Bulk Trash Pickup in Milwaukee, WI: Rules, Limits and Fees
What Milwaukee 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 Milwaukee 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 | No charge, and no request needed: you do not call or fill anything in for the first cubic yard. | One cubic yard of bulky items — about a recliner, or two garbage carts — at your regular collection point on your regular day. | A queen mattress is the city's own example of a bulky item, so it goes out with that free cubic yard. |
| Booked city collection | $75 for one to four cubic yards, and $225 for four to six. | Six cubic yards is the ceiling. Above it — and for loose material or mixed loads such as construction waste, recyclables, tires or brush — the city does not run a special pickup at all; the property is referred to the Department of Neighborhood Services as a violation. | Anything over that first cubic yard. The pile still goes to the collection point, but the pickup has to be requested and paid for. |
| 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
Anything over that first cubic yard. The pile still goes to the collection point, but the pickup has to be requested and paid for.
- How many items
- Six cubic yards is the ceiling. Above it — and for loose material or mixed loads such as construction waste, recyclables, tires or brush — the city does not run a special pickup at all; the property is referred to the Department of Neighborhood Services as a violation.
- How to book
- Request the special pickup online or on 414-286-CITY (2489) after the items are at the collection point.
- What it costs
- $75 for one to four cubic yards, and $225 for four to six.
Putting it out with your regular trash in Milwaukee
A queen mattress is the city's own example of a bulky item, so it goes out with that free cubic yard.
- How many items
- One cubic yard of bulky items — about a recliner, or two garbage carts — at your regular collection point on your regular day.
- What it costs
- No charge, and no request needed: you do not call or fill anything in for the first cubic yard.
- Good to know
- The service only covers properties whose collection is done by City of Milwaukee Sanitation Services. Yard waste, electronics and TVs, appliances and tires do not count as bulky waste at all — those go to a Drop Off Center.
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 local pros in Milwaukee 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 Milwaukee →
What people actually pay — measured, not estimated
And a flat rate is only one company's number. When we put one real job out to bid, 12 local pros priced the same pile from the same photos: $225 to $1,250, median $525. Nobody else publishes this, because nobody else runs the auction.
Bulk pickup in Milwaukee — common questions
How many bulk items can I put out at once in Milwaukee?
One cubic yard of bulky items — about a recliner, or two garbage carts — at your regular collection point on your regular day.
What needs an appointment in Milwaukee instead of going out with the trash?
Anything over that first cubic yard. The pile still goes to the collection point, but the pickup has to be requested and paid for.
How do I book a bulk pickup in Milwaukee?
Request the special pickup online or on 414-286-CITY (2489) after the items are at the collection point. Six cubic yards is the ceiling. Above it — and for loose material or mixed loads such as construction waste, recyclables, tires or brush — the city does not run a special pickup at all; the property is referred to the Department of Neighborhood Services as a violation.
What does a bulk collection cost in Milwaukee?
$75 for one to four cubic yards, and $225 for four to six.
Will the trash collectors take a mattress in Milwaukee?
A queen mattress is the city's own example of a bulky item, so it goes out with that free cubic yard.
Where this comes from
Checked against official sources on 2026-09-15. City rules change — if something here does not match, the city page wins.
More on getting rid of stuff in Milwaukee
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