City crews and contractors have completed the second pass of debris collection and are working on the final pass.
It is important that residents and businesses report any remaining items by Friday, November 17 in order to avoid incurring a charge for collection. This includes vegetative debris and construction materials such as fence and roofing materials. As soon as all your debris is out, please don’t wait, report your remaining collection needs to our Solid Waste team at 407.246.2314 or swcustomersvc@cityoforlando.net. To ensure we collect as much as possible in the final pass, please:
- Be sure to have all of your yard debris at the curb and piled up for our crews to collect;
- Make sure construction debris such as fencing and plywood is separated from vegetative debris such as tree limbs and branches;
- Try not to park along the roadway in a manner that blocks a debris pile, our trucks cannot collect debris if there is a car in between the roadway and the pile;
- Continue to bag loose debris such as leaves and small branches that remain after large piles have been removed. Our yard waste crews will remove the bags on your yard waste day.
At this time we are able to dedicate some resources to debris removal in the right of way in commercial areas. Residents and businesses can assist by reporting debris piles in the median or right-of-way in commercial/industrial areas to our Solid Waste team at 407.246.2314 or swcustomersvc@cityoforlando.net
Restoring our beautiful city remains a team effort between our residents, city crews and debris contractors. Thank you for your continued hard work and patience. Our customer service representatives are available to assist you at swcustomersvc@cityoforlando.net or 407.246.2314.
View debris pick up status by neighborhood here ->
Here’s what you can expect during the cleanup process:
City crews and contractors continue to work 12-hour shifts, seven days a week to pick up debris from Hurricane Irma. We appreciate your support and patience as we aggressively clean up our city.
Our plan is to canvas the entire city three times with these teams to ensure that all hurricane-related debris has been collected.
Here’s how you can help:
- Continue to bag loose debris such as leaves and small branches that remain after large piles have been removed. Our yard waste crews will remove the bags on your yard waste day.
- Be sure to have all of your yard debris at the curb and piled up for our crews to collect. Do not place debris in the roadway, on sidewalks or near fire hydrants.
- Make sure construction debris such as fencing and plywood is separated from vegetative debris such as tree limbs and branches
- Try not to park along the roadway in a manner that blocks a debris pile, our trucks cannot collect debris if there is a car in between the roadway and the pile.
- You can immediately drop off yard debris at one of 4 sites throughout Orange County from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. daily – visit ocfl.net/debris for locations.
These citizen drop off locations will not charge a fee, but you will need to show proof of residency. A fee will only be charged if you drop off at the landfill. - If you have larger items such as appliances or furniture that were damaged in the storm, please call 407.246.2314 (Monday- Friday, 8 a.m.- 5 p.m.) to schedule a large-item pickup.
Gated/Private Communities
City contractors from out of town must follow FEMA guidelines and are not permitted to collect debris in gated communities or on private streets.
To identify amount of debris and schedule city crew debris removal in your gated community, please contact:
Tamara Reynolds
tamara.reynolds@cityoforlando.net
407.694.8397
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are leaves, twigs and small branches left after the crews pick up my debris pile?
The equipment used by our contractors, as well as our claw trucks, are not able to get piles of leaves and small branches/twigs. They just fall through the mechanical grabbers back onto the right of way or in the road as they load the trucks. While we know it may be frustrating to have the scattered leaves and branches remaining, it is not in the scope of work for our contractors to rake and bag the remaining debris. In the essence of time, they must continue to pick up the large piles of debris that they are specially equipped for. In order to be able to restore our city and prevent any loose debris from clogging storm drains and contaminating our lakes, we need our residents to continue to work along with our crews to rake and bag the small debris left behind so our crews can remove that on the next yard waste day.
Someone put a new pile of branches in the right of way in front of my home! When will that be removed?
FEMA contractors are currently cutting down tree limbs that pose a threat to power lines, other utilities and personal property. You may notice new piles of debris resulting from this. These piles will be collected in a timely manner.
When will my yard waste be picked up?
We cannot provide a schedule for debris collection. City contractors are assigned to geographic areas within the city. They work within their designated areas and each has their own method of covering their boundaries. Due to the type and quantity of debris at each home, the time it takes to collect varies from 20 minutes to several hours making this process difficult to estimate. We appreciate your patience.
What are the opportunities for those looking to assist in debris removal?
Interested hauling firms can contact the city's active disaster recovery contractors:
- Eric Hall, Crowder Gulf - ehall@crowdergulf.com
- Mark Stafford, DRC Emergency Services- mstafford@drcusa.com
- Fred Neris, Ashbritt Environmental - fernando@doradosi.com
Bag and bundle debris. Bags and bundles under 40 lbs. (using duct tape or twine) will be picked up sooner than large piles that require a claw truck.
City of Orlando residents can take debris to any of Orange County’s citizen drop-off locations. Please visit ocfl.net/debris for the latest list of public drop-off locations.
Do debris hauling vendors need any special licenses to work with the city’s active disaster recovery contractors?
- Requirements may vary for each subcontractor
- Contact the city’s active disaster recovery contractors listed in question 1a for requirements
- Trucks must be mechanically loaded
Is there a FEMA program regarding tree removal for indigent home owners?
- Seniors or those with mobility issues should look for information on crisiscleanup.org which, serves as a clearing house for those who will assist in the community i.e. non-profits etc.
- To apply for FEMA assistance, visit DisasterAssistance.gov or call 1.800.621.3362. For those who have speech disability or hearing loss and use TTY, should call 1.800.462.7585 directly. For those who use 711 or video relay service (VRS), call 1.800.621.3362.
How is the city paying for the debris removal?
The city has reserve money set aside to handle storm clean up and FEMA will reimburse 75% of eligible costs.
I had a private contractor cut down my tree but they said they could not haul it away per FEMA rules. Is that true?
No. Any other contractors who are assisting homeowners with tree removals can take the trees away. If those companies leave the trees on the curb, it has to wait until the city can remove it. Residents should ask the company what the cost of hauling away the tree will be. There is no charge for residents to take debris to drop off sites.
What do vendors (tree trimming companies, etc.) need to do business in the City of Orlando?
A vendor must have a Business Tax Receipt from the City of Orlando and one from Orange County Government in order to do work in the city. This does not mean we vouch for the quality of the work of the vendor, just that they are allowed to work in the city.
There is a downed tree near my home/business with utility wires wrapped in them. How do you know if they are high voltage, low voltage etc.?
If there is a wire in your front yard, clean-up will stop. No matter if it’s active or not. The customer should call their utility company to have the line checked and removed.
Will I be charged to bring debris to the Orange County public drop-off locations?
There should not be a charge at public drop off sites for residents. See a list of debris drop-off locations at ocfl.net/debris.
If you go to the landfill is there a charge?
The landfill charges $29.00 per ton for all customers. There are closer options than hauling debris to the landfill. Visit ocfl.net/debris for a list of public drop-off locations.
How can I contact my utility company?
- OUC customers can speak to a customer service representative from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Friday by calling 407-423-9018. Calling from the primary phone number associated with your account helps you complete your request faster.
- Duke Energy customers can speak to a customer service representative Monday-Friday 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. EST by calling 407.629.1010.
- Spanish -