How it works

How we put your city guide together

A collection calendar is only useful if it applies to your home and the item you need to put out. We bring together the local sources and explain the differences that affect your next step.

Where the information comes from

Our sources include municipal collection pages, published calendars, service maps, ordinances, and guidance from the hauler responsible for a program. We look for the service area, effective dates, fees, item limits, and exceptions before summarizing a rule. Source links let you check the basis for the answer.

Software and AI assistance help organize information and draft explanations. They do not establish local facts. A date, allowance, or fee needs support from the responsible source. We do not claim to have spoken to a department or visited a location when we have only reviewed its published guidance.

Some answers depend on your address

Citywide program rules can be summarized. Exact pickup days often cannot. When a schedule depends on an address, service area, HOA, or private hauler, the guide says so and links directly to the responsible lookup.

What a checked date means

A source checked date records the review shown on that guide or section. A link check establishes whether a page opens; it does not establish that every rule is still current. A working link alone is not a reason to give the content a new review date.

Collection instructions can change after a review, especially during storms or service disruptions. We show a pending or unconfirmed answer when the available guidance does not support a firm one. If sources disagree, the dated notice for the affected service may be more specific than an older general page. We explain any unresolved difference.

Holiday answers and planning tools

A public holiday does not automatically mean a pickup delay. The holiday finder uses the city rules already documented in our guides and preserves differences between garbage, recycling, bulk service, and service areas. Past dates stay available for reference and are labeled separately from upcoming dates.

Planning calculators use the values you enter and the rule described beside the tool. They cannot confirm an appointment or guarantee a collection. For example, the Phoenix pile tool estimates cubic yards from length, width, and height; an irregular pile and the crew's final assessment can differ from that estimate.

We preserve meaningful differences

Phoenix appointments, Tucson service-area weeks, Mesa paid requests, San José no-cost junk pickup, and San Diego's paused bulky-item rollout are not interchangeable. Each city page is written around the program that actually exists.

Check included public options before paying

Your guide explains the municipal service available and any donation, reuse, or drop off options we have confirmed. A paid private pickup is optional. Affiliate links are labeled and do not replace the city's service.

Help correct a guide

If you find a problem, send a correction with the page URL and the official information that differs. We verify the source and update the affected explanation or tool when a correction is supported.