Roanoke, VA Trash & Recycling: Collection Schedule (2026)
Key Facts
- Container ready for pickup
- By 7:00 a.m. on collection day, outside the central business district
- Earliest set-out
- 7:00 p.m. on the day before collection
- Latest removal from curb
- Out of sight of the street by 7:00 a.m. the day after collection
- Storage between pickups
- No closer to the street than the principal building
- Civil penalty
- $25.00 per violation after the third notice in a year
- Hearing request deadline
- Seven (7) business days, in writing, to the city manager
- Fee schedule
- Fee compendium approved by city council
Summary
Outside the central business district, Roanoke requires automated trash and recycling containers to be accessible by 7:00 a.m. on collection day, and they cannot be set at the street before 7:00 p.m. the evening before. Containers must come back in as soon as possible after pickup. After three notices in a year, each further violation costs the property owner $25.
Fees for solid waste collection shall be adopted by ordinance and shall be set forth in the fee compendium as approved and amended by the city council from time to time. ... Except in the central business district, automated collection containers and recycling containers containing solid waste shall be accessible for collection by an authorized person no later than 7:00 a.m. on the day of collection. Automated collection containers and recycling containers placed adjacent to streets for collection by an authorized person shall not be so placed prior to 7:00 p.m. on the day preceding the day of collection, and shall be removed as soon as possible after collection and, in no instance, shall they be permitted to remain adjacent to such street after 7:00 a.m. of the day following collection. ... After three (3) or more such notices have been issued for any property within a year, the city manager shall impose on the owner of the property a civil penalty of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) for each such violation after the third one.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 94 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Section 14.1-18(a) of the Roanoke City Code sets a fixed window for the curb. Outside the central business district, every automated collection container and recycling container holding solid waste must be accessible to the authorized collector no later than 7:00 a.m. on the day of collection. Nobody can place a container adjacent to the street before 7:00 p.m. on the day preceding collection, which leaves a twelve-hour window between the evening set-out and the morning deadline. After the truck passes, the container must be removed as soon as possible, and in no instance can it remain adjacent to the street after 7:00 a.m. on the day following collection. The next-morning cutoff is an outer limit, not permission to leave a container out overnight.
Between collections, section 14.1-18(b) requires storage in a location no closer to the street than the principal building. If that placement is impractical or not feasible, the city manager can authorize an alternative location. In the central business district, section 14.1-18(c) hands timing to regulations promulgated by the city manager, and section 14.1-19 requires containers there to be accessible to solid waste vehicles or placed in locations and times designated by the city manager, with no individual refuse or recycling container, and no allowable bulk item, over sixty (60) pounds.
Bulk items, brush and bagged leaves follow a similar window under section 14.1-23(a): placed no earlier than 7:00 p.m. the day before and no later than 7:00 a.m. on the scheduled collection day, and never in an alley. Woody or leafy yard waste must be stacked in a pile no greater than six (6) feet wide, six (6) feet long and six (6) feet high, no single branch can exceed six (6) feet in length or three (3) inches in diameter, and no more than three (3) bulk items are collected at one time.
Collection is also a paid service. Section 14.1-5(a) says fees are adopted by ordinance and set forth in the fee compendium, with different fees for a single family dwelling unit on one parcel, multiple dwelling units on one parcel, and business, commercial or institutional uses. The city can exempt, defer or discount fees for owners who receive the elderly or disabled real estate tax exemption under section 32-84.
Violations & Fines
Under section 14.1-24(a), the city manager causes a notice of violation to be affixed to any automated collection container, individual refuse container or recycling container found to violate section 14.1-18. Once three (3) or more notices have been issued for a property within a year, the city manager imposes a civil penalty of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) on the property owner for each violation after the third one. Section 14.1-24(b) gives the owner a written hearing request with the city manager. Unpaid collection fees carry separate late penalties under section 14.1-5(d).
Frequently Asked Questions
What time can I put my Roanoke trash and recycling containers out?
How long can containers stay at the curb after pickup?
What happens if I leave my container out too long?
How fast does the city act on a hearing request?
Do the 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. rules apply downtown?
What are the late penalties on the Roanoke solid waste collection fee?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Roanoke
Compare Roanoke to another location·View the Virginia trash & recycling overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.