Who
- Households and VSQG Businesses in Nevada County except Truckee
- Hours
- Households:Wednesday-Sunday 8 am- 3:30 pm. Businesses by appointment. Wednesday-Sunday 8 am - 3:30 pm. Business limit 27 gal per month; call (530) 274-0120
- Limits
- Limit: 15 gallons per visit.
- Products
- This site accepts latex and oil-based house paint, stains and varnish in containers up to 5 gallons in size. This site also takes most other household hazardous waste -- contact the site for details and restrictions. Please do not bring empty, leaking or unlabeled containers. SOME BUSINESSES may use this program by appointment or on special days. Contact the program for details if your paint (or other hazardous waste) is from a business.
Recology Auburn Placer
18.6 mi12305 Shale Ridge Rd, Auburn, CA 95602
- Who
- Households and VSQG Businesses in Placer County
- Hours
- Monday-Friday 8 am - 4 pm
- Limits
- Limit: 15 gallons per visit.
- Products
- This site accepts latex and oil-based house paint, stains and varnish in containers up to 5 gallons in size. This site does not accept aerosols (spray paint or other spray products), containers without original labels, or containers that are leaking. This site will accept empty containers.
From PaintCare’s drop-off map ↗, updated October 6, 2026. Hours and limits are PaintCare’s. Distances are straight-line, not driving.
Which option fits your Grass Valley cleanout?4
Garage cleanout with paint, thinner and spray cans
Take it all to McCourtney Road on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday to be safe. Stay under 15 gallons or 125 pounds, keep labels on, and use the second entrance to the gatehouse.
Ten gallons of leftover latex on a Monday
McCourtney Road is closed Monday. B and C True Value on Nevada City Highway takes up to 20 gallons of house paint during store hours; call first to make sure it has room.
Looking for free primer for a shed
Check the reuse area at the McCourtney Road hazardous waste facility. A Friday to Sunday visit is safest, since the older WM page gives those days. Products are free but stock varies.
Small business with old lacquer and solvents
Call 530-274-0120 and leave a message to book. Bring a bill of lading and your EPA ID number, and stay under 27 gallons a month.
Grass Valley rules and tips5
THE LOCAL ANSWER
Drive paint, thinner and spray cans to McCourtney Road Transfer Station, 14741 Wolf Mountain Rd.; households pay nothing, up to 15 gallons or 125 pounds per visit. The county lists Wednesday–Sunday, 8 a.m.–3:30 p.m., but an older WM page says hazardous waste is Friday–Sunday, so call 530-274-3090 before a midweek trip. House paint alone can go to B and C True Value on Nevada City Highway, up to 20 gallons.
In Grass Valley, in western Nevada County, California, paint and other household chemicals go to the McCourtney Road Transfer Station at 14741 Wolf Mountain Road. Its hazardous waste area is free for households and has a reuse area where you can pick up paint others dropped off. For house paint alone, three Grass Valley stores take it free through PaintCare.
Getting in at McCourtney Road
Use the second turn entrance and stop at the gatehouse; hazardous waste, trash and recycling drop-offs all start there. The hazardous waste area is separate from the trash pit. The station is closed Monday and Tuesday.
Wednesday and Thursday: check first
Nevada County's hazardous waste page and PaintCare say Wednesday through Sunday, and WM's 2026 guide gives those days for the station. An older WM facility page that's still online says hazardous waste is Friday through Sunday and only e-waste midweek. A Friday-to-Sunday visit works under either version.
Free paint from the reuse area
The reuse area at the hazardous waste facility gives away house paint, cleaners and car products that people dropped off, many unopened or nearly full. It's free, but what's there varies. The older WM page says the reuse store is open Friday to Sunday, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Truckee and the outlying stations are different
McCourtney Road serves Grass Valley, Nevada City and the rest of western Nevada County; PaintCare lists it for the county except Truckee, which has its own system. The county's Washington and North San Juan stations take trash and recycling, but their only hazardous items are used oil, filters, bulbs and batteries. Paint isn't on their lists.
