Austin, TX Hurricane Preparedness: Storm Debris (2026)
Key Facts
- Pile size
- One row, up to 15' x 15', stacked no higher than 4 feet
- Set-out deadline
- At the curb, not an alley, by 6:30 a.m. on first collection day
- How to stack
- Loose, cut ends facing the street, never tied into bundles
- Accepted size
- Brush 5' to 15' long; branches 3" to 8" in diameter
- Storm fee relief
- Director can waive extra trash fees after a significant storm event
- Who is covered
- City of Austin residential curbside customers only
- Rule maker
- Director of Austin Resource Recovery
Summary
Austin Resource Recovery collects storm-downed limbs as brush when residents stack them to Administrative Rule 7.8: one row inside a 15 by 15 foot area, no higher than 4 feet, cut ends facing the street, set out at the curb by 6:30 a.m. on the first collection day. Under Rule 6.3.11 the Director can waive extra trash fees after a natural disaster or significant storm event.
7.8.3 ... All items intended for collection must be set out at the curb, not in an alleyway, by the first day of collection at 6:30 a.m. 7.8.4 Brush must be confined to one row, in an area no larger than 15' x 15', and stacked no higher than 4 feet. 7.8.5 Brush must be stacked loosely with cut ends facing the street. It must not be tied into bundles nor extend into the street or sidewalk. 7.8.6 Items must not be set under low hanging electrical wires, basketball goals or low hanging trees. 7.8.7 Items must not cover or block access to mailboxes, water meters, or be leaned against telephone connection boxes. ... 7.8.8 The Director may impose restrictions on the collection and/or quantities of certain items to protect departmental employees, or based on equipment limitations. 7.8.9 Items collected at the curb include brush and tree limbs that are too large to be included in the organics collection, brush (5' to 15' long), branches (3" to 8" in diameter and 5' to 15' long). ... 6.3.11 The Director reserves the right to waive extra trash fees in the event of a natural disaster or significant storm event.
Full Breakdown
Austin handles storm debris through the Austin Resource Recovery (ARR) brush program, governed by Rules 7.8 and 6.3 of the Administrative Rules adopted under City Code Chapter 15-6. The brush rules apply to City of Austin residential customers only (7.8.1). Households without City curbside collection are outside them unless a separate annexation agreement says otherwise.
Scheduling: The Director of ARR decides how often brush collections and any special collections run, and customers are notified in advance when one is scheduled in their neighborhood (7.8.2). Section 4.2.3.5 sets a floor of two collections per calendar year. Crews work Monday through Friday in each neighborhood, except holidays, and every item must be at the curb, not in an alleyway, by 6:30 a.m. on the first day of collection (7.8.3).
Stacking standards: Brush must be confined to one row, in an area no larger than 15 feet by 15 feet, and stacked no higher than 4 feet (7.8.4). It goes out loose with the cut ends facing the street. It must not be tied into bundles and must not extend into the street or sidewalk (7.8.5). Piles cannot sit under low hanging electrical wires, basketball goals or low hanging trees (7.8.6), and they cannot cover or block mailboxes or water meters or lean against telephone connection boxes (7.8.7).
What the brush crew takes: Brush and tree limbs too large for the organics collection, meaning brush 5 to 15 feet long and branches 3 to 8 inches in diameter and 5 to 15 feet long (7.8.9). Bulk items and household hazardous waste are not collected at the curb with brush (7.8.10). Pieces shorter than 5 feet and smaller than 3 inches in diameter are bundled, tied and set out for organics collection on the normal service day (7.8.11).
Storm relief: Rule 6.3.11 reserves to the Director the right to waive extra trash fees in the event of a natural disaster or significant storm event. Extra Trash Stickers do not apply to scheduled bulk or brush pickup (6.3.3), so a compliant brush pile needs no sticker.
Violations & Fines
Rule 7.8 sets no fine schedule for a brush pile. The standards are written as requirements: a pile under wires, blocking a meter or mailbox, tied into bundles, or placed in an alley does not meet Rule 7.8. The Director can also restrict the collection or quantity of certain items to protect employees or because of equipment limits (7.8.8). Separately, extra trash outside the cart without a sticker is collected with an additional fee for each bag or item (6.3.4).
Frequently Asked Questions
When does storm brush have to be at the curb in Austin?
How big can my brush pile be?
Can I tie storm limbs into bundles for the brush crew?
Will Austin waive extra trash fees after a big storm?
What does the brush crew leave behind?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Austin
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Austin to another location·View the Texas hurricane preparedness overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.