A public resource guide
No appointment. Heavy trash is collected every other month on your assigned day; look up your address with the city's service lookup tool or the HTX Collects app.
Checked October 2026 against official city sources · Maintained by Freemoval as a public resource
Houston has one of the more complex bulk pickup systems in the U.S., and it changed materially in March 2026: heavy trash now requires a 311 scheduling call. Combined with the alternating Tree Waste / Junk Waste cycle and the six free Neighborhood Depository & Recycling Centers, Houston residents have several legitimate options. This page walks through every one in order from free to paid.
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Houston residents have free heavy trash pickup (now scheduled via 311 as of March 2026), six free Neighborhood Depository & Recycling Centers, and donation pickup programs. The City of Houston Solid Waste Management Department serves single-family homes and small multi-family properties (8 units or fewer) inside Houston city limits.
Heavy trash pickup (NEW: scheduled via 311)
Free with serviceHouston's heavy trash program alternates monthly: Tree Waste in odd months (January, March, May, July, September, November), and Junk Waste / Bulk in even months (February, April, June, August, October, December). As of March 2, 2026, residents must call 311 to schedule pickup, pickup happens within a 5-business-day window after scheduling.
Eligibility: Houston residential customers in single-family homes and multi-family properties of 8 units or fewer (inside city limits).
New scheduling rule (March 2026): Call 311 to schedule. Pickup happens within 5 business days. Items left out without scheduling may not be collected and could result in fines.
Tree Waste months: Odd months (Jan, Mar, May, Jul, Sep, Nov). Tree limbs only, max 4 feet long, must be in piles.
Junk Waste / Bulk months: Even months (Feb, Apr, Jun, Aug, Oct, Dec). Furniture, appliances, mattresses, and other bulk items.
Set-out window: 6 PM Friday before scheduled pickup to 7 AM the day of pickup.
Volume limits: 8 cubic yards maximum per set-out. Building materials up to 4 cubic yards (no shingles, brick, plaster, or concrete).
Refrigerators: Only accepted with a refrigerant-removal tag from a certified technician.
Fines for violations: $50-$2,000 first offender; $250-$2,000 for repeat violations.
Neighborhood Depository & Recycling Centers
Free for residentsHouston operates six free Neighborhood Depository & Recycling Centers (NDRCs) where residents can drop off bulk items, yard waste, recyclables, and tires. Plus several Environmental Service Centers (ESCs) for household hazardous waste.
Number of locations: Six NDRCs spread across Houston. Locations and hours at houstontx.gov/solidwaste.
What's accepted: Bulk items, yard waste, recyclables, tires, electronics, scrap metal.
What you need: Proof of Houston residency (utility bill, ID).
Useful for: Items between heavy trash months, items beyond the 8 cubic yard limit, residents who don't want to wait for the scheduled pickup window.
Freemoval (free pickups through partner organizations)
FreeFreemoval funds free junk removal and cleanouts for households referred by trusted partner organizations, such as nonprofits, housing programs, and senior services. Families don’t apply directly. A partner submits the request and vouches for the need.
Status in Houston: Not yet available. Freemoval currently serves metro Atlanta and plans to expand nationwide.
How it works where it operates: One free pickup per household, for junk removal and cleanouts within standard LoadUp marketplace service. Funded by LoadUp customer round-ups and direct contributions, spent at standard LoadUp rates.
If you run a nonprofit or housing program in Houston: you can start the conversation now through the For partners page.
Donation-pickup programs
FreeHouston-area nonprofits offer free pickup for items in usable condition.
The Salvation Army: Free pickup of clothing, furniture, household items. Schedule at satruck.org or call 1-800-SA-TRUCK.
Habitat for Humanity ReStore: Multiple Houston-area locations. Pickup for furniture, appliances, building materials.
Goodwill Houston: Donation pickup for larger items. Visit goodwillhouston.org.
Weekly trash collection. Houston single-family homes receive weekly garbage pickup. Look up your day at houstontx.gov/solidwaste or call 311.
Heavy trash alternation. Houston's most distinctive program: heavy trash pickup alternates monthly between Tree Waste (odd months, Jan, Mar, May, Jul, Sep, Nov) and Junk Waste / Bulk (even months, Feb, Apr, Jun, Aug, Oct, Dec). This alternation is critical: putting bulk items out during a Tree Waste month means they won't be picked up.
Major change effective March 2, 2026. Houston now requires residents to call 311 to schedule heavy trash pickup. Pickup happens within a 5-business-day window after scheduling. Items left out without scheduling may not be collected and could result in fines ($50-$2,000 for first offenders, $250-$2,000 for repeat violations).
Volume and material limits. 8 cubic yards maximum per set-out. Building material up to 4 cubic yards (no shingles, brick, plaster, or concrete). Refrigerators only accepted with a refrigerant-removal tag from a certified technician.
Multi-family limit. Service is available to residential properties up to 8 units. Larger apartment buildings (more than 8 units) must arrange private hauling.
Solid Waste Department. 611 Walker, 12th Floor, Houston TX 77002. Call 311 for service requests, or visit houstontx.gov/solidwaste for locations and rules.
Outside city limits. Many areas labeled “Houston” (Pasadena, Sugar Land, Pearland, etc.) are separate municipalities with their own waste programs. Check your specific city.
Houston's donation programs accept items in good usable condition: clean upholstered furniture without significant tears or stains, working appliances less than 10 years old, mattresses in good condition (subject to program-specific rules), kitchenware, lamps, and most household goods.
Items typically not accepted: damaged or stained furniture, mattresses with bedbug history or significant wear, appliances that don't work, particle-board furniture in poor condition, cribs (federal safety regulations have changed), and exercise equipment that requires reassembly. Always call before scheduling if you're unsure, pickups that find unacceptable items will leave them behind.
