Drop it off free
The closest drop-off sites to San Francisco:
- Sherwin-WilliamsPaint store29.7 mi
- Recology of the Coast ABOPPaint store30.1 mi
- Fairfax LumberPaint store30.1 mi
San Francisco, CA Paint Disposal
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All drop-off locations in and near San Francisco2
Start with these
Recology San Francisco HHW Facility
501 Tunnel Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94134; enter on Recycle Road
- Accepts
- Latex and oil-based house paint, plus other household chemicals the site takes.
- Who can use it
- San Francisco residents only. Small businesses book the very small business program at 415-330-1425.
- Hours
- Thursday–Saturday, 8 a.m.–4 p.m. Closed holidays.
- Load limits
- 15 gallons total of paint, oil and other chemicals combined.
- Fees
- Free for San Francisco households. Businesses pay separately.
The transfer station is open longer than the hazardous waste area. Businesses need a California EPA ID before booking.
Cole Hardware Polk Street paint take-back
2254 Polk St, San Francisco, CA
- Accepts
- House paint, primer, stain and clear finish, latex or oil, in original cans.
- Who can use it
- The city lists it for residents only, no business waste. Businesses need another service.
- Hours
- The city list gives no drop-off hours. Call first.
- Load limits
- The city list says 5 gallons a day. Cans 5 gallons or less.
- Fees
- No charge for PaintCare paint.
Needs the label and a tight lid. No leaking or empty cans, thinner, aerosols or industrial paint. Call ahead about space.
The closest PaintCare drop-off sites to San Francisco.
5 paint stores and 0 hazardous waste sites, 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.
Sherwin-Williams
29.7 mi1503A Sloat Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94132
- Limits
- Limit: 20 gallons per visit.
Recology of the Coast ABOP
30.1 mi1046 Palmetto Ave, Pacifica, CA 94044
- Who
- Households Only (No Businesses) in Pacifica Montara-Miramar
- Hours
- Tuesday, Thursday, 8am - 4pm, Saturday 7am - 2pm
- Limits
- Limit: 5 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.
Fairfax Lumber
30.1 mi109 Broadway Blvd, Fairfax, CA 94930
- Limits
- Limit: 20 gallons per visit.
Creative Paint
30.5 mi5435 Geary Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94121
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
Dunn-Edwards
30.8 mi2201 Junipero Serra Blvd, Daly City, CA 94014
- Limits
- Limit: 20 gallons per visit.
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 San Francisco cleanout?3
A few labeled cans near Russian Hill
The city lists Cole Hardware at 2254 Polk Street for residents, up to 5 gallons a day. Call 415-200-3370 about hours and space. It's paint only; thinner needs the hazardous waste service.
You can't move the chemicals yourself
Call 415-330-1405 for free home pickup. Pickups are Wednesday–Saturday mornings, and someone must be home. Give your contact details and a list of items, and book before you carry anything outside.
You handle waste from a painting business
Recology screens San Francisco businesses that make under 27 gallons (220 pounds) of hazardous waste a month. You need a state EPA ID before booking. Drop-off is every other Wednesday, 8–11:30 a.m. Call 415-330-1425 to qualify, book and get a price. Free household rules don't cover business waste.
San Francisco rules and tips2
THE LOCAL ANSWER
San Francisco residents can drop paint at a neighborhood shop, book free home pickup, or go to Recology's Tunnel Avenue hazardous waste site. You don't have to drive.
San Francisco residents can use a neighborhood paint shop, the Tunnel Avenue site or home pickup, depending on how much they have.
A small amount of house paint
The city's paint list shows shops taking up to five gallons a day, and no business waste. Call the shop first.
More than just paint
Tunnel Avenue takes more kinds of chemicals. Enter on Recycle Road, and go by hazardous waste hours, not the transfer station's seven-day hours.
Free pickup programs and other options
SF Environment lists free home pickup of household hazardous waste through Recology. Call 415-330-1405 to check what they take and when. For a lot of paint, PaintCare may also pick it up free.
Getting your paint ready
Keep cans closed and note which are latex and which are oil. Other chemicals count toward the site's liquid limit.
Full preparation checklist →San Francisco questions2
Can a business use a neighborhood paint shop?
No. The city list excludes business waste. Contact the very small business program or a PaintCare site that takes business paint.
Is the hazardous waste site open Sunday?
No. It's open Thursday–Saturday, even though the transfer station opens Sundays.
Sources and how we checked6
PaintCare usually serves businesses, but the city lists these shops for households only, so we follow the city. Cole Hardware's drop-off hours are unconfirmed.
Checked October 4, 2026 against these sources, not by phone. How we research.
