Miami-Dade Bulk Trash Pickup: What Gets Taken and What Doesn’t

Two things trip up Miami-Dade residents when they use the county’s bulk waste program for the first time. They put a mattress at the curb without a properly sealed bag and come home to a $100 fine. Or they set out a refrigerator with the door still attached and the crew drives right past it.

The Miami-Dade county program is actually generous. Two free pickups per year, 25 cubic yards each, covering furniture, appliances, and even small amounts of construction debris. The catch is coverage: it only serves single-family homes and duplexes. If you live in a condo in Brickell, a high-rise in Aventura, or any building with a private waste contract, the county program doesn’t apply to you.

Here’s how the program works, what correct prep looks like, and what your options are when the county can’t help.

Miami-Dade has 34 incorporated municipalities, most of which run their own waste programs. “Miami” as a mailing address covers a much bigger area than any single waste program. Before reading further, find your situation below.

• Unincorporated Miami-Dade County, or one of these cities: Aventura, Cutler Bay, Doral, Miami Gardens, Miami Lakes, Opa-locka, Palmetto Bay, Pinecrest, Sunny Isles Beach, or Sweetwater. If your address falls in any of these, the county’s Department of Solid Waste Management (DSWM) serves you. This post covers your program in full.
• City of Miami: You have a separate program through the City of Miami Department of Solid Waste. Different rules, no appointment needed for small loads. See the City of Miami section below.
• Homestead, North Miami, Miami Beach, Hialeah, Coral Gables, or another incorporated municipality: You have your own city program. Check your city’s official website or call your city’s sanitation department.

Not sure which applies? Enter your address at miamidade.gov/solidwaste or call 311.

Each eligible household receives two free bulky waste pickups per calendar year. Each pickup can hold up to 25 cubic yards, roughly the volume of a small bedroom filled waist-high. The service is paid through the residential solid waste fee on your annual property tax bill, so there is no separate charge when you schedule.

Combine option: If you have more than 25 cubic yards in one load, you can combine both annual pickups into a single 50-cubic-yard collection. Duplexes get four pickups per year and can combine for up to 100 cubic yards. Using the combine option exhausts your entire year’s allowance in one shot.

How to schedule

An appointment is required before anything goes at the curb. Items staged without a confirmed appointment can trigger a code enforcement warning. Three ways to schedule:

• Online: miamidade.gov/311direct/#/bulkyWaste
• App: MDC Solid Waste app (free, iOS and Android)
• Phone: 311 or (305) 468-5900, Monday–Friday 7 AM–7 PM, Saturday 8 AM–5 PM

Appointments are bookable up to 30 days out. Once your appointment is confirmed, your pile will be collected by 5 PM on the scheduled day.

Setout rules

• Place items at the curb no more than 3 days before your appointment date, and no later than 7 AM on the appointment day
• Items must be within 10 feet of the street and at least 5 feet from mailboxes, parked cars, trees, utility poles, and sprinkler heads
• 15-foot clearance required from the ground to the lowest hanging tree branch or power line
• Do not block access to the pile with other obstacles

Miami-Dade county’s accepted list is broader than most residents expect. Here’s a full reference before the detail sections below.

One detail worth calling out: construction and demolition materials up to 3 cubic yards are accepted curbside. That is three cubic yards, equivalent to six standard 96-gallon waste carts. Small renovation debris from your own home qualifies. Large contractor jobs and anything over 3 cubic yards require a TRC drop-off or a private debris hauler in Miami.

Mattresses: the $100 fine

Mattresses are accepted through the county program, but only if fully sealed. The requirement: a plastic mattress bag or sleeve enclosing the entire mattress, sealed with weather-resistant tape such as packing tape or duct tape. Not partially covered. Fully enclosed.

Miami-Dade County is actively enforcing this through 2025-2026 bulky waste inspections. Fines run $100 per unbagged mattress. Box springs do not require bagging.

Mattress bags cost a few dollars at hardware stores or online. This is one of the cheapest mistakes to avoid in the entire program.

For mattresses that need to come out of an upstairs unit or a condo storage room, LoadUp handles mattress removal in Miami from wherever it actually is.

Refrigerators and freezers: door removal is federal law

Refrigerators and freezers are accepted through the standard bulky waste appointment. But all doors and lids must be removed before the unit goes to the curb. This is a federal child entrapment safety requirement, and it is enforced. A refrigerator set out with the door attached will be passed over.

Removing a refrigerator door takes a screwdriver or socket wrench and about ten minutes. Hinges are typically on the back or side. Both the unit and the doors go out together.

For appliances that need to come down from an apartment or need same-day removal, LoadUp handles appliance removal in Miami without any separate county process required.

TVs, computers, monitors, laptops, printers, and most other electronics cannot go in the bulky waste pile or in any garbage cart. This is Florida state law, not just a county preference. Florida prohibits disposing of covered electronic devices in solid waste landfills or waste-to-energy facilities statewide. It applies to every Florida resident regardless of municipality.

Miami-Dade County has two free drop-off options:

Home Chemical Collection Centers (2 locations)

Both open Wednesday through Sunday, 9 AM to 5 PM. Free for Miami-Dade County residential customers. Accepts electronics, paints, pesticides, solvents, batteries, pool chemicals, motor oil, automotive fluids, and propane tanks.

