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Norfolk, VA Trash & Recycling: Bulk Item Disposal (2026)

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

Key Facts

Free pickups per year
12, up to 3 cubic yards each
Scheduling
Required call to waste management division
Set-out window
5 p.m. night before to 7 a.m. pickup day
Over 22 cubic yards
$12-$15 per cubic yard
Tire limit
4/day, 12/year, non-commercial sizes

Summary

Norfolk residents get twelve free bulk waste pickups a year, capped at three cubic yards each, but only after calling the division of waste management to schedule it. City Code Sec. 41-32 bars leaving furniture, appliances or other bulk items at the curb without that advance appointment and sets fees once volume climbs past three cubic yards.

(a)It shall be unlawful to place bulk waste in the city right-of-way without contacting the division of waste management to schedule a special city collection in advance. Bulk waste shall be placed at the collection site no later than 7:00 a.m. on the scheduled day of collection and no earlier than 5:00 p.m. on the night prior to the scheduled pickup. The location and arrangement of bulk waste materials shall be as designated by the city's division of waste management. A maximum of twelve (12) bulk waste collections will be provided at no cost by city forces in one twelve-month period, except as authorized by the director of public works. These collections shall be limited to a volume of three (3) cubic yards....(c)Tires: Collection of tires shall be limited to four (4) tires per collection day and twelve (12) tires per year. Tires shall be of non-commercial sizes.

Source: Norfolk Bulk WasteView official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 166).

Full Breakdown

Sec. 41-32(a) makes it unlawful to place bulk waste in the city right-of-way without first contacting the division of waste management to schedule a special collection. on the scheduled day, arranged the way the division designates. The city provides up to twelve free bulk collections per property per twelve-month period, each capped at three cubic yards, unless the director of public works authorizes more. Above three cubic yards, fees scale by volume and by whether the property is a smaller residence or a larger building or business: up to nine cubic yards runs $75 for a scheduled residential pickup (four units or fewer) or $150 for a nonscheduled pickup or one at a business or larger residential property; ten to fifteen cubic yards runs $150 or $225; sixteen to twenty-two cubic yards runs $200 or $275; and anything beyond twenty-two cubic yards, or anything requiring a private contractor, is billed at $12 or $15 per cubic yard.

Those fees land on the public service bill or go straight to the owner. Subsection (b) shifts the cost entirely to the private hauler for properties on private collection, at no charge to the city, and subsection (c) caps tire pickups at four per collection day and twelve per year, non-commercial sizes only.

Violations & Fines

Placing bulk items at the curb without first scheduling with the division of waste management violates Sec. 41-32(a) outright, and unscheduled pickups are billed at the higher nonscheduled rate. Chapter-wide, Sec. 41-1 makes a violation a class 3 misdemeanor, rising to a class 2 misdemeanor for a third violation by the same person within twelve months, and Sec. 41-6 authorizes a $25/$50/$100 escalating prepayment penalty in lieu of court.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I just put my old couch at the curb in Norfolk for pickup?
No. Sec. 41-32(a) makes it unlawful to place bulk waste in the right-of-way without first calling the division of waste management to schedule the collection. Once scheduled, it can go out no earlier than 5:00 p.m. the night before and must be out by 7:00 a.m. on the scheduled day.
How many free bulk waste pickups does Norfolk give each year?
Twelve per twelve-month period, each limited to three cubic yards, at no cost under Sec. 41-32(a). Larger volumes are billed on a rising scale, from $75 for a scheduled small-residence pickup up to nine cubic yards to $12-15 per cubic yard once the load exceeds twenty-two cubic yards.
How many tires can I put out for bulk collection in Norfolk?
Up to four tires per collection day and twelve per year, and only non-commercial sizes, under Sec. 41-32(c). Commercial tires and quantities above that limit have to go through a private hauler instead of city bulk collection.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Norfolk

All Norfolk rules

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