Boca Raton, FL Trash & Recycling: Bulk Item Disposal (2026)
Key Facts
- Set-out window
- No earlier than 24 hrs before pickup
- Deadline
- By 7:00 a.m. on collection day
- Clearance required
- 10 ft from utilities, hydrants, mailboxes
- Funding
- Sanitation enterprise fund, § 14-12
- Default penalty
- Up to $500 fine or 60 days jail
Summary
Boca Raton collects bulk waste like appliances and furniture curbside under Chapter 14, but only if it is set out no more than 24 hours before pickup and kept clear of utilities, hydrants, and mailboxes.
"Bulk waste" shall mean non-vegetative items which cannot be containerized, bagged or bundled, including but not limited to, inoperative and discarded refrigerators, ranges, pool heaters, water softeners, pianos, washers, dryers, water heaters, bicycles, and other similar appliance, household goods, furniture, and crates. ... All bulk waste shall be placed for collection in the swale at the paved edge of the right-of-way no earlier than 24 hours prior to collection and no later than 7:00 a.m. on the scheduled collection day. Any person placing bulk waste and vegetative waste for collection shall ensure that such placement is not under any overhead utility or within 10 feet of any ground level or aboveground level utility, fire hydrant, mailbox, tree, shrub, bush or other obstruction or hazard.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 72 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Section 14-1 defines "bulk waste" as non-vegetative items too large to containerize, bag, or bundle, expressly listing inoperative refrigerators, ranges, pool heaters, water softeners, pianos, washers, dryers, water heaters, bicycles, and similar appliances, household goods, furniture, and crates. on the collection day itself. Whoever sets the material out, whether the property owner or a contractor doing work at the property, must keep it clear of overhead utility lines and at least 10 feet from any ground-level or above-ground utility equipment, fire hydrant, mailbox, tree, shrub, or other obstruction.
Section 14-11(3) puts the responsibility on the property owner even when a hired contractor generates the bulk waste, requiring the owner to ensure it is properly disposed of under the article. The city funds this service through the sanitation enterprise fund established in Section 14-12, with a sanitation fee charged against every residential dwelling unit for bulk waste, vegetative waste, and recyclable material collection alongside regular solid waste pickup, all set by council resolution and published in the Municipal Facilities and Services User Fee Schedule.
Violations & Fines
Placing bulk waste in the right-of-way outside the allowed 24-hour window, or leaving it within 10 feet of a utility, hydrant, or mailbox, violates Chapter 14. No dedicated fine is listed for this specific placement rule, so the Code's general penalty at Section 1-16 applies: up to a $500.00 fine, up to 60 days imprisonment, or both, with continuing violations charged daily.
Frequently Asked Questions
How early can I put bulk waste out at the curb in Boca Raton?
What counts as bulk waste under the city code?
Can I stack bulk items next to a fire hydrant for pickup?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Boca Raton
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Boca Raton to another location·View the Florida trash & recycling overview
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Bulk Item Disposal in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Palm Beach County handle bulk item disposal.