Lubbock Bulk Trash Pickup: Where Big Items Go (and When to Hire a Hauler)
The short version: Lubbock's trash service picks up what fits in your cart or alley dumpster with the lid closed. For bigger items like mattresses, furniture, and appliances, the City points you to one of four Citizen Convenience Stations. You show a Lubbock ID, bring about a pickup bed's worth, and unload it yourself. If you don't have a truck, the pile is bigger than that, or it's construction debris, hiring a junk removal company is the easier route.
If you've searched for Lubbock's bulk trash day, you probably came up empty. The City's Solid Waste pages don't list one. I went through those pages in October 2026, and this guide sums up what they say, with links so you can check them yourself. City rules change, so give the City a call if anything below doesn't match what you see.
Does Lubbock Pick Up Bulk Trash at the Curb?
Depending on your street, you either roll out your own carts or share an alley dumpster with your neighbors. The City's pages describe that regular service and the drop-off sites. They don't describe a curbside or alley pickup for furniture and other large items. For cart service, the City's residential service page says:
- Collection runs twice a week, either Monday and Thursday or Tuesday and Friday.
- Carts need to be out by 6 am on collection day.
- Cart lids must close, and the crews won't pick up bags left beside the cart.
The City's bulky items page says large items that keep the lid from closing, like mattresses, tree limbs, garage doors, and large furniture, should go to a Citizen Convenience Station. If you share an alley dumpster, the City's landscape waste page asks you to fill no more than a quarter of it, so your neighbors have room too. The Solid Waste department also supports community clean-up events during the year. Call 806-775-2495 to ask about upcoming ones.
Pro tip from GRIT: Before you drag a couch out to the alley and hope for the best, call Solid Waste at 806-775-2495. Two minutes on the phone beats a couch sitting in the alley for a month.
Lubbock's Citizen Convenience Stations
These are the City's free drop-off sites for big household items. The service is included in your solid waste fee. Here are the four locations from the City's convenience stations page:
| Station | Address |
|---|---|
| Southside | 1631 84th Street |
| Northside | 208 Municipal Drive |
| South Milwaukee | 7308 Milwaukee Avenue |
| North Quaker | 4307 Adrian Street |
Hours are Monday through Saturday, 8 am to 5:30 pm, and the stations close on City holidays. Don't leave anything outside the fence after hours. The City counts that as illegal dumping.
Who Can Use Them
According to the City's Solid Waste page, the stations are only for City of Lubbock residents hauling household items from their own single-family home.
- You'll show a driver's license with a Lubbock address (the stations page also accepts a current City utility bill with matching ID).
- You unload your own load into the right container.
- Commercial loads aren't accepted, and neither are loads from apartments and other multi-family properties.
- You get a limited number of visits per year. The City's pages list different numbers, so call to confirm before you plan several trips.
What They Take, and How Much
Loads can come in a car, a pickup, or a small trailer (6 feet or less), and should be about one pickup bed or less. Per-visit limits from the City:
- Furniture: 4 pieces
- Appliances: 2. Refrigerators and freezers must be empty with the doors untaped, and City staff remove the Freon.
- Scrap metal: a pickup load or less
- Fence sections: up to 100 feet, once a year
- Carpet: 2 rolls
- Yard waste and general cleanup: up to a pickup bed
- Tires: 4 per address per year, no rims
- Car batteries: 2 per address per year, Northside and Southside only
- Used motor oil and antifreeze: under 5 gallons, not mixed. Cooking grease goes to Southside only.
What They Won't Take
Construction and demolition material, concrete, bricks, rock, shingles, remodeling debris, and regular household trash. If you just tore out a bathroom or a fence-and-shed combo, the convenience station isn't the place for it.
Pro tip from GRIT: The City asks you to cover your load, and in West Texas you'll want to anyway. Tarp it and strap it, or the wind will scatter your old couch cushions across the Loop.
The City Landfill Option
The Solid Waste page also lists free disposal at the City landfill for residents who qualify:
- Bring a driver's license with a Lubbock address and a matching utility bill.
