Roanoke, VA Trash & Recycling: Collection Schedule (2026)
Key Facts
- Earliest curb placement
- 7:00 p.m. day before collection
- Latest removal
- 7:00 a.m. day after collection
- Collection funding
- Mandatory parcel fee, § 14.1-5
- Civil penalty
- $25 per violation after third notice
- Appeal window
- 7 business days to request hearing
Summary
Roanoke carts must be out no later than 7 a.m. on collection day, cannot go to the curb before 7 p.m. the night before, and must be pulled back by 7 a.m. the following morning. Collection is fee-funded citywide, billed to the parcel owner, with civil penalties for repeat timing violations.
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, in no instance, shall they be permitted to remain adjacent to such street after 7:00 a.m. of the day following collection. ... 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. ... 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
the day after collection. 1-18(b) requires containers to be stored between collection dates no closer to the street than the principal building, unless the city manager approves an alternate spot because that placement is impractical. 1-5(a) requires fees for solid waste collection to be set in the city's fee compendium as adopted by council, billed to the parcel owner, with different rates depending on whether the parcel is a single-family dwelling, multiple dwelling units, or a business or institutional use, so the service and its cost apply to essentially every developed parcel in the city rather than functioning as a subscription residents can decline outright.
1-18, and once three or more such notices accumulate against a property within a year, the city manager imposes a $25 civil penalty for every violation after the third. 1-24(b).
Violations & Fines
Setting a container out too early, leaving it out too late, or otherwise violating § 14.1-18's timing window draws a written notice under § 14.1-24(a); a fourth notice within a year and every notice after it carries a $25 civil penalty. Owners may appeal a notice or penalty to the city manager within seven business days under § 14.1-24(b).
Frequently Asked Questions
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Is trash collection optional or can I opt out in Roanoke?
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Roanoke
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