01The short answer
In Polk County, who collects your bulk trash depends on which side of a city limit you live on, and plenty of Davenport, Lakeland and Haines City mailing addresses are in the unincorporated county. County customers get furniture and appliance collection once a month on a set day, with nothing to book. Inside the cities the rules run from weekly pickup with the garbage (Bartow, Haines City) to four free pickups a year (Lakeland) to paying by the item (Winter Haven). Almost none of them take construction debris, and the county will not take eviction or move-out loads.
Every rule below comes from the county's or the city's own website, checked on 2 October 2026. Rules and fees change, usually on 1 October, so the phone number for each place is listed with it.
02City or county: which one are you?
A Davenport, Lakeland or Haines City mailing address does not mean the city collects your trash. Many of those addresses sit outside city limits, in unincorporated Polk County, and a few Davenport addresses on the ChampionsGate side are in Osceola County altogether.
- Your trash is on a city utility bill: the city collects. Find your city in section 04.
- It is a solid waste assessment on your Polk County property tax bill: the county collects. Section 03 is yours.
- Still not sure: the county's "Find Your Collection Day" map on polkfl.gov looks up county customers by address, and Polk County Solid Waste answers on (863) 284-4319.
03Unincorporated Polk County
The county calls it furniture and appliance collection; it used to be called bulk waste collection. GFL collects in the east of the county, FCC Environmental in the west, and county crews cover the south.
| Question | County rule |
|---|---|
| How often | Once a month, on a pre-set day. You do not call to book it |
| Set-out | By 6 AM, within 3 ft of the curb and at least 3 ft from anything fixed |
| What goes | Household items that were not structurally attached to the house, appliances included |
| Limit | None published |
| Cost | Covered by the annual solid waste assessment |
| Yard waste | Weekly, on garbage day. Up to 4 containers or bundles, each under 30 lb, branches no longer than 3 ft or thicker than 2 in |
What the county leaves at the curb
- Construction debris, and eviction or move-out loads. Both are named.
- Cars, boats, tires, auto parts and engines.
- Whole trees, stumps, logs, root systems and land-clearing debris.
- Household hazardous waste: lead-acid batteries, used oil and filters, and anything toxic, corrosive or flammable. Also asbestos, explosives, propane cylinders, biomedical waste and sharps.
04City by city
| City | How bulk pickup works | Ask |
|---|---|---|
| Lakeland | Four free bulk or yard waste pickups a year, up to 20 cubic yards each. Request by phone or email | (863) 834-8773 |
| Winter Haven | Paid by the item, booked through Access Winter Haven | Access Winter Haven |
| Haines City | Weekly, on your garbage day. Furniture and appliances | (863) 421-3777 |
| Davenport (city) | Through the city's Public Services department. Bulk rules are not posted online | (863) 419-3300 |
| Auburndale | By request, for an extra charge | (863) 965-5511 |
| Bartow | Weekly, on your garbage day. No request needed | (863) 534-0181 |
| Lake Wales | Weekly, collected by Republic Services | (863) 665-1489 |
| Lake Alfred | Three free scoops of yard debris and trash a week | (863) 298-5458 |
| Mulberry | Every other Monday, by appointment | (863) 425-1125, option 2 |
| Eagle Lake | Every Friday, collected by Republic Services | (863) 293-4141 |
| Dundee | Thursday and Friday. Call at least 24 hours before your trash day | (863) 438-8330 ext. 280 |
| Frostproof | Monday and Friday, collected by Trash Taxi | (863) 635-7855 |
| Polk City | Appliances and tires without rims, by appointment | (863) 984-8423 |
| Fort Meade | Weekly garbage and yard pickup by Republic Services. Bulk rules not posted | (863) 285-1100 ext. 238 |
Lakeland
The city serves addresses inside city limits only. Each household gets four free collections a year of up to 20 cubic yards each, for bulk junk or yard waste: furniture, mattresses, box springs, bed frames, couches and chairs. Appliances go on a separate truck for recycling, and refrigerator and freezer doors must come off. Large amounts of construction debris are refused; a little from your own upkeep is fine. After the four, the city charges $13.81 a cubic yard with a $30.66 minimum, the rate in force since 1 October 2025. Yard waste piles bigger than 6 ft by 4 ft count as a bulk pickup.
Winter Haven
Bulk is an a la carte service, scheduled only, through the city's Access Winter Haven app and portal. The city's fee schedule for 2025-26 lists major appliances at $17.58 an item, sofas, mattresses and chairs at $14.69, electronics at $13.06, tires without rims at $6.98 each with four per pickup, and other non-yard junk at $15.67 a cubic yard. Up to 5 cubic yards of brush a week is free. Construction and demolition debris is not collected; the city points you to a roll-off.
