Tree debris removal in Houston has two very different answers depending on how much wood you have. A few bundles of branches can go out with the weekly yard waste. A whole tree, a storm-broken canopy or a yard full of trunks cut by a utility crew is a different job: either you wait for the city's tree waste month and work within its limits, or you pay a company to haul it.
Tree Service Houston TX is a free phone line, not a hauling company. It does not pick up, chip or haul anything. Call (346) 680-8916 and you are put through to an independent, locally owned tree service company that serves your part of the Houston area, which quotes and does the hauling itself.
What the City of Houston picks up
Inside Houston city limits, the Solid Waste Management Department handles tree debris in three ways. Which one fits depends on the size of the pieces and how much there is.
| Collection | When | What goes out |
|---|---|---|
| Yard waste | Weekly, on your garbage day | Leaves, grass clippings and small branches. Bags must be 100 percent compostable (ASTM D6400 or EN 13432) and under 50 pounds, set 3 feet from your cart. Branches tied in bundles under 4 feet long, under 18 inches across and under 50 pounds. |
| Tree waste | Odd numbered months: January, March, May, July, September, November | Clean wood waste: tree limbs, branches and stumps. Up to 8 cubic yards per collection. |
| Junk waste | Even numbered months: February, April, June, August, October, December | Bulky junk waste. Tree waste is collected in the odd months instead. Up to 8 cubic yards. |
For both tree waste and junk waste, the city asks that piles go out between 6 p.m. the Friday before and 7 a.m. on your scheduled collection day. Yard waste mixed with trash, plastic or other waste is not collected. Your exact collection week is on the city's schedule lookup or through Houston 311.
If a removal or a storm leaves more wood than one collection takes, or it is the wrong month for tree waste, the pile either waits at the curb or gets hauled. That is when most people pay for hauling.
Storm debris is collected differently
After a major storm, the city runs separate storm debris passes and asks residents to sort what they put out.
Vegetative
Logs, plants and tree branches. Do not put leaves in bags. During the 2024 derecho and Beryl cleanups, the city asked that tree trunks be 3 feet or less across and 3 feet or less long, and branches 6 feet or less long.
Everything else, in its own pile
Construction and demolition debris such as fencing, drywall and lumber; appliances; electronics; household hazardous waste such as paint and chemicals; and ordinary garbage.
Where the piles go
At the curb, clear of fire hydrants, mailboxes, light poles, overhead wires and other obstructions. The city's guidance has asked for 3 to 5 feet of space, depending on the storm. Sorting helps the city recycle wood into mulch instead of landfilling it.
Outside Houston city limits
Unincorporated Harris County and the suburban cities run their own trash and storm debris programs, so the city's rules above may not apply at your address. After Hurricane Beryl, Harris County commissioners approved two debris removal contractors that began work on July 16, 2024, and county precinct crews swept subdivisions street by street. Residents in those areas were asked to pile debris loose, not bagged, between the sidewalk and the curb, or within 3 feet of the curb where there is no sidewalk. If you live outside the city, check with your county precinct, your city, your MUD or your homeowners association before you build a pile.
Hauling it yourself: the neighborhood depositories
City of Houston residents can drop off tree limbs at six neighborhood depositories. You need proof of residency, such as a Texas driver's license, a valid Texas ID, a current water or utility bill, or a city property tax receipt. Starting November 3, 2024, the city set hours at Tuesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., closed on city holidays. Hours change, so call 311 before you load a trailer.
| Depository | Address |
|---|---|
| North | 9003 N. Main, Houston, TX 77022 |
| Northwest | 14400 Sommermeyer, Houston, TX 77041 |
| Northeast | 5565 Kirkpatrick, Houston, TX 77028 |
| South | 5100 Sunbeam, Houston, TX 77033 |
| Southwest | 10785 SW Freeway, Houston, TX 77074 |
| Southeast | 2240 Central Street, Houston, TX 77017 |
Loading cut wood into a truck or trailer is fine for smaller pieces. Leave anything still hanging in a tree, anything that needs a saw to break down, and anything touching a line to the professionals.
When CenterPoint's crews leave the wood behind
CenterPoint Energy trims trees to keep them clear of its lines, and what happens to the wood depends on why the crew was there.
Routine trimming
CenterPoint says its tree contractors should remove trimming debris on the day the work is done. Debris may be left overnight and picked up the next morning, but only after the property owner has been told and agreed.
Storm restoration
When crews cut fallen or broken trees to get the power back on, CenterPoint says property owners are responsible for clearing the debris. After big storms that can mean trunk sections and limbs left in the yard, which is where a hauling job usually starts.
When to have the tree company haul it
Hiring the hauling out usually makes sense when:
- The pile is far bigger than 8 cubic yards, or it is the wrong month for tree waste
- Trunk sections are too heavy to move by hand
- Wood is still hanging in the tree or resting on the roof or a fence
- You need the yard or driveway clear now, not after the next city pass
- Your HOA or city does not allow piles to sit at the curb for weeks
When you get a quote for tree removal or trimming, read what it says about debris. Some quotes include hauling everything away. Others leave logs cut to length on the lawn, or brush stacked at the curb for the city. Ask for the scope in writing so you can compare quotes on the same work, and ask about stump grinding if the stump is staying behind.
Check the company yourself. Texas has no state license for tree trimming or tree removal, so a business card proves very little. Ask the company for a certificate of general liability insurance sent by its insurance agent, proof of workers' compensation coverage, and the ISA certification number of its arborist. A company that sprays or injects trees for hire needs a pesticide license from the Texas Department of Agriculture or its Structural Pest Control Service. You can confirm a certification with the ISA's credential lookup (opens in a new tab).
Chipping and mulch
Many tree companies run brush through a chipper on site, which shrinks a big pile of limbs into a load of wood chips. Some will leave the chips if you ask. Wood chips make good mulch: the Texas A&M Forest Service recommends spreading mulch two to three inches deep, out to the tree's drip line where you can, and keeping it off the trunk itself. Piling mulch up against the trunk, sometimes called volcano mulching, is a practice to avoid.
Logs are a separate question. A company may haul them, leave them cut to length, or leave them for you to set out in a tree waste month. If you want to keep some, say so before the job starts.
More wood than the curb can take? Call and describe the pile. The company you are put through to looks at it and quotes its price for hauling or chipping before any work starts.
How a debris removal call works
- Call any hourAn automated assistant answers (346) 680-8916 and asks what kind of tree work you need.
- Describe the jobGive your name, a callback number, your city or ZIP and what the tree is doing, including anything on a roof, a car or a line.
- Get put throughThe call goes to an independent, locally owned tree service company, which hears a short summary before it picks up.
- Deal with them directlyThat company looks at the tree, quotes, does the work and is paid by you. If it cannot answer, it gets your details to call back.
How this line works: Tree Service Houston TX is a free phone line, not a tree service company. It does not trim, remove, quote or schedule tree work and holds no license or arborist certification. Calls are transferred to independent, locally owned tree service companies in the Houston area. Those companies may pay Tree Service Houston TX a referral fee. You never pay the line. How it works.