Houston Heavy Trash Pickup 2024 Schedule and Guidelines

To stay on top of your Houston heavy trash pickup schedule, it's essential to know the guidelines and rules.

The City of Houston's heavy trash pickup is available to residents with a scheduled pickup date, which can be found on the city's website or by contacting the Solid Waste Management Department.

Residents are allowed to put out a maximum of 2 heavy trash items per pickup, and each item must weigh no more than 50 pounds.

Make sure to follow the designated collection days and times, as collection vehicles will only stop at designated collection points.

Heavy trash days are weekly, on Friday. A rear-load truck with a crew will pick up larger items and yard waste that will not fit into your cart on regular collection days.

You can put out yard waste, bulky waste, and bundles on heavy trash days. Trees, shrubs, brush trimmings, and fencing must be bundled in lengths no greater than 4 feet with no branch diameter exceeding 2 inches, and not to exceed 35 pounds.

All grass clippings and leaves must be bagged for pickup. Bush and tree trimmings cut in lengths not to exceed 4 feet, no greater than 2 inches in diameter, securely tied in bundles, not to exceed 35 lbs, are also acceptable heavy trash items.

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Heavy Pickup Days are scheduled according to the type of waste you have. Tree waste like tree limbs, branches, and stumps are picked up once a month during odd numbered months.

You can check which day your heavy trash pickup is by visiting the designated website. To find your specific pickup day, go here.

Tree waste pickup happens during January, March, May, July, September, and November. If you have junk waste like furniture or appliances, it's collected during even numbered months.

You can drop off tree or junk waste at your Neighborhood Depository/Recycling Center if you need to get rid of it before your designated pickup day.

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Heavy yard waste can be a challenge to manage, but there are specific guidelines to follow.

Heavy trash days are weekly on Friday, when a rear-load truck with a crew will pick up larger items and yard waste that won't fit into your regular cart.

Trees, shrubs, and brush trimmings must be bundled in lengths not exceeding 4 feet, with no branch diameter greater than 2 inches, and weighing no more than 35 pounds. This bundling is necessary for quick pickup and to avoid damaging equipment in the crushing process.

Up to 6 bags or bundles of yard waste can be collected per day. It's essential to bag grass clippings and leaves.

Some items, like refrigerators, must have Freon drained and be tagged by a certified technician. Hot water heaters need to be drained, and live Christmas trees should have ornaments, tinsel, and lights removed.

Comments from residents about the Heavy Collection Schedule have been a common issue. Marcia Sterling asked for a "Tree waste/Junk waste" calendar for her zip code in 2012, but unfortunately, it's not available.

Some residents have had trouble finding the Heavy Trash Removal Calendar. Tracie Hammelman, who lives in Houston, TX 77009, couldn't find the schedule in 2015, and Helen Lane, who lives on Ramada Dr, had to ask for the specific day of the month and time for tree waste pickup.

Frequent issues with pickup dates have been reported. Fred said he looked at four different sites but couldn't find the schedule for heavy trash pickup, and Barbara Keener reported that despite contacting 311, her heavy trash items were not picked up on the scheduled date of April 5th in 2017.

Residents have also had trouble figuring out their trash service schedule. Wayne Tyler asked how to find out if he's scheduled for A or B pickup in the 77336 area in 2019, and Katie Stockham, who moved to a new address in 77385, couldn't find her trash service using the interactive map.

There have been complaints about missed pickups as well. Carolyn Hausen said her recycle can had not been picked up for several weeks in 2024, despite seeing other green cans being emptied in her neighborhood.

Heavy trash pickup in Houston can be a bit tricky, but don't worry, I've got you covered. Bundled yard waste is acceptable, as long as it's tied in lengths no greater than 4 feet with no branch diameter exceeding 2 inches, and doesn't weigh more than 35 pounds.

You can put out up to 2 appliances or bulky items per collection day, and up to 6 bags or bundles of yard waste. Refrigerators must have their Freon drained and tagged by a certified technician before being placed on the curb.

Furniture is also acceptable, but make sure to empty grills of ash or briquettes. Live Christmas trees are okay too, as long as ornaments, tinsel, and lights are removed.

Here's a list of acceptable items: