Bulk Trash Pickup Rules: Davenport, Haines City, Kissimmee

Before you call me, you should know what your city will haul for free. Sometimes that's the right answer. Here's what each city's own page says about bulk pickup in Davenport, Haines City, Kissimmee and Lakeland, and the four situations where waiting on it costs you more than it saves.

I read each city's page for this. Rules and fees change, so confirm with the link in the sources before you drag a couch to the curb.

How does bulk pickup work in Davenport?

The City of Davenport's FAQ lists bulk and yard waste as a collection service and says your pickup day depends on your location. It tells residents to call City Hall at (863) 419-3300 to get that day. The Public Services page names the department that handles trash removal and links to a Republic Services holiday schedule, so Republic is the hauler on the city side.

One thing to know: a lot of "Davenport" addresses aren't inside the city. The subdivisions off US-27, Ronald Reagan Parkway and around ChampionsGate are mostly unincorporated Polk County or Osceola County. If that's you, the city's rules don't apply. Check Polk County Solid Waste's page or call the county for your hauler and bulk rules.

How does bulk pickup work in Haines City?

Haines City's Garbage & Recycling page is the clearest of the four. Bulk waste is collected on your regular garbage collection day. Accepted items include household furniture such as tables, chairs, dressers, mattresses, box springs and desks, and appliances such as air conditioners, refrigerators, grills, dryers, freezers, stoves, washers and water heaters.

What it won't take: the page lists construction and demolition debris as unacceptable, and says stumps and tree trunks are not accepted with yard waste or claw truck collection. Yard waste goes out on garbage day; limbs must be stacked and no longer than five feet. For a large pile that needs the claw truck, the page says to call Public Works at 863-421-3777.

How does bulk pickup work in Kissimmee?

The City of Kissimmee's Get Large Items Picked Up page runs bulk collection weekly on a set day that varies by address. Items go curbside by 7 a.m. on your bulk day, at least four feet from other objects, not blocking sidewalks or storm drains, and not mixed with garbage or yard waste. The page asks you to call 407-518-2507 before leaving bulk waste out.

Accepted: furniture, appliances, mattresses, swing sets, large boxes, and large tree trimmings or landscape debris. Kissimmee charges by the cubic yard, up to a 12-cubic-yard maximum. The page describes a cubic yard as roughly the size of a washing machine. Excluded: material generated by a private contractor, and items left in the right-of-way as giveaways. Fridge doors go down or come off.

How does bulk pickup work in Lakeland?

The City of Lakeland's Large Bulk Pickups page works by request. Email customer service with your address and what's at the curb, or call 863-834-8773. Customers get four free yard waste or bulk junk collections per calendar year, up to 20 cubic yards each. Beyond that there's a per-yard charge; check the page for current rates.

Accepted: bulk yard waste up to eight feet long, used furniture, mattresses, box springs, bed frames, couches, chairs, and used appliances including refrigerators, air conditioners, water heaters, washers and dryers. Small amounts of construction debris from homeowner maintenance are okay. Large construction or demolition debris is not. Refrigerator and freezer doors must be removed before pickup.

Side by side

When does a hauler beat waiting?

Four situations. If none of these apply, use the city and save your money.

1. You have a deadline. A closing, a tenant moving in Friday, a guest checking in. Bulk pickup runs on the city's day, not yours. I come when you call, usually the same day near Davenport.
2. The pile is over the limit. A whole-house cleanout is many multiples of 12 or 20 cubic yards. Kissimmee caps at 12. Lakeland's free allowance is 20 per pickup, four times a year. A dump trailer takes 14 or 16 yards a trip and I'll run as many trips as it takes.
3. It's something the city won't take. Construction debris, a demolished shed, concrete, a contractor's leftovers. Every city above excludes most of that. It's my normal Tuesday.
4. You can't get it to the curb. The city collects from the curb. A sectional on the third floor, a fridge in a back bedroom, a garage you can't walk through. My crew carries it out. That's most of what you're paying for.

What about the towns in between?

Loughman, Four Corners, ChampionsGate and most of the new subdivisions with a Davenport mailing address aren't inside any city. They're unincorporated Polk County or Osceola County, and the county contracts the hauler. The rules and the bulk-pickup process differ from the cities above, and I didn't find them stated clearly enough on the county's page to repeat here. Call your county's solid waste office or check its site before you set anything out.

Winter Haven, Auburndale, Lake Wales and Bartow each run their own programs too. Same advice: their page beats my memory.

Three mistakes I see every week

1. Setting it out on the wrong day. In Haines City and Kissimmee the bulk day is tied to your address. A couch on the curb for six days gets a code-enforcement note and a soaked cushion.
2. Mixing piles. Kissimmee says bulk can't be mixed with yard waste or garbage. Lakeland separates yard waste from junk too. One mixed pile can mean nothing gets picked up.
3. Putting out contractor debris. Every city above excludes it. If a contractor tore out your kitchen, the debris is the contractor's problem or a hauler's. The city truck will drive past it.

None of this is a knock on the cities. Free bulk pickup is a good deal when your item fits the rules and you can wait. When it doesn't, that's what I'm for.

What Big Rob's does here

The junk removal page covers what goes on the trailer, and single item pickup is the fast version for the one couch the city won't take this week. I run Davenport and Haines City same day most days, Kissimmee most days, and Lakeland on a schedule.

Check your city's page first. If it can't wait or they won't take it, call or text (863) 225-2147.