01The short answer
In the City of Tampa every home gets one free S.W.E.E.P. bulk pickup a year, up to 10 cubic yards, on a date set for your neighborhood, and any other pickup costs $19.03 a cubic yard from 1 October 2026. In unincorporated Hillsborough County there is no free curbside bulk day: the county charges $30 or $50 an item, or you drop up to 10 cubic yards a year free at a county collection center. Temple Terrace and Plant City each give one free special pickup a year.
Every rule below comes from the city's or the county's own website, checked on 2 October 2026. Fees change on 1 October most years, so the phone number for each place is listed with it.
02City or county?
A Tampa mailing address does not always mean the City of Tampa collects. New Tampa is served by Hillsborough County, not the city, and so are Tampa Palms, Hunter's Green and the rest of the unincorporated county. If your trash is on a City of Tampa utility bill, section 03 is yours. If it is a solid waste assessment on your county tax bill, read section 04.
| Where you live | Free bulk | Paid bulk | Ask |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of Tampa | One S.W.E.E.P. pickup a year, up to 10 cu yd | $19.03 a cu yd, 1 cu yd minimum | (813) 274-8811 |
| Unincorporated Hillsborough | 10 cu yd a year, dropped off at a collection center | $30 or $50 an item at the curb | (813) 272-5680 |
| Temple Terrace | One special pickup a calendar year | Billed by the 15 minutes | (813) 506-6570 |
| Plant City | One load in any 12 months | Priced by the load | (813) 659-4222 |
03City of Tampa
S.W.E.E.P., the free one
The Solid Waste Enhanced Environmental Program gives each single-family home, and each property of four units or fewer with an active solid waste account, one scheduled bulk pickup a year at no extra cost. Dates go neighborhood by neighborhood, and the S.W.E.E.P. page on tampa.gov finds yours by address.
- Timing: out no earlier than five days before your Sunday S.W.E.E.P. date, and no later than 8 PM that Sunday.
- Size: one pile, no more than 10 cubic yards. The city's yardstick: a cubic yard is about the size of an oven.
- Placement: curbside on the right of way in front of your house, clear of low limbs, power lines, water meters and utility boxes. A pile blocked by a parked car is skipped.
- Taken: appliances, furniture, mattresses, grills, toilets, carpet, wrapped mirrors and glass, up to four passenger tires, railroad ties cut to 4 ft, tree limbs and stumps.
Special pickup, any other time
Call (813) 274-8811 or use Tampa Connect, and the charge goes on your utility bill: $19.03 a cubic yard with a one-yard minimum from 1 October 2026. The city says most requests come in under 4 cubic yards. Up to four tires are taken, but not tires on rims.
What Tampa will not take at the curb
- Building materials: sheds, fences, tile, pipe, plywood, brick, concrete block, rocks, doors, roofing, windows and drywall.
- Electronics, paint, solvents, oil, fuel, gas cylinders, ammunition, metal drums and boats.
Electronics and household chemicals go to Hillsborough County's drop-off sites, which take them from city residents with a driver's license. A pile left in front of a vacant house or lot is treated as illegal dumping.
Yard waste
Weekly, up to 4 cubic yards, with limbs cut to 4 ft. Use paper yard bags, your own cans or bundles tied with jute twine: since 1 February 2024 the city has refused plastic bags of any kind.
04Unincorporated Hillsborough County
The county has no free curbside bulk day. Call Solid Waste Customer Service on (813) 272-5680 before anything goes to the curb, and you pay by the item.
| Price per item | What it covers |
|---|---|
| $30 | Mattresses, bed frames and box springs, couches, chairs, dressers, desks, tables, entertainment centers, exercise machines, carpet (10 by 10 ft), a door, an 8 ft fence section, a cabinet, a toilet or tub, a lawn mower without oil or gas, a TV under 50 inches, 10 bags of trash, 20 cardboard boxes |
| $50 | Refrigerators, freezers, washers, dryers, dishwashers, stoves, water heaters, window air conditioners, water softeners, TVs 50 inches and up |
The free alternative is to haul it yourself. A household on county service can drop off 10 cubic yards of bulky waste and appliances, and 12 tires, a year at the five Community Collection Centers, with photo ID and a copy of the current tax bill. The Hillsborough and Tampa dump guide has the addresses, hours and rules.
Yard waste
Weekly, up to 2 cubic yards, about twelve 30-gallon containers, rising to 3 cubic yards in February, March and April. Each container stays under 50 lb, and limbs are cut under 4 ft long and 6 in across. Tires are never collected at the curb.
The county's "Find My Trash & Recycling Schedule" lookup gives your days by address.
05Temple Terrace
Most homes get one free special pickup a calendar year. Call Public Works on (813) 506-6570; the pickup comes one to five business days later. Put everything within 10 ft of the curb, out of the street and away from overhead wires, with yard debris and household items in separate piles. Extra pickups are billed by time: $92 for every 15 minutes for yard debris and $101.20 for every 15 minutes for other items. The city will not take paint, car batteries, chemicals, computer parts, fluorescent bulbs, tires, TVs or construction debris.
06Plant City
Each single-family account gets one free load of bulky items or yard waste in any 12 months, collected by the city's grabber truck. Call (813) 659-4222 for a free estimate and to book it. After that, bulk is priced by the load, and a yard waste pickup is $247.01 a load or $123.52 for half a load or less. Four tires a year are collected free, then $10 a tire.
The city takes old furniture, appliances, yard waste and material from small do-it-yourself projects. It will not take mirrors or sheets of glass, HVAC ducts, solar panels, shingles, concrete, pavers, rocks, bricks or masonry, and business waste is never free, including from lawn, tree and building contractors.
07What none of them take
- Remodel and construction debris. Tampa lists building materials by name, Plant City refuses shingles and concrete, and Temple Terrace refuses construction debris.
- Electronics and household chemicals. Those go to the county's drop-off sites.
- Tires, beyond four or twelve a year.
- Anything from a business. Contractor waste does not ride on a household account.
08When the curb won't work
A remodel, a move-out or a garage that runs past 10 cubic yards is where the city program stops. We cover Tampa, Plant City, Thonotosassa and the rest of Hillsborough County.
- Junk removal. We go inside, load it and sweep. Nothing goes to the curb and nobody waits for a neighborhood date. How it works.
- A roll-off. From $425 delivered, for a project you will load over a few days. Dumpster rental in Tampa.
Text a photo of the pile to (813) 812-3844 and you get a price back, usually inside the hour.
09Questions people ask
When is bulk trash pickup in Tampa?
Once a year on your neighborhood's S.W.E.E.P. date, which the S.W.E.E.P. page on tampa.gov finds by address. Any other time, book a special pickup on (813) 274-8811.
How much is bulk pickup in Tampa?
The yearly S.W.E.E.P. pickup is free up to 10 cubic yards. A special pickup is $19.03 a cubic yard, one yard minimum, from 1 October 2026.
Does Hillsborough County pick up furniture?
Yes, by appointment and for a fee: $30 an item for furniture and mattresses, $50 for large appliances. Call (813) 272-5680 before you put it out.
Does Hillsborough County have free bulk pickup?
Not at the curb. County households can drop off 10 cubic yards of bulky waste and appliances a year free at the five Community Collection Centers.
Is New Tampa served by the City of Tampa?
No. New Tampa residents are served by Hillsborough County Solid Waste.
Will Tampa pick up construction debris?
No. Building materials, from drywall and tile to fences and roofing, are excluded from both S.W.E.E.P. and special pickups.
More reading: Polk County bulk pickup, furniture and mattress removal, dumpsters in Plant City and all our guides.