Catawba County, NC Trash & Recycling: Bulk Item Disposal (2026)
Key Facts
- Service name
- special haul services (county's bulk-item term)
- Rate approval
- board of commissioners must approve fee
- Dispute resolution
- board mediates after 10 days' written notice
- Outdoor storage limit
- bulky items barred outside over 72 hours
- White goods
- banned from landfill/convenience centers
Summary
Catawba County requires its franchised solid waste haulers to provide 'special haul services,' the county's term for bulky-item and non-routine pickups, to every county resident at a rate the board of commissioners must approve under Code of Ordinances § 32-4(d). If a customer and hauler cannot agree on the service or price for such a pickup, either side can ask the board of commissioners to mediate the dispute at its next regular meeting.
(d)The licensee shall provide special haul services to all persons within the county, at a rate approved by the board of commissioners.(e)For additional services and for commercial customers, the customer and the licensee may enter into an agreement satisfactory to them as to fees and the services to be rendered. If a licensee and customer are unable to agree upon the special services to be rendered and the remuneration to be paid therefor, the board of commissioners will, upon application of either the licensee or the customer or both of them, mediate the dispute at a hearing of the matter at its next regular meeting subsequent to the expiration of not less than ten days after the applicant for a hearing has given the other party involved written notice of his intent to present the matter to the board or as soon after the expiration of the ten days as is convenient.
Full Breakdown
' Because special hauls fall outside the routine weekly roadside service in § 32-4(c), § 32-4(e) lets the hauler and a commercial or additional-service customer negotiate their own price and scope; if they cannot agree, either the licensee or the customer can apply to the board of commissioners, which will mediate the dispute at its next regular meeting after ten days' written notice to the other party. Any rate a hauler wants to charge for special hauling, like any residential or commercial rate, must first be justified to and approved by the board under § 32-4(f).
For bulky household items too large for routine roadside pickup, such as furniture or appliances, § 32-6(a)(3) separately bars leaving them outside a building for more than 72 hours, which functions as the practical trigger pushing residents toward special-haul service or a licensed hauler. White goods (refrigerators, ranges, water heaters and similar large appliances) are barred from the county landfill and its solid waste convenience centers entirely under § 32-6(c)(11) and § 32-6(i)(4)(k), so a special haul or a licensed recycler is the only lawful route for disposing of them.
Violations & Fines
Charging for special haul service without board-approved rates, or a hauler refusing to provide special haul service to a requesting resident, is a violation of Chapter 32 punishable as a misdemeanor under § 1-14 and a civil penalty of up to $500.00 per day under § 32-8(b). Leaving bulky items outside more than 72 hours in violation of § 32-6(a)(3) is separately enforceable the same way.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a couch or old appliance picked up in Catawba County?
Can my hauler and I negotiate a price for a special pickup?
How long can I leave old furniture or an appliance at the curb?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Catawba County
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