Clearwater, FL Trash & Recycling: Bulk Item Disposal (2026)
Key Facts
- Contractor debris duty
- Contractor must remove own job debris
- First infraction fee
- Removal cost plus up to $200
- Second infraction
- Possible loss of occupational license
- White goods rule
- Doors removed or secured before pickup
- Set-out window
- No more than 24 hours early
Summary
Clearwater's bulk and large-item pickup rules sit in City Code Sec. 32.282. Tree surgeons, landscapers and lawn services must haul away their own job debris rather than dump it curbside, doors on discarded refrigerators and other white goods must be removed or secured before set-out, and any bulk item can go to the curb no more than 24 hours ahead of the scheduled truck.
(1)It is the responsibility of all tree surgeons, nurseries, lawn care services and landscaping contractors, or any individual or company doing work on private property, to remove from the premises all residue and rubbish resulting from said work. Failure to comply will result in a fine in the amount of not less than the existing cost for removal plus an administrative fee not to exceed $200.00, for the first infraction. A second infraction may result in the loss of the occupational license.(2)All white goods' doors must be removed or secured before being set out for collection.(3)Items for collection should be placed out no earlier than 24 hours in advance of a scheduled pick-up and should not present a health or safety hazard to the general public.
Full Breakdown
Sec. 282 governs large-item and contractor debris collection separately from routine weekly garbage. Any tree surgeon, nursery, lawn care service, landscaping contractor, or other individual or company doing work on private property is personally responsible for removing all residue and rubbish that job generates; the city does not haul it away as part of standard residential service. 00 for a first infraction, and a second infraction can cost the company its occupational license to operate in Clearwater. For large appliances, so-called 'white goods' such as refrigerators, freezers, washers and dryers, the doors must be removed or securely fastened shut before the unit goes out for pickup, a life-safety measure tied to the same door-removal rule that appears again in the container-preparation section, Sec.
280(1)(e). Whatever the item, residents cannot stage bulk debris at the curb more than 24 hours before their scheduled collection day, and whatever is set out cannot create a health or safety hazard for people passing by. This dovetails with Sec. 275, which separately bars construction and demolition material, hazardous waste, and similar prohibited items from any bulk or regular set-out; a certificate of occupancy cannot issue on a construction job until that material is removed by the owner or contractor.
Violations & Fines
A contractor or property owner who abandons job debris pays the city's actual removal cost plus up to a $200.00 administrative fee on the first offense; a second offense risks revocation of the company's occupational license under Sec. 32.282(1). Setting bulk items out more than 24 hours early, leaving appliance doors unsecured, or creating a public hazard can also draw a code enforcement notice of violation under Sec. 32.276.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has to clean up debris after a landscaping job in Clearwater?
Do I need to do anything to my old refrigerator before it's picked up?
How early can I put a bulk item like an old couch at the curb?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Clearwater
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Bulk Item Disposal in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Pinellas County handle bulk item disposal.