# Does Chicago Pick Up Bulk Trash? Who Pays & What's Excluded | Who Pays the Repair?

> Yes. Chicago Streets and Sanitation picks up bulk items for homes of four units or less, but you must arrange it with your ward office first or risk a ticket.

**Who pays:** city

Chicago's Department of Streets & Sanitation offers no citywide bulk/large-item curbside pickup program, its official service directory and Sanitation department page list only regular garbage-cart and weekly refuse collection, so residents must arrange their own hauling or private removal of bulky items.

**Boundary:** Chicago's Department of Streets and Sanitation does bulk pick-up for the homes it collects garbage from (single-family homes and buildings of four units or less). You must arrange it with your ward's Streets and Sanitation office before putting a large item out, or you can be ticketed. Larger buildings use private garbage collection.

**Exceptions:** Buildings of more than four units are not on city garbage collection and must arrange private collection.; Setting out a bulk item before arranging the pickup can bring a ticket.

## Sources
- [Sanitation Code Violation | Streets and Sanitation](https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/streets/provdrs/streets_san/svcs/sanitation_ordinance.html) — "arrange with your Streets and Sanitation ward superintendent for a bulk pick-up before putting out any large item or extra load of trash" (accessed 2026-10-24)
- [18th Ward Streets and Sanitation Office](https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/about/wards/18/serving_you/18th_ward_streetsandsanitationoffice.html) — "In the event that you have bulk items that need to be picked up, contact the Sanitation Office BEFORE putting the items out to prevent a ticket being issued." (accessed 2026-10-24)
- [Residential Garbage Collection | Streets and Sanitation](https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/streets/provdrs/streets_san/svcs/residential_garbagecollection.html) — "single-family homes or apartment buildings of four units or less (others must arrange for private garbage collection)" (accessed 2026-10-24)

_Last verified 2026-10-24. Source: Who Pays the Repair? — https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/does-chicago-pick-up-bulk-trash/ — every claim checked against a primary source before publication (see /methodology/)._