• West Dade: 8831 NW 58th Street, Miami, FL 33178
• South Dade: 3707 SW 97th Avenue, Gate B, Miami, FL 33165

Neighborhood Trash and Recycling Centers (TRCs)

Miami-Dade operates 13 TRCs, open daily 7 AM to 5:30 PM. Eight of the 13 locations accept used electronics, including TVs, computers, monitors, printers, VCRs, and cell phones. TRC electronics drop-off is free for eligible county residents.

TRC eligibility: Only residents of unincorporated Miami-Dade County and the cities of Aventura, Cutler Bay, Doral, Miami Gardens, Miami Lakes, Opa-locka, Palmetto Bay, Pinecrest, Sunny Isles Beach, and Sweetwater can use these facilities. A valid Florida driver’s license or ID tied to an eligible address in the county customer database is required. City of Miami, Miami Beach, Hialeah, Coral Gables, and other incorporated municipalities not listed above are not eligible.

If you need electronics hauled from inside your home, LoadUp handles electronics removal in Miami without a trip to the TRC required.

The City of Miami runs its own waste program through its Department of Solid Waste. The rules are simpler than the county for most residents.

• No appointment needed for up to 3 bulk items on your regular trash day
• Items must be at the curb by 7 AM on your first garbage day of the week
• Within 10 feet of the street, 5 feet from mailboxes and cars, 15 feet of vertical clearance above
• Refrigerators and freezers: doors must be removed or secured open before placement
• No construction debris, no hazardous materials, no contractor waste
• Electronics: Florida law applies here too; take to Miami-Dade Home Chemical Collection Centers

For larger loads in the City of Miami, call the City of Miami Solid Waste Department at (305) 575-5120 to schedule a special pickup.

Find your collection day and group at miami.gov or use the Miami 311 app.

Buildings with more than 4 units in the City of Miami must contact a City-approved commercial waste hauler for all services including bulk item removal. The city classifies apartment buildings and condominiums as commercial properties.

Miami has one of the highest condo densities in the United States. Most of those buildings are not served by county curbside collection.

County bulky waste service covers single-family homes and duplexes served by the county DSWM. Most condos and apartment towers use private haulers contracted through the building. The county program does not apply to them, and building rules often prohibit putting bulk items at the curb at all.

For condo residents, getting rid of a large item typically means:

• Contacting building management for guidance on their bulk item disposal process
• Reserving the freight elevator and coordinating a removal window with the building
• Working within the building’s contracted hauler arrangement, or booking a private service that carries its own insurance documentation

Many Miami buildings, particularly in Brickell, Edgewater, and along the Aventura and Sunny Isles corridor, require any private hauler entering the building to provide a Certificate of Insurance before they’re permitted to work inside. It is worth asking your building what documentation they require before booking anything.

For condo residents who need large items removed, LoadUp handles furniture and bulk item removal in Miami and carries the insurance documentation most buildings require. Give the building details at booking and the logistics get handled.

For eligible county residents who don’t want to wait for a scheduled bulky waste appointment, 13 Neighborhood Trash and Recycling Centers (TRCs) across Miami-Dade are open every day from 7 AM to 5:30 PM. The centers accept bulky household items, yard cuttings, construction and demolition debris up to 3 cubic yards per visit, and electronics at most locations. There is no charge for eligible residents.

TRCs close only on MLK Day, July 4th, and Christmas. Use the county’s facility locator to find the nearest center by entering your address.

Bring a valid Florida driver’s license or ID. Your address must match an eligible property in the county customer database. If there is a mismatch, complete the TRC Access Form on miamidade.gov to determine eligibility.

Oversize vehicles are not permitted at TRCs. Oversize means any van with a gross vehicle weight over 11,000 pounds, any pickup over 15,000 pounds, or any trailer bed larger than 10 by 6 by 6 feet.

Note on HHW and renovation debris at TRCs: for household hazardous waste, use the Home Chemical Collection Centers listed in the electronics section above. TRCs accept C&D debris up to 3 cubic yards per visit, the same limit as curbside.

The county program works well when your items qualify, your timing is flexible, and you still have pickups left for the year. A lot of situations in Miami don’t fit that description.

• You live in a condo or apartment building not served by county curbside collection
• You’ve already used both annual pickups and the next calendar year is months away
• You need items gone today or this week and can’t wait for a scheduled appointment
• You have electronics that need to leave today and neither HCCC location is convenient
• You have more than 3 cubic yards of construction or renovation debris
• You are in the City of Miami and need more than 3 items or need same-day removal
• Your building requires a COI from any hauler who enters
• You need items carried out from inside the home, not just brought to the curb

LoadUp provides junk removal across Miami-Dade for situations the county program doesn’t fit. Upfront pricing before you book, same-day and next-day availability, and your Loaders will handle the lifting from anywhere, whether it’s by the curb or in the attic. No separate appointment for appliances. No mattress bag required on your end.

For furniture and household items still in usable condition, LoadUp routes eligible items to donation partners including Goodwill, Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity, and the Furniture Bank Association of North America.