5 things Detroit's bulk pickup won't take

The short answer

The City of Detroit's bulk program will not take concrete, brick or asphalt; roofing shingles; tires, auto parts or fluids; metal poles, pipes or tree trunks; or anything beyond the 2-cubic-yard weekly limit, including renovation pieces over 50 pounds each. It also never comes inside the house. Flat pickup prices for the most common leftovers: single tire $22, set of four $87, roofing shingles $48 per bundle, concrete or masonry debris $219 per quarter truck.

What the program does take, and the timing rules

Before the exclusions, it helps to know what works. Since June 3, 2024 the city collects bulk every week instead of every other week. Bulk items and small amounts of renovation material can go out, up to 2 cubic yards a week, which the city describes as about two stoves' worth. Priority Waste covers the east side of Woodward and Southwest Detroit south of I-94; Advanced Disposal covers the west side and north of I-94.

The rules that catch people out are about timing and placement, not material:

• Set items out by 7 a.m. on your day. Anything put out after the truck passes waits a week.
• The city aims to have it gone by 9 p.m.
• Never pile bulk in front of a vacant lot, even if it is the easier spot on your block.

1. Concrete, brick and asphalt

Detroit is a city of brick. Brick homes in East English Village, brick ranches in Warren and Livonia, brick garages off the alleys. So when someone takes down a chimney, a porch, a garage slab or a backyard patio, the result is masonry rubble, and the city will not collect any of it.

Concrete is also extremely heavy for its size, which is why it is priced by volume separately: $219 per quarter truck of concrete or masonry debris. A wheelbarrow-load at a time into contractor bags does not change the weight; the truck still has to carry it.

2. Roofing shingles

Shingles are excluded from bulk pickup. Tear-offs generate a lot of them, and a contractor normally includes disposal in the roofing job. Where it goes wrong is a DIY garage or shed roof, or a pile of old bundles left in the garage by a previous owner.

Price: $48 per bundle. Five leftover bundles are $48 + $48 + $48 + $48 + $48 = $240. For a full tear-off, ask for a truck-fill quote instead.

3. Tires, auto parts and fluids

In the Motor City, garages fill with car parts. Detroit's bulk program excludes tires, auto parts and fluids of any kind. That covers the four winter tires you swapped out, the old bumper, and the jugs of oil in the corner.

• Tires: $22 each, or $87 for a set of four. A single tire is under the $100 minimum, so it makes sense to add it to another item.
• Auto parts: priced by size from the list or as part of a junk pile.
• Fluids: oil, antifreeze and fuel are hazardous. They are not part of a standard pickup and are handled case by case, so ask first.

Paint is accepted: $30 per 1-gallon can, $52 per 5-gallon bucket. Garage cleanouts here also tend to turn up bags of returnable cans; Michigan's 10-cent deposit means those are worth taking back to the store rather than throwing out.

4. Metal poles, pipes and tree trunks

Basement plumbing jobs in Detroit's older houses leave lengths of old galvanized and cast iron pipe. Fence removal leaves metal posts. Storm damage leaves trunks. The city excludes all three.

Cast iron radiators, which come out of a lot of pre-war homes when heating is updated, are heavy and awkward: $123 each. Yard waste is $88 on the list; for trunk sections, send a photo so the volume can be priced.

5. Anything over 2 cubic yards, or over 50 pounds

The most common reason something gets left behind is not the material, it is the amount. Detroit's limit is 2 cubic yards of bulk a week, about the size of two stoves. Renovation materials must be under 50 pounds each. Outlier Media reported in 2022 that exceeding the limit (2 cubic yards or 1,000 pounds) can bring a $1,500 fine.

Two cubic yards is about one sofa. A basement cleanout, a garage purge or a kitchen tear-out will be far more. A typical DIY kitchen in a Grandmont Rosedale brick house, for example: full cabinet set, two laminate countertop sections and the old sink is $293 + $56 + $56 + $61 = $466, and none of it would clear the curb in one week. For scale: the smallest truck-fill tier, a quarter truck, holds about 4 cubic yards and costs $241. That is two weeks of curb allowance in one visit.

And the curb crew does not come into the house. If it is in the basement, it has to come up first.

If you live just over 8 Mile or in Dearborn

The list above is Detroit's. The suburbs have their own rules, and they are not identical:

• Warren takes bulk next to the rubbish containers, but fridges and freezers must be empty with doors removed, AC units and dehumidifiers need a technician's Freon-removal sticker, and carpet must be cut and tied in 4-foot lengths.
• Dearborn takes household bulk weekly, but excessive quantities, large or heavy items, carpet and some appliances need a fee-based Special Pick-Up. Residents can also use the free DPW yard drop-off at 2951 Greenfield on the third Saturday of each month, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• SOCRRA cities such as Royal Oak, Ferndale and Troy run their own curbside programs; check your city's page before setting things out.

Prices for the leftovers

A garage clear-out with two sets of tires and a radiator: $87 + $87 + $123 = $297.

Get a price from a photo and book by 4 PM for same-day pickup. More on the volume limit: Detroit's 2-cubic-yard bulk limit, explained.

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