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Hammond, IN Trash & Recycling: Bulk Item Disposal (2026)

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

Key Facts

Standard container size
90 or 65 gallons
Excluded from cap
yard waste, appliances, furniture
Penalty basis
city's actual cleanup and disposal cost
Fine for §§ 94.036-94.042 violations
up to $500
Exempt one-time cases
garage/basement cleanout, flood debris
Enforcing department
Hammond Building Department

Summary

Hammond, Indiana's sanitation crews will not pick up garbage or trash that overflows the city's 90- or 65-gallon containers under Hammond Code of Ordinances § 94.036, but yard waste, appliances and furniture are excluded from that cap. Repeat offenders can be billed for the city's cleanup cost.

Excessive amounts of refuse from any location shall be excluded from pickup. Excessive amounts are defined as any garbage, rubbish, or trash which is not contained in the 90 or 65 gallon container but does not include yard waste, appliances, or furniture. When documentation through the use of photographs, citations and previous history/records determines that a property owner repeatedly and consistently discards excessive amounts of refuse which creates a health or safety issue, the city can assess a penalty fee equal to the cost incurred by the city for clean-up and disposal. A property owner will not be assessed a penalty fee for cleaning their property which may result in an occasional excess of debris, i.e. in the event of cleaning a garage or basement, or when a natural disaster such as a flood creates a necessity to discard an unusual amount of debris. ... In those instances where the property owner, builder or contractor has applied for and received a building permit to perform or have performed work on the property, it shall be the determination of the Hammond Building Department as to whether the property owner shall be required to obtain private disposal services (including, but not limited to, a dumpster).

Full Breakdown

036 defines 'excessive amounts' of refuse as any garbage, rubbish or trash that does not fit inside the city's standard 90- or 65-gallon container, and those excess amounts are excluded from regular pickup, though the exclusion specifically does not reach yard waste, appliances or furniture, which the city still collects separately. Before charging anyone, the city documents the problem: photographs, citations and prior history must show that a property repeatedly and consistently sets out excessive refuse creating a health or safety issue before the Hammond Building Department can assess a penalty fee equal to the city's actual cleanup and disposal cost.

A one-time overflow, such as cleaning out a garage or basement, or debris from a flood or other natural disaster, does not trigger a penalty fee. 036(B) also covers construction and demolition work: when a property owner, builder or contractor has a building permit for work on the property, the Building Department decides whether that person must arrange private disposal, including a dumpster, and notes that requirement directly on the building permit and job-site placard at the time it's issued.

Violations & Fines

Repeated excessive-refuse violations documented under § 94.036 draw a penalty fee equal to the city's cost of cleanup and disposal, on top of the general fine of up to $500 for violating §§ 94.036 through 94.042 set by § 94.999(C), with each day treated as a separate offense. A contractor who ignores a Building Department order to obtain private disposal service for permitted work also risks that fee.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will Hammond pick up my furniture or old appliances at the curb?
§ 94.036 excludes yard waste, appliances and furniture from the 'excessive amounts' rule that otherwise blocks pickup of overflow refuse, so those items don't count against the standard container limit the way extra bagged trash does.
What if I have extra trash from cleaning my garage in Hammond?
§ 94.036(A) exempts occasional excess debris from projects like cleaning a garage or basement, or cleanup after a flood or other natural disaster, from any penalty fee, even though it exceeds your 90- or 65-gallon container.
Can Hammond charge me for repeatedly setting out too much trash?
Yes. Once photographs, citations and prior history document that you repeatedly and consistently discard excessive refuse creating a health or safety issue, § 94.036 lets the city assess a penalty fee equal to its actual cleanup and disposal cost.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Hammond

All Hammond rules

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