Madera County, CA Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)
Key Facts
- Yard waste examples
- Grass, leaves, prunings, brush
- Wood size limit
- 3 in. diameter, 36 in. length
- Collector
- County-franchised hauler
- Contractor self-haul
- Allowed for licensed landscapers
- Coverage
- Unincorporated county only
Summary
Unincorporated Madera County's solid waste code defines yard waste, grass, leaves, prunings, branches, and small wood pieces up to 3 inches thick and 36 inches long, for franchise collection and recycling diversion.
"Yard trimmings" or "yard waste" means those discarded materials that will decompose and/or putrefy, including but not limited to, green trimmings, grass, weeds, leaves, prunings, branches, dead plants, brush, tree trimmings, dead trees, and small pieces of unpainted and untreated wood (limbs, branches, trees and small pieces of wood material are limited to three inches in diameter and thirty-six inches in length), excluding excluded waste.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 52).
Full Breakdown
Yard waste covers grass, weeds, leaves, prunings, branches, dead plants, brush, and small pieces of unpainted, untreated wood limited to three inches in diameter and thirty-six inches in length (§7.24.101). It's collected under the same exclusive county franchise as other solid waste: franchisees gather yard trimmings and deliver them to a designated recycling facility, with diversion counted toward the county's state recycling obligations (§7.24.104, §7.24.124). Licensed gardening, landscaping, or tree-trimming contractors may self-haul yard waste they generate as an incidental part of their own comprehensive service, without needing a separate county franchise (§7.24.106(C)). This chapter applies only within the unincorporated county.
Violations & Fines
Dumping yard waste outside a designated disposal or recycling facility in the unincorporated county is an infraction under §7.24.131, the county's general illegal-dumping and cleanup-cost provision.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my landscaper haul away yard waste themselves?
Is there a size limit on branches for yard waste collection?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Madera County
California rules heatmap·Compare Madera County to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview
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