Bulk Trash Pickup in Chicago, IL: Rules, Limits and Fees
What Chicago picks up at the curb, how many items you get, what needs an appointment, and what it costs. Straight from the city, checked and dated.
What Chicago collects, and what you do with the rest
Every city route below is capped. Read the last two columns first: they decide whether the city takes your load at all, or only part of it.
| Route | What it costs | How much it takes | The condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Curbside, regular collection day | Included in city service for eligible households. | Weekly cart collection, Monday to Friday, for single-family homes and buildings of four units or less. | Buildings of five units or more get no city collection at all and must arrange a private or licensed scavenger service. Renovation waste is never taken from residents at any volume. Lids stay closed and nothing loose sits outside the container. |
| Booked city collection | — | The city publishes no item count; the ward superintendent decides what will be taken. | Any large item or extra load — a basement or attic clear-out, for example. |
| Hire a hauler | You pay — quotes come from local companies bidding against each other. | No item cap and no wrapping, residency or vehicle rule. | They carry it out; nothing has to reach the curb under its own steam. |
Booking a city pickup
Any large item or extra load — a basement or attic clear-out, for example.
- How many items
- The city publishes no item count; the ward superintendent decides what will be taken.
- How to book
- Arrange it with your ward sanitation superintendent BEFORE anything goes out; call 311 for the ward office. Putting a bulk item out unannounced is a sanitation code violation, not a pickup.
- Good to know
- Refrigerators and freezers must have their doors or lids removed first. Building materials from remodelling belong to the resident and are not collected — that is what a skip or a hauler is for.
Putting it out with your regular trash in Chicago
- How many items
- Weekly cart collection, Monday to Friday, for single-family homes and buildings of four units or less.
- What it costs
- Included in city service for eligible households.
- Good to know
- Buildings of five units or more get no city collection at all and must arrange a private or licensed scavenger service. Renovation waste is never taken from residents at any volume. Lids stay closed and nothing loose sits outside the container.
Or have someone take it
City routes are cheap but slow, and they all assume you can get the item to the curb yourself. If it is upstairs, if it is heavy, or if you need it gone this week, a local pro is the faster answer.
Post the job free, and vetted pros in Chicago bid on it. You pick the offer you like and pay your pro directly — JunkerClub takes no cut of the price.
See what mattress removal costs in Chicago →
Bulk pickup in Chicago — common questions
How many bulk items can I put out at once in Chicago?
Weekly cart collection, Monday to Friday, for single-family homes and buildings of four units or less.
What needs an appointment in Chicago instead of going out with the trash?
Any large item or extra load — a basement or attic clear-out, for example.
How do I book a bulk pickup in Chicago?
Arrange it with your ward sanitation superintendent BEFORE anything goes out; call 311 for the ward office. Putting a bulk item out unannounced is a sanitation code violation, not a pickup. The city publishes no item count; the ward superintendent decides what will be taken.
Where and when do I put the items out in Chicago?
Refrigerators and freezers must have their doors or lids removed first. Building materials from remodelling belong to the resident and are not collected — that is what a skip or a hauler is for.
Where this comes from
Checked against official sources on 2026-09-03. City rules change — if something here does not match, the city page wins.
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