For households who can't wait for the next scheduled heavy trash window, have items the city won't take, or live outside Houston city limits, paid options range from neighborhood drop-off (still free) to professional haulers.
LoadUp paid pickup
$80+For households who need same-week service, have items the city won't take, or have more than 8 cubic yards, LoadUp offers professional removal in Houston with upfront pricing. Independent loaders in the marketplace handle pickup, loading, and licensed disposal.
What's included: Loading, hauling, and licensed disposal. No prep needed beyond pointing out what goes.
Pricing: Starts around $80 for a single item; full-truck pickups range from $300 to $600 depending on volume.
Other paid services in Houston: 1-800-Got-Junk, College Hunks Hauling Junk, Junk King, comparison-shop for larger jobs.
If you can pay for a pickup, your booking helps fund free pickups for someone else. Every paid LoadUp customer can opt in to round up at checkout, and 100% of round-ups go directly to Freemoval’s subsidized jobs.
Book a Houston pickup with LoadUp → Round-up option appears at checkout. Optional, opt-in only.
Different items have different rules in Houston. Here's a quick reference for the most common things people need to dispose of.
Houston operates several Environmental Service Centers (ESCs) that accept household hazardous waste from city residents at no charge. Bring your latest utility bill and ID. Locations and hours at houstontx.gov/solidwaste. Several retailers offer ongoing free recycling: Home Depot for batteries and CFL bulbs, AutoZone for motor oil and car batteries, Best Buy for electronics, and most pharmacies for unused medications.
To report illegal dumping in Houston, call 311 or use the Houston 311 mobile app. Reports can also be filed at houstontx.gov. Include the location, description of dumped material, and a photo if possible. Houston takes illegal dumping seriously: fines for residents range from $50 to $2,000 for first offenders and $250 to $2,000 for repeat violations, in many cases more than the cost of paid hauling. The Solid Waste Management Department investigates chronic dumping locations through code enforcement. If you're considering dumping because you can't afford a haul, please use the free heavy trash pickup or one of the six free Neighborhood Depository & Recycling Centers.
Each guide below takes the Houston rules on this page and adds item-specific prep, donation standards, and the free routes that exist outside city programs: mattress, couch, refrigerator, washer and dryer, furniture, tv and electronics, dresser, bed frame and box spring, dishwasher, air conditioner, water heater, hot tub, piano, tires, exercise equipment, desk and office furniture, patio furniture, pool table, carpet and rugs, grill, trampoline and playset, lawn mower, scrap metal, construction debris, yard waste, toilet, bathtub, and sink, moving boxes and cardboard.
Is there really free junk removal in Houston?
Yes, Houston offers free heavy trash pickup that alternates monthly between Tree Waste (odd months) and Junk Waste / Bulk (even months). As of March 2, 2026, residents must call 311 to schedule pickup, with collection happening within a 5-business-day window. Houston also operates six free Neighborhood Depository & Recycling Centers where residents can drop off bulk items, yard waste, and electronics. Donation pickup through Salvation Army, Habitat ReStore, and Goodwill is also free for usable items.
How does Houston's alternating heavy trash pickup work?
Houston alternates heavy trash pickup monthly. Tree Waste months are odd months: January, March, May, July, September, and November, only tree limbs (max 4 feet long, in piles) are accepted. Junk Waste / Bulk months are even months: February, April, June, August, October, and December, furniture, appliances, mattresses, and other bulk items are accepted. Putting bulk items out during a Tree Waste month means they won’t be collected.
Do I really need to call 311 to schedule heavy trash now?
Yes, this is a major change effective March 2, 2026. Houston now requires residents to call 311 (or use the Houston 311 app) to schedule heavy trash pickup. Pickup happens within a 5-business-day window after scheduling. Items left out without scheduling may not be collected and could result in fines: $50-$2,000 for first offenders, $250-$2,000 for repeat violations.
How do I dispose of a refrigerator in Houston?
Houston only accepts refrigerators in heavy trash pickup if they have a refrigerant-removal tag from a certified technician (federal EPA Section 608 requirement). Without the tag, the refrigerator will not be picked up. Options: hire a certified technician to remove refrigerant and tag the unit ($30-$80); use a paid hauler like LoadUp that handles the certification; or ask your appliance retailer about free haul-away with new appliance delivery.
How do I qualify for Freemoval in Houston?
Freemoval is not yet available in Houston. It currently serves metro Atlanta and plans to expand nationwide. Where it operates, it works through partner organizations rather than direct applications: a nonprofit, housing program, or caseworker submits the request and vouches for the need, so there is no income paperwork. If you work at a nonprofit or housing program in Houston, you can start the conversation through the For partners page.
Why doesn't my apartment building have heavy trash pickup?
Houston’s heavy trash service is available only to residential properties of 8 units or fewer. Larger apartment buildings, condominiums, and commercial properties must arrange private hauling. This means many Houston renters in mid-size and large complexes have no city-provided bulk service. This gap is exactly why Freemoval exists: residents of multi-family low-income housing often have the fewest free options.
How do I report illegal dumping in Houston?
Call 311 or use the Houston 311 mobile app. Reports can also be filed at houstontx.gov. Include location, description of dumped material, and a photo if possible. Fines for residents range from $50 to $2,000 for first offenders and $250 to $2,000 for repeat violations.
Is this page maintained?
Yes. Freemoval maintains this page as a public resource. We update it when programs change rules, fees, or contact methods. Last checked October 2026. If you find outdated information, let us know.
Freemoval currently serves metro Atlanta and plans to expand nationwide. Reach out now to start the conversation before the program reaches Houston.
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