What Denton's Bulk Trash Pickup Takes, and When to Call a Hauler

The City of Denton will pick up bulky household items like sofas, mattresses and tables from your curb on your collection day, as long as you schedule it ahead. As of September 2026, residents get up to two bulky items a week at no additional fee. Construction and remodeling materials and bags of trash don't count as bulky items, and appliances with refrigerant or anything with a screen cost extra. Here's how it works, and when it's easier to call us.

What counts as a bulky item

The city defines bulky items as "normal household items that won't fit in a trash cart." Its 2026 service guide names sofas, mattresses and tables as examples. If it's household furniture and it won't fit in your green cart, it probably qualifies.

What costs extra or doesn't qualify

As of September 2026, the city lists these as extra-fee items rather than regular bulky pickup:

• Construction and demolition waste, such as lumber, brick, fencing, drywall, carpet and fixtures
• Televisions, monitors, laptops and anything else with a screen
• Appliances that contain refrigerants or PCBs, like refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners and water coolers

Trash bags and boxes of trash aren't bulky items either. If there's more at the curb than you scheduled, the city still collects it but charges its residential remodeling rate for the extra. The city council sets these rates every year, and they take effect Oct. 1, so check the city's Bulky Waste page for current fees before you set things out.

How to schedule it

Nothing gets picked up unless it's scheduled. You can call City of Denton Customer Service at (940) 349-8700 at least one business day before your collection day, use the city's online Self-Service form, or use the Denton 311 app. The city's web page and its printed guide list different lead times for the online options, so schedule early rather than cutting it close.

Brush is a separate service

Tree limbs and brush go out on your regular collection day under their own rules. As of September 2026, the city collects up to four cubic yards of brush a week at no additional charge, which it describes as about the size of four washing machines. Limbs need to be cut to the length the city specifies, stacked in one pile with the cut ends toward the street, set at least four feet from carts, and out by 7 a.m. Leaves and clippings go in Kraft paper bags or a city yard waste cart. Plastic bags aren't collected.

Apartments aren't eligible

The city's rate ordinance says residential collection services aren't available to residents of apartments, dormitories or other multifamily housing. If you rent in a complex, ask your property manager how bulky items are handled there.

Outside Denton city limits

Every town in the county runs its own program, usually through a contracted hauler, and the limits vary a lot. Flower Mound takes up to four cubic yards of bulk or brush a week. Krum picks up bulk and bundled brush once a month. Check your own town's rules before you drag anything to the curb. Our Denton County service area page links to each town we serve.

Where the city's pickup stops

The city service is a good deal for a couch or a mattress you can get to the curb and leave out until pickup day. It's less helpful when:

• You have more than a couple of items. Past two a week, the extra fees start adding up.
• The items are still inside. The city takes it from the curb. We load from wherever it is: a back bedroom, the attic, the garage or the backyard. Our furniture removal service covers couches, sectionals, bedroom sets and more.
• The brush pile isn't cut and stacked. With yard debris removal, we load it as it lies.
• It's an old fridge or freezer. Those cost extra at the curb anyway, and appliance removal gets it out of the garage for you.
• You can't wait for the schedule. Same-day service is sometimes possible with us, though not always, because Damon works fire shifts and has a family.

That's where we come in. We price by how much space your items take up in the truck or trailer, and a text with 1–3 photos gets you a rough quote. The firm price is confirmed on site before we load anything.

Timing matters more than people expect. One customer needed two couches gone before new ones arrived: