Bulk trash pickup

What 7 US cities will take at the curb, what they want prepared first, and where the rest goes. Read from each city’s own published rules.

Refrigerators are the ones to check. Four of the seven will not take one at the curb. Each names another service that does. The other three want the refrigerant removed first.

The same item, city by city

Each city’s answer in its own words, with a link to the full rules. Where a city publishes no rule we say so rather than guessing, because not stated and not allowed are different answers.

Yes: put it out at the curb, nothing to do first
Yes, if prepared: it goes out at the curb, once you have got it ready
Elsewhere: your city still takes it, just not on this collection, and it says where
No: not collected, and the city names nowhere to take it
Not stated: the city publishes no rule for this

Building or remodeling debris

AustinNo: Plywood, bricks, rocks, cinder blocks, stone, concrete, sheet rock, insulation, flooring, shingles, siding, roofing, sheet glass and mirrors are all excluded. The city names no alternative for them.
ColumbusElsewhere: Roofing, concrete, drywall, lumber, fencing and railroad ties are all construction waste, which is yours to dispose of through a licensed hauler.
DenverNo: Concrete, bricks, fencing and pallets are all excluded, and so are stumps, dirt and sod.
GreensboroYes, if prepared: Only from your own small projects, in up to two 32-gallon personal containers with handles and a loose lid, under 50 pounds each. Bags, boxes and wheelbarrows are not collected.
HoustonYes, if prepared: Up to 4 of your 8 cubic yards, and only material you generated maintaining your own property. Shingles, brick, plaster and concrete are excluded, and sheet rock has to be bagged.
New YorkNot stated
PhoenixYes, if prepared: Only pieces under 25 pounds and under 4 feet long.

A mattress

AustinNot stated
ColumbusYes, if prepared: Anything with fabric on it, leather included, has to be sealed in plastic wrap. Tell 311 when you book if it has been near bed bugs.
DenverYes, if prepared: They have to be bagged and wrapped.
GreensboroYes
HoustonYes
New YorkYes, if prepared: Must be sealed in a plastic bag before it goes out, to stop bed bugs spreading. There is a fine for getting this wrong and the city's own pages disagree about how much, so the requirement is the part to act on.
PhoenixNot stated

Tires

AustinYes, if prepared: Rims off, eight per household, and in their own pile. Truck and tractor tires are not collected.
ColumbusElsewhere: A licensed private hauler. Car batteries count as household hazardous waste instead.
DenverElsewhere: Banned from Colorado landfills. Denver names no site of its own, and says most tire dealers take them for about $2 to $2.50 each.
GreensboroElsewhere: Not collected at the curb.
HoustonYes, if prepared: Up to four passenger tires. Crews separate them from the rest of the pile, and it can take up to a week after the main collection for them to be picked up.
New YorkNot stated
PhoenixElsewhere: Any shape or size. Five passenger tires a year, rims off. No off-road, semi or motorcycle tires.

Carpet

AustinYes, if prepared: Household carpet only. Carpet out of a construction or demolition job is not collected.
ColumbusYes, if prepared: Rolled and tied, no longer than 4 feet and no thicker than 2 feet across.
DenverYes
GreensboroYes, if prepared: Rolled and tied, in lengths of 5 feet at most.
HoustonYes, if prepared: Secure it or bundle it.
New YorkYes, if prepared: Rolled up and tied with twine, set out with trash.
PhoenixNot stated

A television or computer

AustinYes
ColumbusNot stated
DenverElsewhere: Putting electronics in the trash has been illegal in Colorado since 2013.
GreensboroElsewhere: Electronic waste.
HoustonElsewhere: The city says not to set electronic scrap out for heavy trash at all.
New YorkElsewhere: Illegal to put out with trash or recycling, under the New York State Electronic Equipment Recycling and Reuse Act. The city points to retail and non-profit drop-offs, community e-waste events, Special Waste Drop-Off sites, SAFE Disposal events, manufacturer takeback, and ecycleNYC for buildings of 10 or more units.
PhoenixNot stated

