Modesto, CA Trash & Recycling: Bulk Item Disposal (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Modesto Code § 5-5.156, Residential Bulky Item Collection Program
- Program frequency
- Twice annually by appointment (§ 5-5.103(10))
- Set-out window
- No more than 12 hours before the scheduled appointment
- Clearance
- At least 5 feet from any fixed object or parked vehicle
- Size and weight limits
- Nothing over 8 feet in length or 500 pounds
- Location
- In the street only; one collection location per residence
- Fines (§ 5-5.106(e))
- $1,000, then $1,500, then $2,000 within 12 months
Summary
Modesto residents who request the City's bulky item service set items in the street no more than 12 hours before the appointment, at least 5 feet from any fixed object or parked vehicle. Nothing goes out on private property, items over 8 feet or 500 pounds are refused, and dumping outside the program costs $1,000 or more.
The City, through the Public Works Director, may establish a Bulky Item Collection Program, to receive requests for and provide for the collection of certain bulky items from residential customers of the City who shall request such service. ... (b) Items unacceptable for bulky item collection include, but are not limited to, glass, liquids, tires, engine parts, large and small green waste, hazardous waste, items over eight (8) feet in length; items weighing in excess of five hundred (500) pounds; building materials from private contractors; lumber/wood, tree trimmings, and Christmas trees. ... (c) No bulky item will be collected on private property. All bulky items shall be placed in the street no more than twelve (12) hours before the scheduled bulky item collection appointment. Bulky items shall be placed adjacent to the property which requested the bulky item collection, and must be a minimum of five (5) feet away from any fixed object or parked vehicle. There shall be only one (1) bulky item collection location for each residence.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 71).
Full Breakdown
Modesto Code § 5-5.156 lets the City, through the Public Works Director, run a Bulky Item Collection Program for residential customers who request the service. The Solid Waste chapter defines the program in § 5-5.103(10) as a program for residential and multi-family customers to participate twice annually by appointment. Bulky items are discarded furniture, carpets, mattresses and household appliances such as refrigerators, ranges, washers, dryers, water heaters and dishwashers. Electronic equipment (stereos, televisions, computers), clothing, tires and motor vehicles or their parts are carved out of that definition.
Section 5-5.156(a) describes bulky items as things too large or heavy for regular collection, including washers, dryers, stoves, refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, carpet and padding, water heaters or tanks, doors, automotive fenders, bumpers, hoods and seats, toilets, tubs and sinks, bicycles, tricycles, swing sets, portable pools, pool covers and pool heaters.
Subsection (b) lists what the crew will not take: glass, liquids, tires, engine parts, large and small green waste, hazardous waste, items over eight feet in length, items weighing more than 500 pounds, building materials from private contractors, lumber and wood, tree trimmings and Christmas trees.
Placement is tightly controlled. Under subsection (c), no bulky item is collected on private property. Everything goes in the street, adjacent to the property that requested the pickup, no more than 12 hours before the scheduled appointment, and at least 5 feet away from any fixed object or parked vehicle. Each residence gets one collection location. Subsection (d) adds that only bulky items present at the customer's service address when the pickup is scheduled can be put out, so a neighbor's couch or a truckload brought in from elsewhere does not qualify.
Multi-family properties fall under the parallel § 5-5.157, which adds that private-property pickup is possible with prior authorization from the Public Works Director.
Violations & Fines
Subsection (e) of § 5-5.156 ties violations to the penalty provisions of § 5-5.106(e) and § 1-2.01. Section 5-5.106(e) sets the fine at $1,000 for a first violation, $1,500 for a second violation within 12 months of the first, and $2,000 for a third violation within 12 months of the second and for each successive violation in that window. Under § 5-5.102 a chapter violation is an infraction unless the chapter makes it a misdemeanor. Under § 5-5.106(a), leaving bulky items on public or private property without the owner's consent, outside the program, is an abatable nuisance, and intending to remove the items later is not a defense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I leave a couch on my lawn or driveway for bulky item pickup in Modesto?
What will Modesto refuse to collect as a bulky item?
How far from a parked car or pole do bulky items have to sit?
How much is the fine for dumping bulky items outside the program in Modesto?
Can I put out items from before my appointment day or from another address?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Modesto
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