Waco trash, yard and property rules that affect rodents

Published November 4, 2026

Waco requires all trash to fit in the gray cart with the lid completely closed, limits brush piles to 4 by 4 by 4 feet, offers one bulky pickup a month on request and cites grass over 12 inches. Each rule closes off food or shelter rats rely on.

Why these rules matter for rodents

A rat needs three things: food, water and a place to hide. Trash carts with the lid propped open, bags left by the curb, brush piles that sit for weeks and lots with knee-high weeds supply two of the three. Waco’s solid waste and code compliance rules aren’t written as rodent rules, but following them takes away most of what keeps rats in a block.

This guide covers the rules, what they mean for your yard and what you can do if a neighboring property ignores them. It’s general information. Check the linked City pages for current rules and fees.

Gray carts: lid closed, everything inside

The City’s Residential Services page sets out the basics:

• Gray trash carts are collected every week on your designated day.
• All waste must fit in the cart with the lid completely closed.
• Household trash should be bagged and tied.
• Bags and other items outside the cart won’t be picked up.
• Carts go to the curb by 7 a.m. on pickup day, with the opening facing the street and 3 feet of space around each cart.

The lid rule is the one that matters most for rats. A cart with the lid propped up on an overstuffed bag gives rats an open buffet every night until pickup. If you regularly fill your cart, the City offers additional carts for a monthly fee listed on its page.

The City lists a $20 penalty per event for carts left at the curb, overfilled carts, waste outside the cart, unbagged trash and non-City carts. It says customers get a warning letter with information first.

Recycling: clean, empty and dry

Blue recycling carts are picked up every other week. The City asks that items be clean, empty and dry and that the lid closes completely. A soda can or a takeout container with food residue in an open cart draws rodents the same way trash does. Rinse food containers before they go in.

Yard waste and leaves

The City accepts grass, small sticks and leaves in carts and paper bags. Its page says no more than 20 paper leaf bags are collected at a time, and residents with a green cart can put mixed trash and yard waste in it for weekly collection until October 1, 2027. Scheduled yard waste pickups are limited to two a month. Yard waste can also go to the Cobbs Recycling Center or the City landfill for free up to four times a year.

Piles of leaves and clippings against a fence give mice and rats cover. Bag them or put them in the cart instead of leaving a pile.

Brush piles

Brush piles at the curb are limited to 4 feet by 4 feet by 4 feet, one at a time. Limbs more than 3 inches thick and stumps aren’t collected. Don’t tie the pile, and don’t cover the water meter with it.

A brush pile that sits in the yard for weeks becomes a rat shelter. Cut it to size and get it to the curb on your scheduled day.

Bulky waste

The City gives each household one bulky waste pickup a month at no charge, by request, with a size limit of 6 feet by 6 feet by 6 feet. Larger piles cost extra. Freon appliances, tires, paint, chemicals, glass and some construction debris aren’t collected. Keep bulky items at least 5 feet from trees, mailboxes, water meters and fences, and keep bulky and brush piles at least 2 feet apart.

Old mattresses, couches and boxes stored in a garage or under a carport are prime nesting spots for mice and rats. The monthly pickup is a free way to clear them.

Apartments and multi-unit housing

For multi-unit housing with dumpster service, the City’s page says bulky items go in a designated area, combined items can’t exceed 5 feet tall by 8 feet wide by 16.5 feet long, and items can’t be placed behind dumpsters. Bags on the ground beside a full dumpster and a dumpster lid left open are the two most common rat magnets at apartment complexes.

High grass, junk and open storage

Waco’s Code Compliance division enforces the rules that cover the rest of the yard:

• Grass or weeds higher than 12 inches are out of compliance. Owners get 7 days to comply, and property with growth over 48 inches can be mowed without prior notice.
• Accumulated trash, wood debris, building materials, indoor furniture, appliances, tires and car parts aren’t allowed on occupied or vacant property.
• Residential open storage of appliances, carpet, upholstered furniture, tires or auto parts isn’t allowed.
• Illegal dumping gets ticketed.

The division’s page notes that high weeds can attract mosquitoes and rodents. If a neighboring lot is overgrown or full of junk, the reporting guide explains how to report it through the MyWaco portal or by email.

State law gives cities this authority. Texas Health and Safety Code Section 342.004 lets a city require property owners to keep property free from weeds, brush and certain public nuisance conditions.

Outside city limits

In unincorporated areas like China Spring, county rules and state nuisance law apply. Texas Health and Safety Code Section 343.011 lists public nuisances in unincorporated areas, including keeping premises in a way that’s likely to attract or harbor rodents and other disease-carrying pests.

Bellmead’s rodent ordinance

Bellmead goes further than most nearby cities. Its 2023 rodent control ordinance says:

• Human food and animal feed must be stored in rodent-proof containers or rooms.
• Bird food can’t be placed on the ground when there’s evidence of rodents on the property or nearby, and otherwise has to be on raised platforms rodents can’t reach.
• Garbage, including dead animals, goes in rodent-proof containers until collected.
• Piles of boxes, junk appliances and similar items that shelter rodents aren’t allowed.
• When there’s evidence of rodents and the enforcement officer asks, firewood, lumber and building materials must be stored at least 15 inches above the ground.

Even if you live in Waco, those are good habits. The Bellmead page has more.

What to do in your own yard

• Keep the gray cart lid closed. If it won’t close, get a second cart.
• Rinse food containers before recycling.
• Store pet food, birdseed, grass seed and livestock feed in metal cans with tight lids.
• Bring pet bowls in at night.
• Pick up fallen pecans and fruit.
• Raise firewood and lumber off the ground and move them away from the house and fence.
• Keep compost in a closed bin and don’t add meat or dairy.
• Trim shrubs and ivy back from the walls so you can see the slab edge.
• Get brush and bulky items to the curb on schedule.

Then close the gaps on the house itself. The CDC’s sealing guidance calls for steel wool and caulk in small holes and hardware cloth, metal sheeting or cement for larger ones. The exclusion page explains what a technician seals, and rat burrow treatment covers burrows along fences and sheds.