Haines City
Bulk goes out with the garbage on your collection day: tables, chairs, dressers, mattresses, box springs, desks, and appliances from air conditioners and refrigerators to washers, dryers and water heaters. Bagged yard waste goes the same day, and limbs stacked at the curb can be no longer than 5 ft. A pile big enough to need the claw truck is collected on a Wednesday if you call Public Works on (863) 421-3777. Four tires a year, rims off, are picked up on the third Saturday of the month. Construction debris, auto parts and batteries are refused.
Davenport
Inside city limits, trash removal runs through the city's Public Services department, whose page carries Republic Services' holiday schedule. The city does not post its bulk rules online, so call City Hall on (863) 419-3300. Outside city limits you are a county customer, on the monthly schedule in section 03.
Auburndale
Bulk collection is by request and costs extra; the city quotes the rate when you call. Separate the pile into large yard debris, furniture, construction materials, appliances, tires and lumber before the truck comes. Residents can drop motor oil, antifreeze and car batteries at Public Works on weekdays, 7 AM to 4:30 PM.
Bartow
Junk, furniture, tires, appliances and yard waste are collected once a week on the same day as your garbage, with no request and no extra charge. Construction and demolition debris has to go in a city roll-off.
The smaller cities
- Lake Wales: Republic Services collects bulk and yard waste weekly, after a few months of every-other-week service in 2025. Out by 6 AM.
- Lake Alfred: three free scoops a week of yard debris and trash. Extra scoops are $5 for brush, $5.50 for junk and $10 for contractor debris.
- Mulberry: bulk every other Monday; book it with customer service.
- Eagle Lake: bulk every Friday. Refused: appliances with Freon, commercial tires, used oil, car batteries and construction debris.
- Dundee: book at least 24 hours ahead; bulk and tree debris go on Thursday and Friday, tree debris cut to 3 ft.
- Frostproof: Trash Taxi collects yard debris and bulk on Mondays and Fridays. It refuses construction debris, paint and appliances with Freon, and charges $250 for a house cleanout and $150 to $300 for an excessive bulk pile.
05What none of them want
Across the county and the cities, the same things get left behind:
- Construction and remodeling debris. Drywall, tile, shingles, concrete, cabinets from a kitchen job. Bartow and Winter Haven send you to a roll-off.
- A whole house at once. The county refuses eviction and move-out loads outright, and Frostproof bills a cleanout separately.
- Tires, beyond a handful. Most cities take four a year at most.
- Anything hazardous. Paint, chemicals, oil, batteries and propane go to the county's household hazardous waste facility instead.
06Taking it yourself
The North Central Landfill no longer takes residents. Polk residents drop off at the North Central Transfer Station in Auburndale, or at the county's Northeast convenience center in Haines City, which charges a flat $10 a car or pickup. Hours, fees and what each one turns away are in the Polk County landfill and dump guide.
07When the curb won't work
Most people find us the week the city truck leaves their pile behind: the remodel debris, the move-out, the garage that will not fit in one monthly pickup. Two ways to handle it:
- Junk removal. We go inside, load it and sweep the spot. Nothing goes to the curb, and nothing waits a month. How junk removal works.
- A roll-off. From $425 delivered, for a project you will load over a few days. Every size and price.
Text a photo of the pile to (813) 812-3844 and you get a price back, usually inside the hour.
08Questions people ask
When is bulk trash pickup in Polk County?
For unincorporated county customers, furniture and appliances are collected once a month on a pre-set day. Look it up with "Find Your Collection Day" on polkfl.gov or call (863) 284-4319. Inside a city, the city sets the schedule.
Is bulk trash pickup free in Polk County?
For county customers it is paid for through the annual solid waste assessment. Lakeland gives four free pickups a year, Bartow and Haines City collect bulk weekly with the garbage, and Winter Haven and Auburndale charge for it.
Will Polk County pick up a mattress?
The county's monthly furniture and appliance day takes household items that were not attached to the house, and mattresses are not on its refused list. Lakeland and Haines City name mattresses among the items they collect.
Does Polk County pick up construction debris?
No. The county's curbside service refuses construction debris, and so do most of the cities.
How do I get rid of junk after an eviction in Polk County?
The county will not collect eviction or move-out loads at the curb. Hire a junk removal crew or a roll-off, or haul it to the transfer station yourself.
How many tires will the city take?
Haines City takes four a year on the third Saturday of the month, and Winter Haven four per paid pickup. The county does not collect tires at the curb.
More reading: Tampa and Hillsborough bulk pickup, furniture and mattress removal, dumpsters in Lakeland and all our guides.