Winter Haven, FL · bulk pickup rules
Bulk Trash Pickup Rules in Winter Haven, FL
Winter Haven doesn't run a free bulk day. Bulk pickup is an a la carte, scheduled-only service billed per item: $17.58 for an appliance, $14.69 for a piece of furniture, $15.67 per cubic yard for other junk. Brush is free up to 5 cubic yards. Every line below was read from mywinterhaven.com on 2026-09-19.
5.0 · 119 Google reviews · Davenport & Polk County
Winter Haven's Solid Waste Division serves addresses inside the city limits, and you can tell by the carts: blue and green means city, gray and black means Polk County. County customers should read the county's rules instead.
The city splits big-item service in two. Brush pickup handles tree trimmings and yard vegetation. Bulk pickup handles household items too large for the garbage container, and it only happens when you schedule it through Access Winter Haven.
Every rule on this page was read from the authority's own page and carries its source and the date it was checked, most recently . Anything the authority doesn't state is left out rather than guessed. Rules change; the sources are linked at the bottom.
Who picks up bulk items in Winter Haven
| Rule | What the authority says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | City of Winter Haven Solid Waste Division, for customers inside the city limits with blue and green containers. Gray and black containers are Polk County's; call 863-284-4319. | City of Winter Haven: Solid Waste & Recycling (2026-09-19) |
| How to schedule | Bulk pickup is a scheduled-only service. Schedule it using Access Winter Haven, or call the division at 863-291-5756. | City of Winter Haven: Brush & Bulk Pick-Ups (2026-09-19); City of Winter Haven: Solid Waste & Recycling (2026-09-19) |
| What qualifies | Household items that are too large to fit inside your garbage container. | City of Winter Haven: Brush & Bulk Pick-Ups (2026-09-19); City of Winter Haven: Solid Waste & Recycling (2026-09-19) |
Bulk pickup rates per item
The city bills bulk pickup a la carte. These are the posted rates.
| Rule | What the authority says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Appliances | $17.58 per item (refrigerator, water heater, dryer, etc.). | City of Winter Haven: Brush & Bulk Pick-Ups (2026-09-19) |
| Furniture | $14.69 per item (couch, mattress, armchair, etc.). | City of Winter Haven: Brush & Bulk Pick-Ups (2026-09-19) |
| Other junk | Non-horticultural refuse, excluding furniture and appliances: $15.67 per cubic yard. | City of Winter Haven: Brush & Bulk Pick-Ups (2026-09-19) |
| Tires and hazardous items | Special rates may apply for tires or other items deemed hazardous. | City of Winter Haven: Brush & Bulk Pick-Ups (2026-09-19) |
Brush and yard waste rules
| Rule | What the authority says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Free allowance | Up to 5 cubic yards per collection is free. At 5 cubic yards or above, it's $7.36 per additional cubic yard. | City of Winter Haven: Brush & Bulk Pick-Ups (2026-09-19) |
| Size limit | Trees cut into sections 4 feet or less. Larger sections will not be collected. Leaves, bushes and branches bagged or bundled. | City of Winter Haven: Brush & Bulk Pick-Ups (2026-09-19) |
| Not in the garbage cart | No yard waste, hot ashes or coals, recyclables, household hazardous waste, medical waste, paint or electronics in the container. | City of Winter Haven: Residential Garbage (2026-09-19) |
Construction debris and hazardous waste
| Rule | What the authority says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Construction and demolition | Bulk C&D goes in a rented roll-off container; email the Solid Waste Division. If the repair needed a city permit or a private contractor did the job, the homeowner or contractor must remove the debris. Bend protruding nails over before placing lumber curbside. | City of Winter Haven: Brush & Bulk Pick-Ups (2026-09-19) |
| Hazardous and e-waste | Never set out for curbside pickup. Take paint, chemicals, batteries, fuel, and electronics like TVs, computers and printers to Polk County's Household Hazardous Waste facility at 5 Environmental Loop S., Friday 8 a.m. to noon and Saturday 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. | City of Winter Haven: Hazardous & E-Waste (2026-09-19) |
| Cart placement | Curbside by 7 am on collection day, at least three feet from other containers, mailboxes, hydrants and poles, and not on sidewalks, streets, storm drains or a neighbor's property. | City of Winter Haven: Residential Garbage (2026-09-19) |
The honest comparison
When Big Rob's makes more sense than the city in Winter Haven
Winter Haven's per-item pricing is fair for one dryer or one couch you can drag to the road yourself. It stops adding up when you're clearing a whole room: five pieces of furniture, two appliances and a pile of boxes turns into a list of line items and a scheduled date, and every one of them has to be at the curb before the truck comes. Nothing gets carried out of the house.
Rob works Winter Haven most days and usually gets there the same day or the next. One flat number covers the labor, the truck and the dump: From $125 for a single piece, $225 for a quarter of the trailer, $350 for half, $525 for three-quarters, $700 for a full load. Fridges and freezers go to the scrap yard where the refrigerant is recovered. 5.0 stars on 119 Google reviews.
Junk Removal in Winter Haven · Polk County landfills and drop-offs · How pricing works
Questions
Winter Haven questions
Does Winter Haven have a free bulk trash day?
No. Bulk pickup in Winter Haven is a scheduled, per-item service: $17.58 for an appliance, $14.69 for a piece of furniture, and $15.67 per cubic yard for other junk. Brush is the only free category, up to 5 cubic yards per collection.
How do I schedule a bulk pickup in Winter Haven, FL?
Request it through Access Winter Haven, the city's service portal, or call the Solid Waste Division at 863-291-5756. It's scheduled-only, so nothing gets picked up unless you book it.
Will Winter Haven pick up construction debris at the curb?
Not as bulk pickup. The city says bulk construction and demolition material goes in a rented roll-off, and debris from permitted work or a hired contractor is the homeowner's or contractor's to remove.
Sources
- City of Winter Haven: Solid Waste & Recycling · verified
- City of Winter Haven: Brush & Bulk Pick-Ups · verified
- City of Winter Haven: Residential Garbage · verified
- City of Winter Haven: Hazardous & E-Waste · verified
Left out on purpose
- Which day of the week bulk items are collected after scheduling: the city says scheduled-only and gives no lead time or day.
- Whether refrigerators must be emptied or have doors removed, and whether Freon units are priced differently: the appliance rate names 'refrigerator' with no conditions.
- The actual tire rate and what 'deemed hazardous' covers: the city says only that special rates may apply.
- Placement rules for bulk items (distance from curb or objects): the city posts placement rules for carts, not for bulk piles.
- Roll-off rental pricing for C&D: the city says to email the division.
Rather not wait on Winter Haven?
Call before noon and it's usually gone today. Or text a photo of the pile and Rob sends back a flat quote.
5.0 · 119 Google reviews · Winter Haven, FL