A refrigerator or freezer

AustinYes, if prepared: Take the doors off. Austin publishes nothing at all about refrigerant for this service, so ask when you book if that matters to you.
ColumbusElsewhere: Columbus will not take these at all, on any service, and there is no way to make them acceptable. The city tells you to hire a licensed private hauler. Dehumidifiers, heat pumps, water coolers and air conditioners are refused for the same reason.
DenverElsewhere: Not on Large Item Pickup. Denver collects appliances free on a separate appointment and handles the Freon itself. Call 311 or 720-913-1311 to book one.
GreensboroElsewhere: Appliances are not bulk in Greensboro. The city collects them free by appointment on 336-373-2489. Remove or secure the doors and take all the food out first. The city does not say anything about refrigerant, so ask when you book.
HoustonYes, if prepared: Only with a tag from a certified technician showing the refrigerant has been removed. The city does not do this for you and does not name anyone who will, so you arrange it yourself before collection day.
New YorkYes, if prepared: DSNY removes the refrigerant itself, free, and puts a sticker on the appliance; it is collected with your recycling after that. The exception is the one worth knowing: newer units using R600a or R32 refrigerant cannot be collected at all, and the city tells you to contact the manufacturer or a private carter instead.
PhoenixElsewhere: Not in a bulk trash pile. Phoenix collects them on a separate appliance pickup for $25 an item, and you have to take the doors, hinges, lids, glass shelves and latches off first. Call 602-262-6251.

Furniture

AustinYes
ColumbusYes, if prepared: Leave it assembled, and tape any glass. You have to clear up any glass left on the ground afterwards.
DenverYes
GreensboroYes
HoustonYes
New YorkYes: Set out on your trash day rather than your recycling day.
PhoenixYes

What each city takes on its bulk collection
Item	AustinTX	ColumbusOH	DenverCO	GreensboroNC	HoustonTX	New YorkNY	PhoenixAZ
Building or remodeling debris	NoConstruction and remodeling debris	ElsewhereBuilding and excavating material	NoConstruction material	Yes, if preparedConstruction debris	Yes, if preparedBuilding material	Not stated	Yes, if preparedConstruction and demolition material
A mattress	Not stated	Yes, if preparedMattresses and upholstered furniture	Yes, if preparedMattresses and box springs	YesMattresses and box springs	YesMattresses and box springs	Yes, if preparedMattresses and box springs	Not stated
Tires	Yes, if preparedPassenger car tires	ElsewhereTires and car parts	Elsewhere	Elsewhere	Yes, if prepared	Not stated	Elsewhere
Carpet	Yes, if prepared	Yes, if prepared	YesRugs and carpet	Yes, if prepared	Yes, if prepared	Yes, if preparedRugs and carpeting	Not stated
A television or computer	YesElectronics	Not stated	ElsewhereElectronics	ElsewhereTelevisions and computers	ElsewhereElectronics	ElsewhereTelevisions, computers and monitors	Not stated
A refrigerator or freezer	Yes, if preparedRefrigerators and freezers	ElsewhereRefrigerators and freezers	ElsewhereRefrigerators and freezers	ElsewhereRefrigerators and freezers	Yes, if preparedRefrigerators and freezers	Yes, if preparedRefrigerators and freezers	ElsewhereRefrigerators and freezers
Furniture	Yes	Yes, if prepared	Yes	Yes	YesHousehold furniture	YesCouches, tables, dressers and other furniture	Yes

The full rules, by city

What each one takes, how much of it, where it goes, when to put it out, and what the city says a mistake costs.

Why the answers differ so much

Why appliances get their own service: Fridges, freezers and air conditioners hold refrigerant, and removing it takes someone certified. That is why most cities here handle them on a separate appointment. The two that take one at the curb both want proof it has been removed.
A no here is usually a yes somewhere else: Most of what a bulk collection turns away, the same city still takes on another service, usually free. Worth checking before you pay a removal firm.
Putting it out too early is its own offence: Several of these cities set an earliest hour as well as a deadline. Houston makes it unlawful to put anything out before 6pm on the Friday before your collection. Each city page carries its own window and what a breach costs there.

Your collection day depends on your address rather than your neighborhood, so two houses on one street can differ. Look up your address for the dates that apply to yours.