Three paint stores in town
PaintCare lists B and C True Value at 2032 Nevada City Hwy. (20 gallons a visit), Sherwin-Williams at 2085 Nevada City Hwy. (5 gallons) and Knights Paint at 1219 Sutton Way (5 gallons). They take house paint, stain and varnish only, no spray cans or thinner.
Free pickup programs and other options
Toward Auburn, PaintCare lists Recology Auburn Placer (Placer County households, 15 gallons, takes empty cans) and stores on Grass Valley Highway in Auburn, including Dunn-Edwards and Sherwin-Williams with 20- and 10-gallon limits. WM curbside carts can't take paint or other hazardous waste. With 100 gallons or more of house paint, ask PaintCare about a free pickup.
Getting your paint ready
Keep products in their original, labeled containers and never mix them. Put them in the trunk or truck bed, away from passengers. Containers aren't given back. Stay under 15 gallons or 125 pounds per trip, and stay in your vehicle at the facility.
Full preparation checklist →Grass Valley questions5
Is the Grass Valley hazardous waste drop-off open on Wednesday?
Nevada County's hazardous waste page says yes, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday. An older WM page says Friday through Sunday for hazardous waste, so call 530-274-3090 before a Wednesday or Thursday visit.
Does it cost anything to drop off paint?
No, household hazardous waste is free at McCourtney Road. Businesses pay and need an appointment.
Can I get free paint in Grass Valley?
Yes, sometimes. The reuse area at the McCourtney Road hazardous waste facility gives away paint and other products. What's there varies.
I live in Truckee. Can I use McCourtney Road?
PaintCare lists McCourtney Road for Nevada County except Truckee. Truckee residents should use the eastern county options in our Truckee guide.
I'm a contractor. Where does my leftover paint go?
PaintCare stores like B and C True Value take house paint from businesses. For McCourtney Road, call 530-274-0120, leave a message, and be ready with a bill of lading and an EPA ID number; PaintCare lists a business limit of 27 gallons a month.
Sources and how we checked10
October 16, 2026: read Nevada County's household hazardous waste, transfer station and McCourtney renovation pages; WM's 2024-25 McCourtney brochure (PDF), its 2026 Grass Valley collection guide (PDF) and an older WM facility page (PDF); and PaintCare's locator data for Grass Valley, Nevada City and Auburn. Conflict: the county, WM's 2026 guide and PaintCare say Wednesday–Sunday; the older WM page says hazardous waste Friday–Sunday only. We tell readers to call before a midweek trip. The county lists Labor Day as a closure; the brochure doesn't. The renovation page's last update (January 2025) says the project is mostly done and mentions no hazardous waste closures. Peer review (Oct. 16): re-read every source. WM's 2026 guide and brochure give Wednesday–Sunday as the whole station's hours, not specifically the hazardous waste area; only the county's hazardous waste page and PaintCare tie those days to hazardous waste. The 27-gallon business limit is from PaintCare, not WM. Search results quoted a WM page saying proof of Nevada County residency is required, but that page now redirects and we couldn't confirm it, so it isn't stated as a rule. No City of Grass Valley paint page was found. Store hours weren't checked.
Checked October 16, 2026 against these sources, not by phone. How we research.
Nevada County: household hazardous waste ↗Nevada County: transfer stations ↗Nevada County: McCourtney Road Transfer Station renovation project ↗WM: McCourtney Road Transfer Station brochure and rates, 2024-25 (PDF) ↗WM: 2026 Grass Valley collection calendar and service guide (PDF) ↗WM: McCourtney Road Household Hazardous Waste Facility page (older version) ↗PaintCare California ↗PaintCare drop-off site locator ↗PaintCare program products ↗PaintCare large-volume pickup ↗
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