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Solano County, CA Trash & Recycling: Bulk Item Disposal (2026)

Light Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Definition section
Solano County Code § 23-12
Self-haul allowance
Solano County Code § 23-31.2(b)
Bulky waste examples
Appliances, furniture, auto parts, stumps
Exclusive service areas
Areas A through E
Condition on self-haul
Must comply with state and local law

Summary

Solano County defines bulky waste as oversized items like appliances, furniture, large auto parts and tree stumps that don't fit in a wheeled cart, and it lets residents in the exclusive service areas haul their own bulky items rather than use the contracted hauler.

City-specific rules exist: Vacaville, Vallejo, and Fairfield have their own bulk item disposal rules that differ from Solano County's county-level regulations. If you live in one of those cities, check the city-specific page instead.

Bulky waste means large items of solid waste, recyclables and green waste such as appliances, furniture, large auto parts, tree stumps, and other oversize wastes whose large size precludes placement into wheeled containers, bins, or cans provided by the Contractor or homeowner. ... Nothing contained in this chapter shall be construed to prevent or prohibit any resident in Service Areas A-E from taking, hauling, transporting and disposing of any bulky waste or solid waste, recyclable and green waste material created by occupants or visitors of the household or business provided disposal is in accordance with state and local law.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 1868, passed April 9, 2026).

Full Breakdown

Section 23-12 defines 'Bulky waste' as large items of solid waste, recyclables and green waste, including appliances, furniture, large auto parts, tree stumps and other oversize wastes whose large size precludes placement into the wheeled containers, bins or cans the contractor or homeowner normally uses. 2 establishes an exclusive service agreement for Service Areas A through E: once the county has an exclusive contract in force, it is unlawful for anyone other than that contractor's employees to collect or transport solid waste, recyclables or green waste in those areas.

Subsection (b) of that same section carves out bulky waste specifically, along with other self-generated solid waste, recyclables and green waste: a resident of Service Areas A-E may take, haul, transport and dispose of bulky waste created by the household or its visitors on their own, as long as the disposal complies with state and local law, without violating the exclusivity granted to the contractor. In practice that means a homeowner can load an old couch or a broken appliance into a truck and take it to an approved disposal site directly, rather than being forced to wait for or pay the franchised hauler for a special bulky pickup.

Applications for a collection permit under Section 23-35 likewise have to identify vehicles and equipment adequate to handle bulky waste alongside routine solid waste, recyclables and green waste.

Violations & Fines

Collecting or transporting another household's bulky waste for hire within an exclusive service area without holding the county's collection permit and contract violates Section 23-31.2(a). Self-hauling bulky waste generated on one's own property is expressly permitted under Section 23-31.2(b) so long as disposal complies with state and local law.

Frequently Asked Questions

What counts as bulky waste in unincorporated Solano County?
Section 23-12 defines bulky waste as large items such as appliances, furniture, large auto parts, tree stumps and other oversize items whose size keeps them from fitting into the wheeled containers, bins or cans provided by the contractor or the homeowner.
Can I haul my own old furniture to the dump instead of using the county hauler?
Yes. Section 23-31.2(b) lets a resident of Service Areas A through E take, haul, transport and dispose of bulky waste generated by the household or its visitors without violating the contractor's exclusive service agreement, as long as disposal follows state and local law.
Does the county's exclusive hauler contract cover bulky item pickup?
It can, but residents are not locked into it for self-generated bulky waste. Section 23-31.2(a) makes it unlawful for anyone but the contracted hauler to collect solid waste in the exclusive areas, while (b) specifically exempts a household's own bulky waste hauling.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Solano County

All Solano County rules

California rules heatmap·Compare Solano County to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview

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