Junk removal costs in Washington

Washington's Department of Public Works will haul bulk trash from District homes, but only by appointment. Book it through 311 or 311.dc.gov first. Then set your items out no earlier than 6:30 p.m. the night before and no later than 6 a.m. on the day. The city's own page pairs that with a blunt warning not to dump illegally, so a couch left out without a booking is a problem, not a pickup.

Electronics are the rule that trips people up here. Since January 1, 2018, the District has banned computers, laptops, TVs, monitors, printers, tablets and game consoles from the trash. Residents can drop them at the Fort Totten Transfer Station with proof they live in the District, and there are mail-back options too. Leftover paint can go back to a PaintCare drop-off at a store. Chemicals and fluorescent bulbs go to one of DPW's special waste collection events.

If your rowhouse has no driveway, a dumpster means the street. DDOT permits roll-off containers in the parking lane. Its 2017 rules hold a smaller container to one parking space and a larger one to two on blocks with residential permit parking. Larger containers left past 30 days pick up an extra charge, which is why DDOT pitched the rules as a push toward smaller boxes.