Storm & Hurricane Debris Cleanup in Southwest Florida
The storm has passed, the power is back, and the yard is full. There is a pile of branches by the road, a soaked mattress in the garage, torn lanai screening in a heap, and drywall and carpet you pulled out before the mold started. Somebody has already knocked on the door offering to haul it all for cash. You are not sure what you are supposed to pay for and what the county takes for free.
Starting at $99 · free flat-rate quote before we start
After a declared storm, Lee and Collier counties collect storm debris from the curb at no charge — but only if it is sorted correctly and never bagged. Vegetative debris goes in one pile; concrete is not eligible for county pickup in Lee County at all. Paid hauling is for what the county will not take.
How it works
First: sort before you stack
County crews make separate passes for separate materials, and a mixed pile gets skipped. Keep vegetative debris (branches, palm fronds, brush) in its own pile, away from construction debris, appliances, and household hazardous waste. A pile that has one bag of drywall in it can sit at the curb for weeks.
Do not bag storm debris
Lee County collects large vegetative debris mechanically — a claw truck scoops the pile. Bagged material defeats that and is left behind. Small quantities can go out as they would in normal weekly collection, in containers or bundles of 50 lbs or less.
Place it where the truck can reach it
In Collier County, debris goes curbside in the right-of-way — the strip from the street to the sidewalk, ditch, utility pole, or easement. Keep every pile clear of power lines, water meters, backflow preventers, fire hydrants, mailboxes, and trees, and out of drainage swales and driveway culverts, where it causes flooding the next time it rains.
Then deal with what the county will not take
Concrete is not eligible for Lee County pickup — you self-haul it or hire someone. Household hazardous waste never goes to the right-of-way. Ruined interior contents, appliances, and bent lanai frames generally need hauling. That is the part worth paying for.
The details that matter
Sorting branches and palm fronds
Gloved hands place a palm frond beside a separate pile of branches on a grass verge.
- Storm debris cleanup
- Sorting branches and palm fronds
Removing damaged furniture
Two workers guide a wrapped armchair on a dolly toward a truck outside a garage.
- Storm debris cleanup
- Removing damaged furniture
Worth knowing before you start
The vegetative pile is genuinely free
You should not pay anyone to haul branches and palm fronds that the county will collect from your curb after a declared storm. If a crew offers to take your brush pile for cash, they are selling you something you already have.
Concrete is the exception in Lee County
Lee County Solid Waste does not collect concrete. Broken driveway, cracked pad, block debris — that is a self-haul or a paid haul. Questions on disposal options: Lee County Solid Waste, 239-533-8000.
Do not mix storm debris with normal yard waste
Collier County collects storm-related yard debris on separate passes and will only take the storm material. Your regular trimmings piled in with it can cause the whole pile to be left. Collier customer service: 239-252-2380.
Price gouging is illegal once a state of emergency is declared
Under Florida Statute 501.160, charging an unconscionable price for essential goods or services is unlawful inside a declared emergency area, for up to 60 days initially and longer if the Governor extends it. A price is presumed unconscionable if it is grossly out of line with the 30 days before the declaration. If a quote after a storm looks nothing like a normal quote, that is worth questioning.
Check the license before you pay a deposit
Out-of-area crews arrive after every SWFL storm, take deposits, and leave. Ask who you are dealing with, get it in writing, and be wary of anyone who wants cash up front to start tomorrow.
You may not need to hire anyone for this
The parts you can genuinely handle on your own. We would rather tell you than sell you.
- Pile vegetative debris — branches, fronds, brush — at the curb and let the county take it at no cost
- Keep piles off drainage swales, culverts, meters, hydrants, and power lines
- Photograph damaged property before anything is removed, for your insurance claim
- Bag and set aside household hazardous waste separately, and call the county for disposal options rather than putting it at the road
- Run your regular yard waste on its normal schedule, separate from the storm pile
Where storm debris cleanup comes in
- Concrete, block, and construction debris Lee County will not collect
- Water-damaged furniture, mattresses, carpet, and drywall out of the house
- Appliances, including refrigerators that lost power and have to go
- Bent lanai frames and torn screening, cleared and hauled
- Full-property clears when a house is being gutted before repairs
- Loads sorted so anything still usable goes to donation rather than the landfill
Storm Debris Cleanup — starting at $99
Storm work is quoted the same way as any other haul, by volume and labour — we do not raise prices because there has been a hurricane. Call (239) 494-3305 and we will tell you honestly which parts of your pile you should let the county take for free.
Text us a photo and a quick description. We'll send a flat quote — usually within the hour.
Text Us a PhotoStarting pricesFrequently asked questions
Does the county really take storm debris for free?
Yes, after a declared storm. Lee and Collier both run curbside storm-debris collection at no charge to the resident. The catch is the rules: sorted by material, never bagged, placed at the curb or right-of-way, clear of utilities and drainage. Debris that breaks those rules gets passed over, which is usually why a pile sits for weeks.
Why was my pile skipped?
Almost always because materials were mixed, the debris was bagged, it was stacked against a pole, tree, meter, or hydrant, or it was blocking a sidewalk or swale. Crews run separate passes per material, so one wrong item can hold up the whole pile. Re-sort it and it will be collected on a later pass.
What will the county not take?
Concrete is not eligible for Lee County pickup. Household hazardous waste — paints, solvents, fuels — should never go to the right-of-way; call the county for disposal options. Practically speaking, ruined interior contents, appliances, and structural debris are what people end up hiring out.
Can you come out before the storm instead?
Yes — bringing in outdoor furniture, clearing loose items from the lanai, and general storm prep is part of our seasonal work. That is easier on everyone than dealing with it afterwards.
Do you charge more after a hurricane?
No. Florida law prohibits unconscionable pricing during a declared emergency, and we would not do it regardless. Same pricing as any other week.
Can you help me document damage for insurance?
We will photograph what we remove before it leaves the property if you ask. Take your own photos too, before anyone touches anything — adjusters want to see the damage in place.
Related services
Junk removal across SWFL — we load it, sweep up, and haul it away, often same-day when we have a truck open.
You fly out in three weeks and the house has to survive a Florida summer without you. Last year somebody on your street came back to mould on the bedroom wall, and somebody else came back to patio furniture in the pool. You have a list somewhere from the previous owner and you are not sure it is right.
The kitchen is half out. There are cabinets in the driveway, a pile of tile and backer board in the garage, an old range nobody has moved, and a skip you thought was included that never arrived. The contractor says demolition debris was not in the quote. Your neighbours are starting to look at the driveway.
Whole-property cleanouts across Southwest Florida — we clear it all out.
Bought it? We'll go get it and bring it home.
An extra set of hands for the heavy stuff — by the hour.
Need it fixed, moved, or hauled?
Call, text a photo, or send a quote request. Most jobs quoted same day.