Phoenix & Tempe Bulk Trash Pickup Guide (2026): Schedules, Rules and What They Won't Take
How bulk trash pickup works in Phoenix and Tempe right now: how to book or find your week, the 10-cubic-yard limit, what each city won't take, and when a dumpster is the faster option.
Cleaning out a garage, finishing a remodel or tackling the yard after summer? Before you drag everything to the curb, it pays to know how your city's bulk trash pickup works. Phoenix and Tempe run it very differently, and getting the rules wrong can mean a pile that sits for weeks or gets left behind.
Here's how both programs work in 2026, in plain English.
The short version
- Phoenix: bulk trash is by appointment only. Each household gets up to 4 pickups a year. Book at least 3 business days ahead, put items out no more than 7 days early, and have them at the curb by 5:30 a.m. on your day.
- Tempe: bulk trash comes every other month on a set week for your area (A through H). Put items out no earlier than 10 days before the Monday of your week and by 6 a.m. that Monday.
- Both cities: one pile, 10 cubic yards max (about the size of a small SUV). Neither takes concrete, dirt, rock, tires, hazardous waste or Freon appliances, and both restrict construction debris.
Phoenix Bulk Trash: Appointment Only
Phoenix dropped its old fixed neighborhood schedule in late 2024. Now you book your own pickup.
How to book
- Schedule online through the City of Phoenix bulk trash page or call 602-262-6251.
- Book at least 3 business days in advance. Most areas have openings within a couple of weeks.
- Check the city's community appointments list first. Some neighborhoods already have a group pickup arranged.
- If you cancel at least 2 business days ahead, it doesn't count against your 4 pickups for the year.
Holiday blackouts: the scheduler blocks Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day, plus the 7 days after each. If you're planning a pre-holiday cleanout in late October or November, book early.
Pile rules
- One pile per home, 10 cubic yards or less. Piles from several households can't be combined.
- At the curb, parallel to the street, no more than 5 feet from the curb or the front edge of your property.
- At least 5 feet from fixed objects like mailboxes and walls, and never on top of a water meter.
- Grass, leaves, weeds and clippings must be bagged and tied.
- Tree trimmings cut to under 12 inches across and 4 feet long.
- Putting a pile out more than 7 days before your appointment is a violation of city ordinance.
What Phoenix takes: furniture, small appliances, toilets, bagged yard waste, tree trimmings within the size limits, up to 2 wooden pallets, and construction pieces under 25 pounds and 4 feet long.
What Phoenix won't take:
- Bricks, concrete, dirt, rock, asphalt, and roofing shingles or tiles
- Construction or demolition debris over 25 pounds or 4 feet long
- Metal or car parts over 20 pounds or 4 feet long
- Glass, including windows, shower doors and mirrors
- Tires of any size
- Refrigerators, freezers, AC units and other appliances with refrigerant
- Household hazardous waste: paint, oil, antifreeze, pool chemicals, batteries
- Loose household trash, loose yard waste, or anything in a Bagster bag
Tempe Bulk Trash: Every Other Month by Area
Tempe still runs bulk (uncontained) trash on a fixed schedule. The city is split into Areas A through H, and each area gets a collection week every other month. Find your area on the City of Tempe bulk trash page or call Tempe 311 at 480-350-4311.
Remaining 2026 collection weeks
| Area | Collection weeks |
|---|---|
| A | Oct. 26–30 · Dec. 28–Jan. 1 |
| B | Nov. 2–6 |
| C | Nov. 9–13 |
| D | Nov. 16–20 |
| E | Nov. 23–27 |
| F | Nov. 30–Dec. 4 |
| G | Dec. 14–18 |
| H | Dec. 21–25 |
From Tempe's published 2026 Bulk Trash and Green Organics Collection Schedule. Holidays don't shift your week.
Pile rules
- Put items out no earlier than 10 days before the Monday of your week, and by 6 a.m. Monday.
- 10 cubic yards max.
- Trash and green waste go in two separate piles, 4 feet apart.
- Keep piles 4 feet from trash and recycling bins, fire hydrants, gas meters and utility boxes, and never over a manhole cover.
- Tree limbs and brush: up to 4 feet long and 19 inches in diameter.
- Green waste must be "clean green" only. Loose leaves, grass and clippings go in a cardboard box or compostable bag. Only homeowners doing their own yard work can put out green waste, not landscapers.
What Tempe takes: large furniture and household items that can't be donated, and appliances without Freon such as washers and microwaves.
What Tempe won't take: appliances with Freon (refrigerators, freezers, dehumidifiers, AC units), hazardous materials like paint and oil, construction and remodeling waste such as drywall, flooring and roofing, tires, and dirt, rock or landscape gravel.
Missed your week? Tempe offers a call-in special pickup for a fee (call 480-350-4311 for pricing), and residents can drop off up to 1,000 pounds a month at no extra charge at the city's transfer station, 2425 S. 40th Street in Phoenix.
Hauling It Yourself
Phoenix residents can also take loads to the city's two transfer stations, at 3060 S. 27th Ave. and 30205 N. Black Canyon Hwy. Residential trash customers can drop off up to one ton a month at no charge with a current City of Phoenix services bill and a matching photo ID. Anything over a ton is $55 per ton. Both stations are open Monday through Friday from 5:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. (City of Phoenix transfer stations).
Self-hauling works for a load or two if you have a truck or trailer. For a full cleanout, it usually means several trips, and covering every load.
When Bulk Trash Isn't Enough
City bulk pickup is a great free option for an old couch, a broken recliner or a few bags of branches. It's not built for project debris. A dumpster makes more sense when:
- You're remodeling. Phoenix limits construction pieces to 25 pounds and 4 feet long. Tempe won't take drywall, flooring or roofing at all.
- There's tile, shingles or heavy debris. Roofing shingles and most remodel debris are fine in a dumpster. Call first for concrete, rock or dirt.
- You have more than 10 cubic yards. A 15-yard dumpster holds about half again as much as the city's pile limit.
- The timing doesn't work. If your Tempe week is a month out, or the Phoenix scheduler is in a holiday blackout, a dumpster can be on your driveway the same day.
- You don't want a pile at the curb. Bulk piles can sit for days, and many HOAs don't love them. A bin keeps everything contained and goes away when you're done.
What a 15-Yard Dumpster Costs
Premium Bins rents one size, the 15-yard dumpster (14 feet long, 7.5 feet wide, 4.5 feet high, with a walk-in door). Rates are flat, with delivery, pickup, driveway protector pads and 2 tons of disposal included:
| Rental | Price |
|---|---|
| Same Day (2-hour) | $349 |
| 1 Day | $379 |
| 4 Days | $429 |
| 7 Days | $489 |
Extra days are $25 each, weight over 2 tons is $85 per ton, and appliances with Freon are $45 each. See full pricing and the list of what you can put in the bin. Paint, solvents, oil, chemicals, batteries, propane tanks, asbestos and whole tires aren't allowed in a dumpster either.
We deliver across Phoenix, Arcadia, Biltmore, Camelback East, Tempe and the rest of our service area. Book online in under 2 minutes, or call or text (602) 339-9494.
Rules checked against the City of Phoenix and City of Tempe websites in October 2026. Cities update their programs, so confirm the details for your address before you set anything out.
Bigger Than a Bulk Pile? Get a Dumpster Today.
Flat-rate 15-yard dumpsters with 2 tons included, driveway protector pads under every bin, and same-day delivery across central Phoenix, Tempe and Scottsdale.