Waste removal in New York City: DSNY bulk items, DOT container permits and licensed carters

Quick answer: The Department of Sanitation (DSNY) collects up to 6 bulky items per collection day free from homes it serves, but a mattress or box spring must be sealed in a plastic bag or you can be fined up to $300. A dumpster on the street needs an NYC DOT permit that only a carting company or contractor can get ($30 for up to 5 days). Businesses must use a private carter licensed by the Business Integrity Commission (BIC), and maximum rates are capped at $26.87 a cubic yard.

How waste removal works in New York City

New York splits waste into two systems. DSNY collects from homes, and businesses must pay a licensed private carter. On top of that, the city is phasing in Commercial Waste Zones, which limit each business to a small number of carters authorised for its area. Anything placed on the street, from a dumpster to a mattress, has its own rules, and the fines are real.

DSNY bulky items and mattresses

DSNY treats anything too large for a bin or bag as a bulky item, and removes it from the curb free of charge. We read its pages in September 2026.

Rule	What DSNY says
Cost	Free curbside removal for residents DSNY serves
How many	Up to 6 items at the curb per collection day
Appointments	Not needed: pick-up appointments are no longer offered
Which day	Metal or rigid plastic items go out on recycling day; everything else on a trash-only day
Mattresses and box springs	Trash-only day, fully enclosed in a sealed plastic bag to stop bed bugs spreading; fine up to $300
Rugs and carpet	Rolled and tied with twine, out with trash
Special handling	Air conditioners, fridges, freezers, dehumidifiers, construction debris, electronics and tyres have separate rules and can be refused

If you cannot move large items to the curb yourself, or you are clearing a whole apartment, a private junk removal crew is the usual answer. Our guide to mattress disposal covers reuse options before you bin one.

Dumpsters and containers on the street: NYC DOT permits

You cannot apply yourself. NYC311 says permits must be obtained by a carting company or general contractor, not by the property or business owner, and storage pods for non-construction use are not allowed on city streets.

Permit	Who applies	Length	Fee
Commercial refuse container (not linked to a building permit)	Registered carting company	Up to 5 consecutive days; a full container can be swapped within that time	$30 per container (NYC DOT FAQ)
Construction debris container	Registered general contractor, for work with a DOB or DOT permit	30 to 90 days	DOT’s permit fee list shows $50 for “place container on street”

A container permit does not reserve a parking space, so the carter still has to find a legal spot. A second container at the same address needs a second permit.

Business waste: BIC licences and Commercial Waste Zones

Every business in New York City must hire a private carter licensed by the Business Integrity Commission. DSNY says using an unlicensed hauler can bring fines of up to $10,000. BIC sets the most a carter can charge outside an implemented zone: since 31 August 2024 that is $26.87 per cubic yard of loose refuse, or $17.64 per 100 pounds. Carters cannot add container rental, extra pull or fuel surcharges, except for compactors and roll-off containers, and customers are entitled to 14 days’ written notice before service is stopped. BIC’s caps do not cover construction and demolition debris, which is why dumpster prices for building work are negotiated freely.

Commercial Waste Zone phase	Fully implemented
Queens Central	3 January 2025
Bronx East and Bronx West	1 December 2025
Brooklyn South and Queens Northeast	1 March 2026
Lower Manhattan	31 May 2026
Staten Island and Midtown South	1 September 2026
Brooklyn North and Upper Manhattan	1 December 2026 (sign-up from 1 October 2026)
Brooklyn East and Manhattan Northeast	1 March 2027
Manhattan West and Queens West	1 June 2027

Once your zone is live, only carters DSNY has authorised for that zone can collect from you, and DSNY decals replace BIC decals. Our guide to business waste contracts covers what to check before you sign.

Typical private prices in New York

For typical private prices, use the national ranges in our US waste removal costs guide. HomeGuide’s junk removal guide puts a minimum load at $70 to $100, a half truck at $200 to $300 and a full truck at $400 to $450, and Fixr’s dumpster guide gives $250 to $400 a week for a 10-yard dumpster and $275 to $450 for a 20-yard one, with $40 to $100 a ton if you go over the weight allowance. We did not find a published, sourced New York figure that we could check, so treat the national ranges as a floor: walk-ups, parking and the DOT permit all add cost here.

Request a waste removal quote

Free and no obligation. Tell us what needs to go and where, and we will look for a licensed waste carrier that covers your area.

What do you need? * Country * ZIP code * Town or city Property type How soon? *

Anything else we should know? (optional)

Your name * Email * Phone (optional) Best way to contact you

I agree that Compare Waste Removal may pass my details to a waste removal company covering my area so they can contact me about this request. Privacy policy.

We are a comparison and referral service, not a waste removal company. We do not guarantee a quote, a price or a response time. In the UK, always check the carrier's waste carrier registration before handing over waste.

How to choose a provider in New York

For business waste, the carter must hold a BIC licence or registration; BIC publishes its list of trade waste licensees on NYC Open Data, so look the company up by name. For a street container, the company, not you, must hold the DOT permit. Before you book anyone:

Ask for the price in writing and what it includes: labour, the number of hours or the share of a truck, dump fees, and extra charges for mattresses, fridges, tyres or electronics.
For a dumpster, ask about the weight allowance, the charge per ton over it, how many days are included, and what cannot go in (paint, batteries, tyres and appliances are common exclusions).
If it will sit on the street, ask the company to confirm it will get the city permit and whether the fee is in the price.
Ask where the waste goes and get a receipt that names the company.
Check the city service first. For a few bulky items, the city pickup described above may cost nothing.

Our checklist on comparing waste removal quotes works just as well for US quotes.

Waste removal businesses in New York City

These firms appear in public business listings for New York City. We have not checked their work, prices, licences or insurance, and they have not paid to appear. Commercial carters should appear on BIC’s public licensee list; look them up before you sign.