Storm debris removal: county pickup, sorting piles and hauling costs

How does storm debris pickup work after a disaster?

Storm debris is collected by your local government, not by FEMA. After a presidential disaster declaration, counties and cities hire debris contractors, run trucks down every public road, and claim the cost back through FEMA’s Public Assistance program. FEMA says the traditional cost share is 75 percent federal and 25 percent non-federal, though for some storms FEMA has paid 100 percent for an initial period. In a few disasters, such as Helene in North Carolina, the Army Corps of Engineers runs the pickup for localities that ask.

The pickup covers the public right-of-way, which FEMA describes as the land next to the road, often 10 to 15 feet from the edge of the pavement. Debris inside that strip is eligible. Debris in your back yard is not. FEMA’s standing rule is that debris removal from private property remains the property owner’s responsibility, and a local government can clear it only with FEMA approval when it is in the public interest.

Crews make several passes, weeks apart, and the job runs for months. Regular garbage service continues separately (FEMA). Our storm emergency page covers the first 48 hours.

How do you sort storm debris so the crew takes it?

Different trucks take different piles, and a mixed pile gets skipped. FEMA says to separate debris types to the greatest extent possible. Florida’s Division of Emergency Management and FEMA use the same six categories.

Counties sometimes collapse the list. In Hillsborough County’s 2024 pickup after Helene, residents were told to make three piles: yard waste, damaged appliances, and construction and demolition debris including furniture, drywall, carpet and fencing. Bagged waste and hazardous waste were not accepted. Your county’s instructions win.

Where do you put the piles, and what should you keep clear?

At the curb or in the right-of-way, where a claw truck can reach. FEMA says to follow local officials’ instructions about sorting and placing debris on the curb; they decide what is authorized for pickup near the public right-of-way and how to place it.

Keep these clear:

• The road. FEMA and Florida DEM both say debris should not block the roadway.
• Storm drains. Hillsborough County told residents to place debris curbside without blocking the roadway or storm drains.
• Downed lines and utility boxes. FEMA says never place debris on or near downed power lines or close to utility boxes.
• Trees, poles, fire hydrants and meters. FEMA says piling debris near or on them makes removal difficult, and names hydrants and meters specifically.
• The gas meter. Florida DEM says to keep the area around it free of trash and debris after a storm, because cleanup equipment can damage it.

Do not pile debris on a neighbor’s lot, a vacant lot or any land you do not own. That is dumping, and in Florida it is a crime. On a private road or in a gated community, the county may need a signed right of entry before its contractor can come in, as Pinellas County required in 2024.

What will the county not pick up?

Four things, in most programs. First, debris on private property beyond the right-of-way; FEMA says that remains the owner’s responsibility. Second, household garbage, which stays with regular trash service. Third, in many counties, household hazardous waste, which goes to a drop-off site. Fourth, debris created by a contractor you hired. FEMA says demolition, repair and reconstruction by a contractor hired by a property owner generally includes removal and disposal, so build that into the contract.

Commercial property is its own case. FEMA says commercial properties are typically ineligible, and Pinellas County required small commercial properties, including apartments and condos, to make an insurance claim first if they had coverage.

Timing is the other limit. Pinellas County closed its residential drop-off site on November 17, 2024, and finished its final unincorporated pass in mid-January 2025; after that, residents were told to hire a hauler. A pile that goes out after the last pass is yours to move.

What does private hauling or a dumpster cost?

When the county is not coming, or not coming soon enough, you have three options: a dumpster you fill, a junk hauler who loads it, or a tree crew who takes vegetative debris. Published figures:

These are national figures from normal conditions. After a hurricane, dumpsters sell out, landfill lines run for hours, and quotes climb; HomeAdvisor lists an emergency storm surcharge of $100 to $150 per hour for tree debris work. Weight overages run $40 to $200 per extra ton (HomeAdvisor, Angi). Both sites note that companies charge different rates for construction debris, yard waste and general refuse, so say what is in the pile when you call, and ask whether the landfill fee, which Angi puts at $20 to $50 per ton, is included.

