Yard Waste & Tree Limb Pickup in Orlando & Orange County, FL: Weekly Limits, Bundling Rules, and Drop-Off Fees
✓ Last verified against official sources · see sources
Quick answer
- City of Orlando: up to 4 cubic yards a week (about a standard pickup-truck bed). Branches no more than 4 inches thick and 4 feet long, tied in bundles up to 40 lbs; bags up to 40 lbs each. Set out at the curb before 6 a.m. on your yard waste day. Questions: 407.246.2314.
- Unincorporated Orange County: up to 3 cubic yards a week (about three stoves), collected on your recycling day. Cut limbs and palm fronds to 3 feet or less, bundle with string or twine, and keep each bundle, bag, or can under 60 lbs (cans 50 gallons or less). Set out between 6 p.m. the night before and 6 a.m. Questions: 407-836-6601.
- Never put yard waste in your garbage or recycling cart, and don't mix it with garbage, recyclables, or large items. In the City, a garbage cart with yard waste in it won't be emptied.
- Too much or too big? Haul it to the Orange County Landfill (
5901 Young Pine Rd, Mon–Sat 8 a.m.–5 p.m.) at $48.70/ton ($10 minimum, effective Oct 1, 2026). Porter and McLeod Road transfer stations take yard waste on Saturdays only, at the $56.40/ton garbage rate.
First: city or county?
Yard waste limits depend on who collects your trash. An Orlando mailing address doesn't mean you're inside City of Orlando limits. Check the City Limits map. If you're in unincorporated Orange County, the County's rules apply. Other cities such as Winter Park, Apopka, Ocoee, and Winter Garden run their own programs.
City vs. county limits at a glance
| Rule | City of Orlando | Unincorporated Orange County |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly limit | 4 cubic yards (a standard pickup-truck bed) | 3 cubic yards (about three stoves) |
| Branch size | Up to 4 in. diameter and 4 ft long | Cut to 3 ft or less (stumps too) |
| Bundles | Tied, up to 40 lbs | String or twine, under 60 lbs |
| Bags / cans | Bags up to 40 lbs | Your own bags or cans, 50 gal or less, under 60 lbs; cans need a tight lid and side handles |
| Pickup day | Your yard waste day (look it up) | Same day as recycling (look it up) |
| Set-out time | Before 6 a.m. | 6 p.m. the night before to 6 a.m. |
| Questions | 407.246.2314, [email protected] |
407-836-6601, [email protected] |
City of Orlando yard waste rules
- What counts: only grass clippings, leaves, branches, and twigs.
- Bag it or bundle it. Loose piles in the street or blown into the gutter can clog storm drains and cause flooding. The City asks you to "bag it, don't blow it."
- Placement: at the curb in front of your home, not in the street. Keep it out from under utility lines and tree branches, away from mailboxes, utility poles, fire hydrants, and water meters, and off of or in front of storm drains.
- Not yard waste: dirt, rock, gravel, landscape ties, fences, and pressure-treated landscape wood.
- Not in your carts. If yard waste is in your garbage cart, the City won't empty the cart until it's removed.
- More than 4 cubic yards? Contact Solid Waste to schedule an additional pickup. The City says there's a fee but doesn't publish the price. For a claw truck, email
[email protected]for a quote. - Hired a tree service? The City says tree services should remove everything they cut. If the City removes tree trimmings, the resident is charged.
- Missed pickup? Use the City's missed pickup form.
Unincorporated Orange County yard waste rules
- What counts: vegetative landscaping material, including grass and tree and shrub trimmings.
- Pickup day changed: since December 29, 2025, yard waste and recycling are collected on a different day than garbage and large items. Check your current schedule.
- Use your own bags or cans. Each must be 50 gallons or less and under 60 lbs when full. Cans must be waterproof with a tight-fitting lid and handles on the sides.
- Limbs, fronds, and stumps: cut to 3 feet or less and bundle with string or twine, under 60 lbs per bundle or piece.
- Don't mix yard waste with garbage, recyclables, or large items, and keep it away from meters and utility boxes.
- Don't burn it. Burning yard waste is prohibited in Orange County (open burning rules).
- Missed pickup? Email
[email protected]or call 407-836-6601. The County says reports made before 11 a.m. are usually collected the same day.
After a hurricane, different rules apply. See our storm debris guide.
