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Leaf Collection for the 2019 - 2020 Season Has Been Completed!
Crews completed the second round of leaf collection on Friday, February 28. The City of Raleigh seasonal leaf collection began on Tuesday, November 12, 2019.
Loose leaf collection is residential service for citizens living inside Raleigh city limits and features two rounds of vacuuming leaf piles placed between the curb and sidewalk. This season crews collected 2,786 loads of leaves estimated at over 12,000 tons or 61,230 cubic yards. This amount would fill an entire football field at a height of 40 feet!
Starting Monday, March 2 through Friday, March 13, residents can begin calling in requests for leaf piles to be collected that may have been put out late, blocked by vehicles or otherwise missed.
Collection requests can be made by calling 919-996-6446. To be added to the list, you will need to provide your name, address and phone number.
Leaf Collection and Yard Waste Address Search
Enter your home address in city limits to find your leaf collection zone. For best results, click on the auto-populated address that appears as you type.
First Collection Pass Schedule
| Zone | Status and When To Place Leaf Piles At The Curb |
| 12 | Completed |
| 1 | Completed |
| 2 | Completed |
| 3 | Completed |
| 4 | Completed |
| 5 | Completed |
| 6 | Completed |
| 7 | Completed |
| 8 | Completed |
| 9 | Completed |
| 10 | Completed |
| 11 | Completed |
Interactive Map
This is an overview of leaf collection service citywide. Click on the key in the top right corner of the map (three dots) to see the status per zone.
Interactive Leaf Collection Map / Description of Leaf Collection Zones
Zone "1" is bounded by Glenwood Avenue to the north, Wade Avenue to the south, I-440 to the east and the city limits to the west.
Zone "2" is bounded by Creedmoor Road to the east, Glenwood Avenue to the south and west and the city limits to the north.
Zone "3" is bounded by Six Forks Road to the east, I-440 to the south, Creedmoor Road to the west and the city limits to the north.
Zone "4" is bounded by I-540 to the north, Falls of Neuse Road to the east, St. Albans Road to the south and Six Forks Road to the west.
Zone "5" is bounded Falls of Neuse Road to the north and west, Capital Boulevard to the east and New Hope Church Road and St. Albans Road to the south.
Zone "6" is bounded by Capital Boulevard to the west, Buffaloe Road to the south and the city limits to the north and east.
Zone "7" is bounded by I-440, St. Albans Drive and New Hope Church Road to the north, Capital Boulevard to the east, Wade Avenue to the south and Glenwood Avenue to the west.
Zone "8" is bounded by Buffaloe Road to the north, the city limits to the east, Poole Road and Edenton Street to the south and Person Street, Wake Forest Road and Capital Boulevard to the west.
Zone "9" is bounded by Poole Road and Edenton Street to the north, the city limits to the ease and south and Person Street and Hammond Road to the west.
Zone "10" is bounded by Western Boulevard to the north, Tryon Road and the city limits to the south, Person Street and Hammond Road to the east and I-40 and Jones Franklin Road to the west.
Zone "11" is bounded by Wade Avenue to the North, Western Boulevard to the south, Person Street and Wake Forest Road to the east and I-40 to the west.
Zone "12" is bounded by Glenwood Avenue to the north and east, Wade Avenue to the south and I-440 to the west.
Optional Methods for Leaf Disposal
The City of Raleigh offers several disposal options to its residents but would like to make people aware there are also some environmentally-friendly alternatives.
Raleigh residents are encouraged to decide which option(s) work best for their amount of leaves.
- Mulching: This mulching or “shredding” option is not only better for the health of your lawn and garden but for the broader environment. It can be done quickly and easily at less cost and at your leisure. Most lawn mowers can be adjusted to a mulch setting.
- Backyard composting: By composting your food scraps and yard trimmings, you help save valuable landfill space while creating a nutritious soil amendment. More information on composting is available online.
- Hire a landscape contractor: Yard waste generated from work by a contractor is NOT eligible for curbside collection. Contractors must remove the yard waste from your home after work is completed. If you hire someone to perform yard work services, be sure the cost of hauling the yard waste away is included in the price.
- Self-hauling: Take your unwanted leaves or other yard wastes to the City’s Yard Waste Recycling Center. It is located at 900 N. New Hope Road and is open Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. There is a minimal dump fee for this service. MasterCard, Visa, checks with proper ID and cash are accepted. More information is available online.
- Curbside Yard Waste Service: This service is provided by the Solid Waste Services Department and occurs on the same day your trash is collected. Either of the following can be used: containers with lifting handles, such as a plastic or metal garbage can, no larger than 35 gallons, and weighing no more than 75 pounds when full; biodegradable paper bags; or clear plastic bags. Please limit the number of bags that will be placed out for collection to 15. Visit Solid Waste Services for more information.
