If you cut a few limbs yourself, the city may take them at the curb. If a contractor does the cutting, it generally won't. Here are the published rules for Huntsville and Madison.
| Rule | Huntsville | Madison |
|---|---|---|
| Limb length | 5 feet or less | 8 feet or less, side branches trimmed, neat pile |
| Amount | Free up to 10 cubic yards; each additional 5 cubic yards $55 | 5 cubic yards per household, once a week |
| Leaves and clippings | In bags, 50 pounds or less | In plastic bags |
| Set out by | 7 a.m. on collection day | 6 a.m. on collection day |
| Contractor debris | Not collected | Contractors and lawn services dispose of their own waste |
| Land clearing debris | Not collected | Not stated; ask the city |
Huntsville
- Loose yard waste that isn't in a container may be picked up for a minimum fee of $45 per cubic yard.
- Anything that fits in a container has to go in one before it's collected.
- Put piles behind the curb, never in the road, the gutter, on a storm drain, on the sidewalk, or next to utility poles, lines or boxes, and don't let a parked car or vegetation block them.
- Dirt, rocks, bricks and concrete aren't collected. Neither are limbs or trimmings from land clearing, or debris from a contractor's work.
- Your pickup day comes from the City's sanitation route lookup.
After severe storms in May 2017 the City temporarily waived the 10 cubic yard limit, though debris still had to be cut to five-foot lengths, and it said any hired contractor was responsible for removing the storm debris it generated.
Madison
Republic Services collects trash for the City of Madison, and tree limbs, brush, leaves and grass clippings are on its list of green waste it picks up. The City's guidelines ask for limbs no longer than 8 feet with protruding branches trimmed, leaves and clippings in plastic bags, and everything at the curb or roadside by 6 a.m. If you use commercial workers or a professional lawn service, they dispose of the waste they create; it can't go out for collection.
Harvest, Hazel Green, Meridianville and Owens Cross Roads
We didn't find published curbside limb rules for Madison County's unincorporated communities or for Owens Cross Roads. Ask your trash provider, the city or the county.
When the pile is too big
Angi's 2026 debris guide puts tree debris removal at a $150 average, with most homeowners paying $75 to $500, chipping at $50 to $125 an hour and dump disposal at $75 to $250 a trip. Hauling can also be written into a tree removal quote; ask for it.
Sources for this page
- City of Huntsville: Curbside Collection
- City of Huntsville: Storm Debris Removal and Garbage Pick-up Information (May 22, 2017)
- City of Madison Public Works: Trash Collection Guidelines and Information (rev. 8/16/2019)
- City of Madison: Garbage and Trash Service
- Angi, tree debris removal cost guide, 2026 data (by Scott Dylan Westerlund; revised Aug. 3, 2026)
Checked October 27, 2026. Ordinances, collection rules and prices get revised; confirm with the source before you count on a figure.