- You get up to 12 free loads a year, hauled from your home in a car, pickup, or single or dual-axle trailer, covered.
- Furniture, brush, and appliances qualify. Refrigerators and freezers don't.
- Roofing, shingles, construction and remodel waste, fencing, and demolition material aren't eligible for free disposal.
County residents, businesses, and anyone with a larger load should call the landfill at 806-784-6040 for options. A disposal fee may apply.
Paint, Chemicals, and Other Hazardous Waste
Household hazardous waste includes oil-based paint, pesticides, pool chemicals, and fluorescent bulbs. The City accepts it by appointment only, at the Southside station. Call 806-775-2495 to schedule, or read the household hazardous waste page. We generally can't take these in a regular junk load either, so ask us about anything you're unsure of before your pickup.
When Hiring Junk Removal Makes More Sense
One City rule matters here. Per the City, state law bars anyone who is paid to haul waste from a home from using the convenience stations. A junk removal company you hire takes your stuff somewhere else, and covers that disposal in the quote. The two options side by side:
| City convenience station | Hiring GRIT | |
|---|---|---|
| Who loads and unloads | You | Our crew |
| Truck or trailer needed | Yours | Ours |
| Load size | About a pickup bed per visit | One item up to a full cleanout |
| Construction and demo debris | Not accepted | Sheds, fences, and remodel debris |
| Who can use it | City residents, single-family homes only | Homes, rentals, and businesses |
| Cost | Included in your City solid waste fee | Quoted per job, free quote |
Hiring help usually wins when:
- You don't have a truck or trailer, or you don't want a mattress riding in your SUV.
- The pile is bigger than a pickup bed. A full garage, an estate, or a rental between tenants turns into a lot of trips.
- The heavy stuff is hard to reach. A fridge in the kitchen, a dresser upstairs, or a pile of brush in the backyard. We carry it out from wherever it is.
- It's demolition or remodel debris. This fall we tore down a 12x16 foot shed in Lubbock and hauled off every board.
- You rent an apartment or run a business. The stations are off-limits for multi-family and commercial loads, which rules out a lot of student apartments near Texas Tech.
Pro tip from GRIT: Text photos of the pile to (325) 207-8409 with a quick note on where it is (garage, upstairs, backyard). Photos get you the most accurate quote, and we can tell you up front if anything can't go in the load.
If you're doing it yourself, the City's system works well for a carload or two. If you'd rather keep your weekend, our junk removal service in Lubbock handles everything from a single couch to a whole house, and we do full garage cleanouts and yard debris cleanup too. Clearing space for the holidays? See our holiday declutter plan.
Lubbock Bulk Trash FAQ
Does Lubbock have bulk trash pickup?
The City of Lubbock's Solid Waste pages don't list a curbside bulk pickup. They direct large items like furniture and mattresses to the City's four Citizen Convenience Stations, where residents drop them off. Call Solid Waste at 806-775-2495 with questions.
Where can I take an old mattress or couch in Lubbock?
City residents can take them to a Citizen Convenience Station (Southside, Northside, South Milwaukee, or North Quaker), Monday through Saturday, 8 am to 5:30 pm, with a driver's license showing a Lubbock address. The limit is 4 pieces of furniture per visit. You can also hire a junk removal company to pick them up.
Can I leave furniture next to my trash cart or dumpster?
The City says items too large for the lid to close should go to a Citizen Convenience Station, and bags left beside carts won't be picked up. See the City's bulky items page for the current rules.
Can apartment renters use the convenience stations?
Per the City, the stations are for residents hauling from their own single-family home, and waste from multi-family properties isn't allowed. Apartment renters should check with their property manager or hire a hauler.
Can a junk removal company use the City's drop-off stations?
No. The City says state law prohibits anyone paid to haul waste from a residential property from using the stations. A hired hauler handles disposal elsewhere as part of the job.
Paul Rosas is a co-founder of GRIT Property Solutions in Lubbock. He grew up in Snyder, graduated from Texas Tech, and has helped Lubbock families with local and long-distance moves, packing, and junk removal. More about Paul.