Does homeowners insurance cover debris removal?

Partly, and only for covered damage. The ISO HO-3 sample form, the base for many homeowners policies, has a Debris Removal coverage. It pays your reasonable expense to remove debris of covered property when an insured peril caused the loss. That expense is included in the limit for the damaged property, and if the damage plus the debris removal cost exceeds that limit, an additional 5 percent of the limit is available for the removal.

So if wind tore off your roof, hauling the wrecked shingles is part of the roof claim, and the 5 percent add-on keeps removal from eating the rebuild money. Fallen trees are a separate, smaller item. The same form pays up to $1,000 per loss, and $500 per tree, to remove trees felled by wind that damage a covered structure or block the driveway. Triple-I says trees that hit nothing generally are not covered. Our guide to a tree falling on your house has the details.

Keep the hauler’s invoice and dumpster receipt. For the claim process, see how to file a storm damage claim. Your policy may differ from the sample form, so check your declarations page and ask your insurer.

How do you stay safe while clearing debris?

The rules from CDC and OSHA:

• Chain saws. CDC says the operator should be trained, cut at waist level or below, and keep bystanders at least 30 feet away during limbing and two tree lengths away during felling, wearing a hard hat, safety glasses, hearing protection, heavy gloves, chaps and ankle-covering boots. OSHA says fuel the saw at least 10 feet from ignition sources and start it on the ground with the brake engaged.
• Spring poles. CDC warns that a bent or trapped branch can strike with enough force to kill when cut. Shave the underside slowly to release tension.
• Power lines. CDC says avoid contact with lines until they are verified de-energized. ESFI says assume every downed line is live.
• Floodwater and mold. CDC says floodwater carries germs and chemicals; wash skin that touches it with soap and clean water. Put on an N95 respirator, goggles and gloves before handling moldy debris.
• Lead paint. FEMA says keep suspect materials moist or bagged so the paint does not become airborne.

If the debris came out of a flooded house, our guide to what to throw away after a flood explains what can be saved.

How do you avoid debris scams and illegal dumping?

Two scams follow the trucks. The first is the cash hauler who takes payment up front and either never returns or dumps your debris on the nearest empty lot. The FTC says to hire only licensed and insured contractors, get a written contract, never pay for repairs or debris removal in cash, and pay in full only after the work is done. Report scams at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

The second is someone claiming to be with FEMA or the county who wants a fee to put you on the pickup list. County curbside pickup is free.

Dumping is the other side. Florida’s Litter Law, Florida Statutes 403.413, makes it illegal to dump litter on public land, in waterways, or on private property without the owner’s consent. Dumping more than 500 pounds or 100 cubic feet, or any amount for commercial purposes, or any hazardous waste, is a third-degree felony. Between 15 and 500 pounds is a first-degree misdemeanor, and smaller amounts carry a $150 civil penalty. Pinellas County asks residents to report illegal dumping to the Sheriff’s Office at (727) 582-6200.

Florida: how Pinellas and Hillsborough handle storm debris

The two Tampa Bay counties run their programs differently, and the difference matters most for where you live.

Pinellas residents should first find out whether they are inside a city, since each municipality manages its own pickup; the county’s My Neighborhood Services tool at pinellas.gov/my-neighborhood tells you. Our Pinellas County assistance page and Hillsborough County assistance page track recovery programs that may reimburse cleanup costs.

What comes after the piles are gone?

Debris is the visible part of the storm. The damage that costs more is the water inside the walls, and that clock is already running. Dry wet rooms within a day or two, keep every receipt, and photograph as you go. Keep the photos of the pile too, because an adjuster who arrives after the truck has no other way to see what you lost. If part of the roof is open, see our guide to emergency roof tarping. If you are running a generator while you clean up, read the generator safety rules first. More storm guides are on the storm hub.