Baytown, TX Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)
Key Facts
- Yard waste pickup
- Weekly
- Brush pickup
- Monthly
- Yard waste container
- Approved paper bags only
- Brush container
- Waste bin or stacked at roadway
- Free brush limit
- 10 cubic yards/unit/month
- Excess brush
- Resident's responsibility to haul
Summary
Baytown collects yard waste once a week and brush once a month, and the two waste streams follow different set-out rules. Sec. 86-36 requires yard waste to go out only in approved paper bags, while Sec. 86-35 lets brush go in a waste container or be neatly stacked at the roadway, capped at ten cubic yards a month per residential unit.
Sec. 86-35. - Disposal of brush. Brush may be disposed of in approved residential waste containers or neatly stacked near the roadway. No other material may be placed with brush. Sec. 86-36. - Disposal of yard waste. Yard waste may only be disposed of in approved paper bags. Sec. 86-70. - Yard waste. The collection of yard waste shall be made one time per week on a regularly scheduled basis. Sec. 86-71. - Brush. (a)The collection of brush shall be made one time per month on a scheduled basis.(b)Brush collected by the city shall not exceed ten cubic yards of clean material per residential unit each month. Material in excess of this limit shall be the responsibility of the resident for proper hauling and disposal.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 83 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 86-1 defines yard waste narrowly as leaves, lawn trimmings, and other loose plant material, and brush separately as limbs and other cuttings from tree and shrub branches, so the two categories are regulated on separate tracks even though both come from routine yard work. Sec. 86-36 limits yard waste disposal to approved paper bags only; plastic bags or loose piles of leaves and clippings are not an approved method under this section. Sec. 86-35 is looser on brush, allowing it either in an approved residential waste container or neatly stacked near the roadway, but bars mixing any other material in with the brush pile.
Sec. 86-70 sets yard waste pickup at once a week on a regular schedule, the same cadence as garbage, so bagged leaves and clippings do not sit for a full month. Sec. 86-71(a) sets brush collection at once a month on a scheduled basis, and Sec. 86-71(b) caps what the city will haul for free at ten cubic yards of clean material per residential unit each month; anything beyond that limit is the resident's own responsibility to haul and dispose of, not the city's.
Violations & Fines
Sec. 86-31(b) makes it an offense to dispose of yard waste or brush by any method other than the ones set out in Sec. 86-35 and Sec. 86-36, including dumping either one in a street, alley, or gutter. A conviction is punishable under the general penalty of Sec. 1-14, up to $500 per offense, and excess brush past the ten-cubic-yard monthly limit is left for the resident to remove at their own cost.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put grass clippings in a plastic bag for Baytown pickup?
How much brush will Baytown collect from my house each month?
How often does Baytown pick up brush versus yard waste?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Baytown
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Baytown to another location·View the Texas trash & recycling overview
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Yard Waste Collection in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Harris County handle yard waste collection.