Miami-Dade County, FL Trash & Recycling: Bulk Item Disposal (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- County Code § 15-16
- Bulky waste size limit
- Under 1 cubic yard
- Curbside placement
- Only after scheduling pickup
- Department won't haul
- C&D debris, dirt, rock, vegetation
- Scope
- UMSA + contracting municipalities only
Summary
Miami-Dade County's Department of Solid Waste Management won't collect bulky waste from the curb until you first schedule a pickup, and it never hauls construction debris, dirt, rock, or vegetation cut before a certificate of occupancy issues.
The Department shall not be responsible for collecting or hauling discarded building material, construction and demolition debris, dirt or rock, nor shall it be responsible for collecting or hauling trees, bushes or other vegetation cut on private property before a certificate of occupancy is issued. Bulky waste shall not be permitted at curbside until advance arrangements have been made with the Department for its removal.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 135).
Full Breakdown
Under County Code § 15-16, bulky waste, appliances, furniture, yard trash, crates, cardboard and similar large discarded items under one cubic yard, cannot be set at curbside until the resident makes advance arrangements with the Department for its removal. The Department is otherwise responsible for bulky waste but expressly will not collect discarded building material, construction and demolition debris, dirt or rock, nor vegetation cut on private property before a certificate of occupancy issues; removing that material is the owner, occupant, operator or contractor's job. These rules apply where the County's Department actually provides collection, unincorporated Miami-Dade County (UMSA) and any municipality contracting with the County, not cities that run their own sanitation departments, such as Miami or Miami Beach.
Violations & Fines
Violating Chapter 15 is prosecuted as a misdemeanor, up to 30 days in County Jail, a fine, or both, or, at the Director's discretion, enforced instead as a civil citation under Chapter 8CC.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I just leave old furniture at the curb in Miami-Dade County?
Will the County haul away construction debris or cleared vegetation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Miami-Dade County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Miami-Dade County to another location·View the Florida trash & recycling overview
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