Hauling it yourself: Orange County disposal sites
Open to all residents. Rates effective October 1, 2026. Minimum charge $10.00. Uncovered loads are charged double, and a load mixed with lumber or trash pays the higher rate. Payment is cash, check, or major credit card.
| Site | Hours | Yard waste |
|---|---|---|
| Orange County Landfill, 5901 Young Pine Rd, Orlando 32829 | Mon–Sat 8 a.m.–5 p.m. | $48.70/ton |
| Porter Transfer Station, 1326 Good Homes Rd, Orlando 32818 | Mon–Sat 8 a.m.–5 p.m. | Saturdays only, $56.40/ton |
| McLeod Road Transfer Station, 5000 L.B. McLeod Rd, Orlando 32811 | Mon–Sat 8 a.m.–5 p.m. | Saturdays only, $56.40/ton |
All three close on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Phone: 407-836-6601. More details are in our landfill and transfer station guide.
Too much to bundle? Paid pickup
If you've cleared a whole tree, have more than the weekly limit, or just don't want to cut limbs into 3- or 4-foot pieces, a local hauling crew can load it for you.
What we couldn't verify
- The City of Orlando's fee for an extra yard waste pickup or claw truck. The City quotes these by request and doesn't publish a price.
- Free compost or mulch for residents. Orange County's landfill page has had a free compost program, but the current page doesn't show it as available. Call 407-836-6601 before you go.
- Whether the County picks up loose (unbagged, unbundled) grass or leaves. The County's rules only describe bags, cans, and bundles, so bag it to be safe.
Frequently asked questions
How much yard waste will the City of Orlando pick up each week?
Up to 4 cubic yards per week, about what fits in the bed of a standard pickup truck. Branches can be no more than 4 inches in diameter and 4 feet long, tied in bundles of up to 40 lbs, and bags can weigh up to 40 lbs each. Put it at the curb before 6 a.m. on your yard waste day. For anything larger, contact City Solid Waste at 407.246.2314 to schedule an additional pickup for a fee.
How do I bundle tree limbs for Orange County yard waste pickup?
In unincorporated Orange County, cut limbs, palm fronds, and similar items to three feet or less and tie them with string or twine. Each bundle must weigh less than 60 pounds. Stumps must be cut into pieces no longer than three feet and under 60 pounds each. The weekly limit is three cubic yards per household.
What day is yard waste picked up in unincorporated Orange County?
Yard waste is collected once a week on the same day as recycling, which is a different day than garbage and large items since the County's new schedule started December 29, 2025. Look up your days at ocfl.net/CollectionSchedule and set yard waste out between 6 p.m. the night before and 6 a.m. on collection day.
Where can I drop off yard waste in Orange County?
The Orange County Landfill at 5901 Young Pine Rd accepts yard waste Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., at $48.70 per ton with a $10 minimum (rates effective October 1, 2026). Porter and McLeod Road transfer stations accept yard waste on Saturdays only, charged at the $56.40 per ton garbage rate. Cover your load, because uncovered loads are charged double.
Sources
- City of Orlando: Ensure Your Yard Waste Gets Picked Up (What counts as yard waste, set out before 6 a.m., 4 cubic yards per week, 4-inch by 4-foot branches in 40 lb bundles, 40 lb bags, larger amounts need an extra pickup for a fee, excluded materials, no yard waste in carts, placement rules, Solid Waste 407.246.2314)
- City of Orlando: Solid Waste Division (yard waste rules) (Weekly yard waste collection, claw truck quotes via [email protected], tree services should remove what they cut, large items go out on yard waste day)
- City of Orlando: Trash, Recycling & Yard Waste Pick-Up Schedule (Looking up your City yard waste day)
- Orange County Utilities: What Goes Where (Yard Waste) (County yard waste definition, collected on recycling day, set-out window, 3 cubic yards per week, cans and bags 50 gallons or less and under 60 lbs, 3-foot limbs and stumps, bundling with twine, don't mix with other waste, missed-pickup reporting, Solid Waste Hotline 407-836-6601)
- Orange County Newsroom: New Curbside Collection Days (Dec 29, 2025) (Yard waste and recycling now collected on a different day than garbage and large items (since Dec 29, 2025), once-a-week yard waste continues, 6 a.m. set-out)
- Orange County: Open Burning Rules (Burning yard waste is prohibited in Orange County)
- Orange County Utilities: Landfill and Transfer Stations (Hours & Oct 1, 2026 Rates) (Landfill and transfer station addresses and hours, yard waste $48.70/ton at landfill and $56.40/ton at transfer stations (Saturdays only), $10 minimum, uncovered loads double, mixed loads charged the higher rate, payment methods)
- City of Orlando: Do I Live in City Limits? (Map lookup for City of Orlando vs. unincorporated Orange County)
All sources re-checked on Oct 25, 2026.