Detroit, MI Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)
Key Facts
- Max length
- 8 feet
- Max diameter
- 8 inches
- Max weight
- 100 lbs total
- Wire/metal
- Not allowed
- Oversized pickup
- Fee after 72 hours
Summary
Detroit collects brush, shrubbery, and tree branch cuttings on your scheduled bulk collection day, but only if pieces run under eight feet long, eight inches thick, 100 pounds total, and are free of wire.
Cuttings of brush, shrubbery and tree branches shall be collected on the scheduled bulk collection day and at other designated times, provided, that they do not exceed eight feet in length and eight inches in diameter or a total of 100 pounds in weight, and are free from wire or other metal.(b)It shall be the duty of the owner, tenant, occupant, or person in control of the premises to arrange personally or by arrangement with the landscape contractor or other workers engaged to cut cuttings that are greater in size or weight than the amounts set forth in Subsection (a) of this section to dispose of trees, tree stumps, and all other cuttings as commercial solid waste.(c)A charge will be determined and made by the Department of Public Works where the owner, tenant, occupant or person in control of the premises fails to remove the cuttings described in Subsection (b) of this section within 72 hours of its placement and where the Department of Public Works picks up the solid waste. (Code 1984, § 22-2-23; Ord. No. 35-04, § 1(22-2-23), eff. 12-1-2004)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 4).
Full Breakdown
The Department of Public Works picks up brush, shrubbery, and tree branch cuttings on scheduled bulk collection days and other designated times, capped at eight feet in length, eight inches in diameter, or 100 pounds total, and only if free from wire or other metal. Anything bigger is the owner's, tenant's, or landscape contractor's job to dispose of as commercial solid waste. Leave oversized cuttings at the curb past 72 hours and DPW will remove them and bill you.
Violations & Fines
Oversized cuttings left more than 72 hours after placement get picked up by DPW, which then charges the owner, tenant, or occupant a determined fee for the collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will Detroit pick up my tree branches at the curb?
What if my brush pile is too big for the limit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Detroit
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Yard Waste Collection in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Wayne County handle yard waste collection.