Local service guide
Albuquerque yard cleanup: Scope and disposal
Arrange yard cleanup in Albuquerque with a written quote that separates cutting and gathering, bagging or bundling, and hauling. Choose the disposal route before booking. The city offers residential seasonal green-waste collection at no additional charge and scheduled paid pickup, so you can request preparation for city collection. Include curbside and adjacent-alley weed removal where the city's rules apply. [1] [2]
Specify what the crew should remove and preserve
Send photos of the yard, access gate, curbside strip and any adjacent alley. Describe the work by area: gather leaves, remove specified weeds, collect loose branches, pick up litter and clear paths. Mark plants you want to keep and identify irrigation tubing the crew should work around. Have the contractor inspect anything hidden beneath overgrowth before agreeing to a fixed scope.
Separate vegetation from soil, gravel, stumps and other debris in your request. Albuquerque's green-waste pickup excludes dirt, debris, gravel, construction material and tree stumps. Request a separate removal plan for those materials rather than including them in bags intended for green-waste collection. [1]
Choose curbside preparation or hauling
Consider curbside preparation if you can keep eligible material until collection. The city provides residential green-waste collection at no additional charge twice each year. Its page retrieved on October 12, 2026 displays a fall window of November 30 through December 11 without stating a year beside those dates. Confirm the applicable window with 311 before scheduling a crew around it. [1]
During collection events, place green waste at the curb by 7:00 a.m. on your regular trash day, five feet from trash and recycling containers. The city requires bags for leaves, grass and brush, limits each bag to 40 pounds, and requires secure bundles of branches cut to four-foot lengths. Include bagging, cutting and bundling in the quote. [1]
The city lists a $59.31 fee for scheduled curbside pickup of bagged green waste that does not fit in your normal trash bin. Call 311 to arrange collection. You can put green waste in the normal trash bin if the lid closes; the city prohibits green waste in recycling bins. For contractor hauling, specify that the crew must remove the agreed materials before leaving. [1]
Include the correct weed-removal boundaries
Albuquerque requires removal of ordinance-defined weeds exceeding four inches in height or width from the yard, the area between the property line and curb, and the area from the property line to the middle of an adjacent alley. Without an adjacent curb, the city describes responsibility extending ten feet outside the property line. Photograph the applicable areas when requesting a quote. [2]
The city limits enforcement to weeds identified in its ordinance. Do not assume a notice requires clearing all vegetation. The city lists mowing, cutting and digging or pulling among approved methods, and calls for removal that protects other vegetation and avoids unnecessary soil disturbance or fugitive dust. Agree on which plants the crew will remove and which it will preserve. [2]
Share any violation notice with the contractor and agree on a completion date that meets its deadline. The city directs owners who need more time or dispute a notice to contact the inspector named at the bottom. Contact that inspector yourself to discuss an accommodation or clarify the required work. [2]
Check disposal access and quote terms
The city lists convenience-center disposal at $5 per load plus tax for city residents and $12 per load plus tax for non-city residents. These are facility charges. Have the contractor itemize labor, loading, travel, disposal and additional trips, and explain which customer classification it will use. The municipal fee alone does not establish a budget for the complete cleanup. [3]
Convenience centers limit branches to eight feet and stumps to eighteen inches in both diameter and length, with no more than three stumps per load. They reject root balls. Confirm the destination before the crew cuts or loads those materials. The city also limits vehicles using convenience centers to a rated capacity under two tons, so check the proposed hauling vehicle. [3]
Agree on the finished condition before work starts: which areas the crew will clear, where it will leave prepared bags, and which materials it will haul away. Request a total price or an hourly rate with an agreed spending limit. Obtain proof of insurance, exclusions and written approval terms for extra work. Walk the site with the crew at completion and compare the result with your scope.
Published convenience-center disposal fees
Local details that affect your job
An alley can change the cleanup scope
The city assigns owners weed-removal responsibility from their property line to the middle of an adjacent alley. Include that area as a separate quote item if your original request covers only the fenced yard. Confirm which plants fall under the ordinance before authorizing removal. [2]
Plan around Montessa Park's operating days
Montessa Park Convenience Center, at 3512 Los Picaros SE, operates Friday through Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with no admission after 4:30 p.m. If a crew proposes this destination, confirm that its work date and loading schedule fit those hours. Check holiday availability before making a holiday hauling plan. [3]
Choose the route before cutting branches
City green-waste pickup requires four-foot branch lengths, while convenience centers allow branches up to eight feet. Tell the crew which disposal route you chose before it cuts and bundles branches. Include the required preparation in the written scope. [1] [3]
Choose the disposal plan before booking
| Your situation | Plan to request | Detail to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| Eligible green waste and time to wait | Cleanup with bags and bundles left for seasonal city collection | Confirm the collection window with 311 and follow curbside preparation rules |
| Eligible green waste outside the seasonal event | Cleanup with preparation for scheduled city pickup | The city lists a $59.31 pickup fee; arrange collection through 311 |
| You want debris removed when work finishes | Cleanup with contractor hauling | Get the destination, disposal charges and extra-trip terms in writing |
| The pile includes stumps or root balls | A separate disposal plan for those materials | Convenience centers reject root balls and restrict stump dimensions and quantities |
| You received a weed violation notice | Removal scoped to the notice and applicable property boundaries | Contact the named inspector if you need more time or clarification |
Your hiring checklist
- Photograph each work area, access gate and debris pile.
- Mark plants to preserve and identify irrigation tubing.
- Choose curbside preparation or contractor hauling.
- Request separate prices for cleanup, preparation and removal.
- Confirm the disposal destination and who pays extra-trip charges.
- Share any violation notice and agree on a completion deadline.
- Obtain proof of insurance and approval terms for added work.
- Inspect the finished areas against the written scope.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much should I budget for a complete cleanup?
Request a quote based on photos or a site visit, with labor, preparation and hauling separated. City-resident convenience-center disposal costs $5 per load plus tax; scheduled green-waste pickup costs $59.31. These municipal charges cover disposal or collection rather than a contractor's complete service. Compare offers using the same removal scope and disposal plan. [1] [3]
Can the crew leave branches beside my trash cart?
For a seasonal city collection event, have the crew cut branches to four-foot lengths, secure them in bundles and leave green waste five feet from trash and recycling containers. Confirm the collection date before leaving material at the curb, and arrange placement by 7:00 a.m. on your regular trash day during the event. [1]
Do I need weed spraying included?
The city's weed ordinance requires removal and does not require spraying. Request a removal method that fits your yard and protects retained vegetation. If a contractor proposes spraying, clarify its purpose and obtain a separate description and price before approving that work. [2]
Can a convenience center accept uprooted plants with root balls?
The city prohibits root balls at convenience centers. Have the contractor confirm another accepted destination before starting uprooting work, and include that disposal arrangement in the quote. Keep the destination and hauling price separate from any agreement to gather leaves or cut weeds. [3]
Sources and scope
This guide combines the sources below with practical planning guidance. Figures apply to the stated geography and period; request a written quote for your property.