Hurricane & Storm Debris Cleanup in South Florida: What Counties Take vs. What You Must Haul

Named storms change the rules

After a declared storm event, Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade counties typically activate special debris collection with contracted haulers, FEMA documentation requirements, and staging rules that differ from normal bulk pickup. Vegetative debris usually must be piled separately from construction debris and household junk, unbagged, at the curb but away from mailboxes, hydrants, storm drains, and low power lines. Mixed piles get skipped.

That is why we ask every storm-season customer one question up front: did this debris come from a named storm? The answer changes both what the county will collect free and how a private hauler must route the load.

What county pickup generally covers

Post-storm municipal collection focuses on vegetative debris — fronds, branches, and tree sections cut to manageable lengths. Regular yard waste programs continue for routine trimming, with limits on pile size and container rules that vary by city. What municipal programs handle poorly: fence panels mixed with vegetation, pressure-treated or painted lumber, screened-enclosure aluminum, waterlogged carpet and furniture, and anything from a renovation that the storm merely interrupted.

The flooded-contents problem

The most urgent post-storm hauling is not branches — it is soaked contents. Wet mattresses, upholstered furniture, and carpet grow mold within days in South Florida heat, and insurance adjusters generally want photos, not the items themselves, kept for weeks. Document everything for your claim first, then get saturated materials out of the living space quickly. This is a case where waiting for a bulk cycle has a real health cost.

When to hire a private hauler

Hire out the job when the pile exceeds what county rules allow, when timing matters (a contractor is waiting, a tenant is moving in), when the debris is mixed and needs sorting into legal streams, or when physically dragging wet, heavy material across the yard is not something you should be doing. A crew with tarps, cut gloves, and a properly loaded truck also will not tear up your soft, rain-saturated lawn — soil condition is exactly why we check ground stability before driving anywhere near your grass.