Chesapeake, VA Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)
Key Facts
- Weekly bag limit
- 30 bags of 35 gallons, most of year
- Nov-Dec limit
- 50 bags of 35 gallons per week
- Branch bundle length
- Not more than 4 feet
- Limb/log diameter cap
- 6 inches maximum
- Container type
- Plastic/metal cans or clear plastic bags only
Summary
Chesapeake collects yard trimmings and grass separately from bulk trash under Sec. 62-60, but only when bagged or containerized: up to 30 bags of 35 gallons or less per address each week, rising to 50 bags in November and December when leaf season peaks. Tree limbs and branches go out bundled too.
(a)All yard trimmings, grass, etc., must be bundled or containerized to be collected by the city as trash. Containers shall include manual dumped plastic or metal cans and clear plastic bags, not exceeding 35 gallons in size. No more than 30 yard waste bags not exceeding 35 gallons in volume may be collected at any one residence per week. No more than 50 bags not exceeding 35 gallons in volume may be collected at any one residence per week during the months of November and December.(b)Tree limbs, hedge trimmings and branches shall be bundled in lengths of not more than four feet and placed for collection in the same location as garbage and refuse containers. Each branch shall be cut separately. Limbs or logs shall be not greater than six inches in diameter.
Full Breakdown
Sec. 62-60 of the City Code governs yard trimmings, grass clippings and small branches set out for weekly collection. Loose piles are not picked up: everything must be bundled or placed in a container, either a manually emptied plastic or metal can or a clear plastic bag, and no single container or bag can hold more than 35 gallons. The city caps the weekly volume at 30 such bags or cans per residence for most of the year, but that limit jumps to 50 bags per week during November and December to handle the fall leaf drop.
Tree limbs, hedge trimmings and branches get a separate set of rules under subsection (b): each branch has to be cut and bundled separately, bundles cannot run longer than four feet, and individual limbs or logs cannot exceed six inches in diameter. Bundled yard waste is set out at the same curbside spot used for garbage and refuse containers. Anything larger than what subsection (b) allows, such as a cut tree trunk or an oversized log, falls under the bulk trash volume cap in Sec.
62-58(d) instead of the yard waste rules, meaning it is measured against the four-foot by four-foot by ten-foot bulk trash limit and the twelve-pickup annual allowance rather than the weekly bag count. Placement of bagged and bundled yard waste is also subject to Sec. 62-58(a): it has to sit in a spot free of obstructions and cannot block the right-of-way, sidewalk or multi-use trail.
Violations & Fines
Loose, unbagged yard debris, bags over 35 gallons, more than 30 bags per week outside the November-December window (50 bags during it), or branch bundles longer than four feet or thicker than six inches do not meet Sec. 62-60 and can be left uncollected. Yard waste blocking a sidewalk or right-of-way also violates the curbside placement rule in Sec. 62-58(a).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much yard waste can I put out weekly in Chesapeake?
Can I leave loose grass clippings at the curb?
What are the rules for tree limbs and branches?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chesapeake
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