Bulk Trash Pickup in San Antonio, TX: Rules, Limits and Fees
What San Antonio 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 San Antonio 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 for the two scheduled collections. A fee only starts if you ask for one out of cycle. | Twice a year, and each time a single pile of no more than eight cubic yards, placed within eight feet of the curb. | Mattresses are on the accepted bulky list, so one goes out with the scheduled bulky collection rather than needing its own route. |
| Booked city collection | Priced by the size of the pile against the city's published rates, so there is no single figure — the estimate comes before you pay. | — | Anything that will not wait for one of the two scheduled collections — the city calls it an out-of-cycle collection. |
| 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 that will not wait for one of the two scheduled collections — the city calls it an out-of-cycle collection.
- How to book
- Request it online or on 3-1-1 / 210-207-6000. A staff member gives a free estimate first, and once the fee is paid the collection is made within two working days.
- What it costs
- Priced by the size of the pile against the city's published rates, so there is no single figure — the estimate comes before you pay.
Putting it out with your regular trash in San Antonio
Mattresses are on the accepted bulky list, so one goes out with the scheduled bulky collection rather than needing its own route.
- How many items
- Twice a year, and each time a single pile of no more than eight cubic yards, placed within eight feet of the curb.
- What it costs
- No charge for the two scheduled collections. A fee only starts if you ask for one out of cycle.
- Good to know
- A door hanger arrives seven to ten days ahead with the week your pile should be out, and the pile has to be ready by 7 a.m. on the Monday of that week — the date on the hanger is the set-out date, not the collection day, and crews can take a week to work through the route. Brush and bulky go in separate piles: if the bulky pile has brush in it, is obstructed, or goes out after the crew has passed, the fine runs up to $2,000 a day plus a collection and disposal fee. Bulky takes barbecue grills, small pieces of carpeting, up to six car tires without rims, fencing, furniture, large appliances, mattresses, up to three TVs and water heaters. It will not take brush, leaves or yard waste, concrete, construction or demolition material, glass and mirrors, household hazardous waste, roofing material, or soil and rocks.
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 San Antonio 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 San Antonio →
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 San Antonio — common questions
How many bulk items can I put out at once in San Antonio?
Twice a year, and each time a single pile of no more than eight cubic yards, placed within eight feet of the curb.
What needs an appointment in San Antonio instead of going out with the trash?
Anything that will not wait for one of the two scheduled collections — the city calls it an out-of-cycle collection.
How do I book a bulk pickup in San Antonio?
Request it online or on 3-1-1 / 210-207-6000. A staff member gives a free estimate first, and once the fee is paid the collection is made within two working days.
What does a bulk collection cost in San Antonio?
Priced by the size of the pile against the city's published rates, so there is no single figure — the estimate comes before you pay.
Will the trash collectors take a mattress in San Antonio?
Mattresses are on the accepted bulky list, so one goes out with the scheduled bulky collection rather than needing its own route.
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 San Antonio
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