Southfield, MI Trash & Recycling: Bulk Item Disposal (2026)
Key Facts
- Branch/limb cutoff
- >3 in. dia. or >4 ft long
- Construction debris
- Contractor's responsibility, Sec. 2.3
- Homeowner DIY project limit
- 50 lbs, city collects
- Crate/box size cap
- 3 ft x 3 ft x 4 ft
- Bundle weight cap
- 60 pounds
Summary
Southfield draws a hard line on how big residential trash can be before it stops being curbside pickup and becomes the contractor's job. Tree limbs over three inches thick or four feet long, and debris from new construction or major repairs, are excluded from regular collection under Sec. 2.3; everyday bundles are capped at four feet and sixty pounds under Sec. 2.5.
(3)Tree trunks or branches or parts thereof with a diameter greater than three (3) inches or a length greater than four (4) feet;(4)Refuse from new construction or from extensive repairs or alterations. The above exceptions are classified as commercial rubbish and shall be cared for by the contractor doing the work. The wastes from such projects as are ordinarily done by the householder will be accepted up to a limit of fifty (50) pounds. ... (4)Wooden crates or boxes must be broken up and tied in bundles, not to exceed three (3) feet by three (3) feet by four (4) feet. ... (7)No single article or bundle shall be more than four (4) feet long.(8)The weight limit for each container, article or bundle must not exceed a total of sixty (60) pounds.
Full Breakdown
Sec. 2.3 of the Southfield City Code carves large debris out of the city's standard residential refuse pickup. Tree trunks or branches wider than three inches in diameter or longer than four feet, along with refuse generated by new construction or by extensive repairs or alterations, are classified as commercial rubbish rather than household trash. The code puts responsibility for that material on the contractor doing the work, not on the city's collection crews. There's a narrower exception inside the exception: waste from a project a homeowner does without hiring a contractor is still accepted through the regular program, but only up to fifty pounds total.
Sec. 2.5 supplies the size ceiling that applies to whatever bulky material does stay in the residential stream. Wooden crates or boxes have to be broken up and tied into bundles no larger than three feet by three feet by four feet. Across the board, no single article or bundle set out for collection can be longer than four feet, and no container, article or bundle can weigh more than sixty pounds. A bundle or crate that exceeds either the size or weight ceiling is treated the same as any other noncompliant item under Sec.
2.5(9): it gets tagged with the reason and left at the curb rather than hauled away, leaving the resident to break it down further or arrange separate contractor removal.
Violations & Fines
Oversized branches, construction debris and bundles or crates beyond the four-foot length or sixty-pound weight ceilings in Sec. 2.5 simply aren't collected, they're tagged under Sec. 2.5(9) and left at the curb until the resident cuts them down, rebundles them, or arranges pickup through the contractor responsible for the work under Sec. 2.3. Neither section attaches a civil fine of its own to oversized material.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will Southfield pick up branches from a tree I cut down myself?
Who hauls away debris from a home remodel?
How big can a bundle or crate be for collection?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Southfield
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