Fort Lauderdale bulk trash pickup, or a dumpster?

Dumpsters Fort Lauderdale is an independent referral service, not a dumpster company. When you call or send the form, your request goes to an independent local roll-off provider that quotes the rental, delivers the container and hauls it away.

The city’s bulk pickup, in short

• Collected once a month on your scheduled service day.
• Out at the curb by 7 a.m. on pickup day, and no earlier than 24 hours before.
• One pile, no larger than 10 cubic yards.
• Placed away from parked cars, fences, trees, storm drains and power lines so the equipment can reach it.
• Items left out early, or still there more than 24 hours after pickup, could result in a citation.

What bulk pickup will not take

• Tree stumps, or tree sections longer than 12 feet
• Items from other properties, or piles combined with a neighbor’s
• Hazardous materials or liquids
• Dirt, sod, sand, pavers, concrete and tiles
• Household garbage
• Loose glass (it must be in a sturdy, rigid container)

Yard waste is accepted with limits: trimmings, hedge cuttings and palm fronds, with limbs up to 12 feet long and 12 inches across.

Side by side

	City bulk pickup	Roll-off container
Cost	Included with city service	Rental quoted by the provider
Timing	Once a month	Delivered when you book it
Size	Pile up to 10 cubic yards	10 to 40 yard containers
Tile, concrete, dirt	Not accepted	Accepted, usually as a separate heavy load
Remodel debris	Limited	Made for it
Where it sits	Curb, for a short window	Driveway or an approved spot for days

When a roll-off is the better call

• A remodel with tile, concrete or drywall.
• A whole-house or estate cleanout that will take more than one weekend.
• A roof replacement.
• A pile bigger than 10 cubic yards, or one you cannot get to the curb within the city’s timing window.
• Any job that cannot wait for the next monthly pickup.

For the rest, a couch, a few boxes, a hedge trim, bulk pickup is the natural first choice.

Getting the most from bulk pickup

If bulk pickup fits your job, a few habits help it go smoothly. Check your pickup day with the city before you start carrying things out, keep the pile tidy and within the size limit, and place it where the collection equipment can reach it, away from cars, fences, trees, storm drains and power lines. Glass belongs in a sturdy, rigid container, and household garbage goes in your regular cart, not the bulk pile.

Combining the two

Some jobs use both. A homeowner might put a couch and a few pieces of furniture out for bulk pickup and rent a small roll-off for the bathroom tile and the old vanity. That keeps the container small and the bulk pile within the rules. Just remember that bulk items must come from your own property and cannot be combined with a neighbor’s pile.

Timing matters

Bulk pickup happens once a month, so a job that starts just after your pickup day may leave debris sitting in the garage for weeks. If that is a problem, for example before a sale or a move-in, a roll-off clears it on your schedule instead of the city’s. If you can wait, bulk pickup may be all you need.

Questions to ask yourself

• Is there any tile, concrete, pavers, dirt or sod in the pile? If yes, bulk pickup will not take it.
• Is the pile bigger than 10 cubic yards?
• Can everything go out within the city’s timing window and be collected on the next pickup day?
• Does the job need to be finished before a particular date?

If the answers point to bulk pickup, use it. If not, a roll-off container is the simpler route.

Either way, you will have a clear driveway again.

Junk removal and debris bags are compared with a container on the roll-off rental page.

More on home jobs: residential dumpster rental and the concrete dumpster guide.

Questions people ask