Junk removal in Homestead for storm debris, roofing waste and remodel tear-outs

01

Homestead collects its own bulk, on its own schedule

Homestead is not on Miami-Dade County's garbage service. The City runs its own, HPS Sanitation (305-224-4860). Bulk is collected on a set zone schedule, and residents look up their garbage, recycling and bulk dates with the City's address look-up and 2026 calendar. The zones were reissued on January 8, 2024, so an old calendar may be wrong.

Bulky items and yard waste go at the edge of the street on your property, at least five feet from mailboxes, trees and cars, and no more than 10 cubic yards, per the City. Timing is strict: nothing out before 6 p.m. the evening before collection, and everything out by 4 a.m. on the day.

The City does take appliances: stoves, refrigerators, freezers, washers, dryers and water heaters, with doors removed from fridges and freezers. It will not take dirt, sod, liquids, rocks, concrete, paints, toxic or flammable materials, construction debris, tires, dead animals or roofing materials.

02

Yard and storm debris: the City's size rules

Grass, leaves, tree and shrub cuttings go out with bulk. Tree limbs and logs must be under four inches in diameter, and stumps must be under fifteen inches across and under fifty pounds. After a storm, a fallen tree rarely fits those rules, and a pile that waits for your zone day sits on the swale in the meantime.

Rapid Haul loads storm and yard debris as it is, without cutting it down to the City's sizes, and takes it away the same visit. Send a photo of the pile and Dany will price it flat. Roofing debris, which the City refuses, goes too. Rapid Haul hauls roofing debris only; your roofer handles the roof itself.

or call (754) 249-1015

03

Demolition permits, and the City's hauler rule

The City of Homestead Building Department at City Hall, 100 Civic Court, (305) 224-4500, issues permits. City Code Sec. 6-226 says that before any building in the city is demolished, the person doing the demolishing must first get a demolition permit from the department. The GC or the property owner pulls it. Rapid Haul does not.

Be aware of one Homestead rule in particular. The City's building permit application states that all construction debris must be removed from the site by a hauler holding a license with the City of Homestead. That means debris from a permitted demolition or remodel here may have to go through a hauler that holds that City license. Dany will tell you what applies to your job before you book, and he will not quote around it.

For work that fits, Rapid Haul does the non-structural tear-out and the haul: room demo from $750 and construction debris from $200, with a 50% deposit on jobs of $1,000 and over.

04

Homestead homes and the jobs that come with them

Homestead was incorporated in 1913 and is the second-oldest city in Miami-Dade. It is part Miami suburb and part major agricultural area, and it took the brunt of Hurricane Andrew in 1992. About 48% of homes are owner-occupied, the median owner-occupied value is $380,000, and households average 3.21 people.

Typical Homestead jobs include a garage cleanout from $300, a shed removal from $350, furniture removal from $125, and appliances from $100 when the zone date is too far away. Rapid Haul covers Historic Downtown and the rest of the city, plus nearby Florida City, Leisure City, Naranja and Princeton.

or call (754) 249-1015

05

Booking a Homestead job from Hollywood

Rapid Haul is based in Hollywood and Miami-Dade is part of the regular service area. Call or text (754) 249-1015 with photos. Dany answers himself and sends one flat price covering labor, loading, hauling and disposal, usually the same day. Same-day pickup is often possible when you call early. Junk removal is paid when the job is done.

If you would rather self-haul, the City lists a drop site at 548 SE 6th Avenue, open Monday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Paints, acids and propane tanks have to go to a Home Chemical Collection Center; Miami-Dade's South Dade center is at 23707 SW 97th Avenue (Gate B).