Billings, MT Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)
Key Facts
- Season
- Early April to late November
- Collection
- Weekly, green containers
- Bundle limit
- 75 lbs, 4 ft long, 2 ft diameter
- Commercial customers
- Not eligible for yard waste service
- Contractor debris
- Contractor removes at own cost
Summary
Billings runs weekly green-container yard waste pickup for residential customers from early April through late November; contractors must haul away their own debris and yard waste service isn't offered to commercial customers.
Yard waste may include garden waste, grass clippings, leaves, shrub pruning, smaller branches or twigs, and weeds. Yard waste specifically excludes dirt, sod, rocks, and animal droppings. Plastic bags must not be included in yard waste containers. All yard waste resulting from the work of a contractor or the like shall be removed by means provided by and at the sole expense and cost of the contractor. Yard waste service is not available for commercial customers.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 66 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
City crews collect grass clippings, leaves, garden waste, shrub prunings, small branches, twigs, and weeds in green containers under Sec. 21-205, but dirt, sod, rocks, and animal droppings are excluded, and plastic bags can't go in the container. Service runs weekly from the first full week of April through the last full week of November, per the 'yard waste service' definition in Sec. 21-201. Loose yard rubbish set out as an on-call extra pickup under Sec. 21-218 must be bundled and tied, capped at 75 pounds, no more than four feet long, and no more than two feet in diameter. Landscaping contractors must remove their own debris at their own expense.
Violations & Fines
Bagging yard waste in plastic, or setting out oversized or overweight bundles, can get the pickup skipped; contractors who leave debris curbside face code enforcement and removal costs billed back to them.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does yard waste pickup run in Billings?
Can I bag yard waste in plastic bags?
What about big branches or contractor cleanup debris?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Billings
Compare Billings to another location·View the Montana trash & recycling overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.