Houston bulk trash pickup: schedule, rules & how to schedule
Houston picks up heavy trash (bulk and tree waste) every other month for homes that get city curbside service. You do not make an appointment — look up your assigned day and set items out in even-numbered months.
Scheduled pickupFree or included
How pickup works
| Type | Every other month, no appointment |
| Schedule | Collected in even-numbered months (February, April, June, August, October and December) on your assigned day. Eligible addresses get up to six curbside collections per calendar year. Look up your day with the city's schedule tool or the HTX Collects app. |
| Limits | Maximum 8 cubic yards per set-out (about the size of a minivan). Up to 4 cubic yards of resident-generated building material may be collected (no shingles, brick, plaster or concrete). |
| Cost | Included for occupied residential units that receive City of Houston curbside service. |
| Who is eligible | Occupied residential units receiving City of Houston services. Not available to multi-residential buildings with more than eight units. |
| How to set items out | Place items just behind the curb between 6 p.m. the Friday before and 7 a.m. on your scheduled collection day. Do not mix accepted and unaccepted items — the whole pile may be refused. |
How to book
No appointment needed. Look up your assigned day online or in the HTX Collects app. Call 311 if you need help.
Houston Heavy Trash Collection →Phone: 311
What they accept
Usually accepted
- Household furniture (couches, tables, dressers)
- Carpet (secure or bundle it)
- Mattresses and box springs
- Toilets
- Bicycles and toys
- Appliances: stoves, washers, dryers, water heaters
- Refrigerators and freezers only with a certified technician's tag showing refrigerant has been removed
- Tree limbs and shrubbery (pieces no more than 8 inches across or 10 feet long)
- Up to 4 passenger tires
Usually not accepted
- Household garbage
- Electronics
- Paint, chemicals and household hazardous waste
- Dirt, sod or soil
- Roofing materials or shingles
- Appliances that still contain gas, chemicals or coolant (unless tagged)
- Contractor-generated construction or demolition debris
Mattresses
Accepted.
Appliances (including Freon)
Stoves, washers, dryers and water heaters are accepted. Refrigerators and freezers need a certified technician's tag showing the refrigerant has been removed.
Tires
You may place up to 4 passenger tires at the curb. Crews separate tires from the rest of the pile; it may take up to a week after the main collection to pick them up.
E-waste
Do not set out electronics or household hazardous waste for heavy trash. Take them to an Environmental Service Center.
If you would rather drop it off
Between heavy-trash months, or if you are over the curbside limit, use a city Residential Drop-Off Center (proof of address required). See FindMyDump for those sites.
Find official landfills, transfer stations and drop-off centers in Houston on FindMyDump: Houston dumps and drop-off sites.