And right now the City has purchased biodegradable paper bags for leaf collection that can be picked up by Solid Waste Services. These are available for free to residents. Each resident may pick up a free pack of five bags from any of the following locations:
Raleigh Municipal Building – Fourth Floor
Raleigh Central Operations Facility – 2550 Operations Way, off Westinghouse Blvd
Raleigh Northeast Remote Ops Facility – 3224 Spotswood Drive
Raleigh Yard Waste Facility – 900 North New Hope Road
Raleigh Solid Waste Services Facility – 630 Beacon Lake Drive.
*standard business hours*
Loose Leaf Collection 101
Loose leaf collection is a residential service for citizens living inside the Raleigh city limits who do their own yard work. The equipment used is outfitted with large vacuums, which lift and deposit the leaves into dump boxes mounted on the trucks and are then hauled away when full.
Crews will only collect loose leaf piles from in front of single family homes.
City crews do NOT provide service to commercial properties such as businesses, schools, churches or apartment complexes.
Landscape contractors are responsible for proper disposal of all leaf piles they create.
Leaf Disposal
Leaves are considered a solid waste and should be either recycled or disposed of properly to provide safe, clean streets and to prevent issues within the stormwater drainage system.
The City of Raleigh encourages residents to mulch or backyard compost leaves as an alternative to disposal whenever possible. You can turn the leaves into mulch simply by using your lawn mower to cut the leaves up. More information on backyard composting can be found on the City's backyard composting webpage.
Leaf Collection Scheduling
Loose leaf piles are collected in the fall and winter months. The season begins in early November and usually completed by February. It is the responsibility of each resident to make him or herself aware of that season’s schedule and to have their loose leaf pile prepared in time for collection. The schedule is released in October and is made available below. You may also call the Transportation Field Services Division at 919-996-6446.
Leaf Collection Placement
Residents must place loose leaf piles at the edge of their yard but close enough to the street that the vacuum equipment can reach them; this is typically the area between the curb and sidewalk. Leaf pile can be no more than six feet from the edge of the curb for crews to collect in order for the equipment to reach them.
Do NOT rake or blow leaves into the street. Doing so creates a hazard to the public and is a violation of city code.
Loose Leaf Collection Process
City crews make two passes each season using equipment, which vacuums the loose leaf piles off the ground. Trucks work their way through the City by pre-assigned routes, alternating the starting point from year to year. Each neighborhood is worked based on a street-by-street pattern similar to your mail carrier delivering mail. As the truck drives down each street, it stops once in front of each house to vacuum any leaf pile there. Once a street, neighborhood or route is completed, the truck does not go back to that location.
Residents must place leaf piles at the edge of their yard, free from foreign debris and away from potential obstructions but close enough to the street that equipment can reach them. Do NOT rake or blow leaves into the street. Foreign debris such as limbs, vines, rocks and trash can cause damage to the vacuum equipment so keep them out of your pile. Examples of potential obstructions include but are not limited to: parked vehicles, mailboxes, fire hydrants, water meters, guy wires, utility boxes, fences and landscaping. Due to the risk of damage, leaf piles too close to obstructions or mixed with foreign debris will NOT be collected.
Leaf piles that are put out after the date and time listed for your area may not be collected. It will take crews anywhere from several days to all week to complete an area. The loose leaf collection can be affected by both weather and volume of leaves so this schedule is subject to change without notice.
If you are unsure of your collection zone, here are 3 options to find out:
- Enter your address in the section above titled "Leaf Collection and Yard Waste Address Search".
- Click on the “MyRaleigh Services” link near the top right of the page. Next enter your address in the “Find Your Services” box and the information pertaining to your address will appear.
- Or, call the Transportation Field Services Division at 919-996-6446 and the office staff will assist you.
Residents may see collection trucks out working prior to November 13 as City staff tests the equipment.
Keep Leaves out of the Street and off of Sidewalks
Loose leaf piles should be placed behind the curb or edge of pavement without blocking the sidewalk. Do not rake or blow leaves into the street as they present a safety hazard and a flooding concern when leaves are washed into storm drains.
Please see the slide show at the top of the page for examples of what to do and what not to do when preparing your leaves for collection.
Please separate tree trimmings, shrubs, and other types of yard debris from your loose leaves. These items can damage our vacuum equipment and create a safety hazard for our crews. Yard waste and bagged leaves will continue to be collected on your scheduled yard waste collection day.
Please keep leaf piles away from obstructions such as parked vehicles, fire hydrants, mailboxes, fencing, designer landscaping, water meters, utility poles and guy wires. Our crews need room to work and do not want to damage our equipment or your property while collecting loose leaves.
Please help us be environmentally responsible by keeping leaf piles out of the streets and storm drains or by using one of these other alternatives.
The City of Raleigh would like to encourage residents to utilize eco-friendly options such as mulching or backyard composting whenever possible. Visit the City's backyard composting webpage for more information.
Citizens who receive the loose leaf collection service can also have their leaves picked up weekly, year-round on their scheduled collection day. Leaves must be placed in clear plastic bags, bio-degradable paper bags, or a solid container. Visit the City's yard waste preparation webpage for more information.
