Houston, Texas
Houston has no zoning, but a roll-off still runs into paperwork. The street side goes through the City Engineer. A box that sits on a commercial lot can need a separate Solid Waste permit, with a notarized affidavit.
City rules are from October 2026, from Houston Permitting Center: Mobility permitting FAQ (2019) and 6 other sources. Rules and fees change, so confirm with the city before you place a can in the street.
The street permit and the on-site Combustible Waste Storage permit come from different departments and expire on their own schedules. A commercial box that stays past 60 days crosses into the on-site rule. On Pro and Elite, DumpTracker stores each permit's number, issuer, and dates on the project and warns you when one ends before the planned pickup.
Hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, and debris calls spike after a landfall. When the board fills up overnight, the office drags stops between driver lanes and sets the order by hand. Customers get a text from your own number with their window, so the phones calm down.
Houston leans on deed restrictions, which is why the on-site permit asks for an affidavit. A neighborhood rule can still decide where a box may sit. Write it into the project's access notes so the driver knows before backing in.
The rules don't change because you have software. Keeping track of them does.
Log the permit number, who issued it, and the start and end dates on the project. If the permit ends before the scheduled pickup, the project tells you before the city does.
Place the can on the satellite map at its real size, mark the door side, and add access notes. The driver sees the same thing on their next stop.
Yes. Any obstruction of a roadway or sidewalk needs a mobility or right-of-way permit from the Office of the City Engineer. A 2019 city FAQ adds that a dumpster on the street is prohibited unless it is inside a permitted work zone with traffic control. The city does not publish the fee or lead time.
It is a Solid Waste Management permit for commercial properties with a roll-off over 50 cu ft, or any commercial dumpster on site more than 60 days. One year costs $201.40 for one dumpster. Processing takes up to 5 business days. The city does not say if a short residential rental needs it.
The city's disposal page names Atascocita, BFI McCarty Road, and BFI Blue Ridge as Type I landfills. Type IV landfills take brush and C&D. The page may be out of date, so call ahead.
It keeps permit dates on each project and warns you before a permit runs out ahead of pickup. The office plans each driver's day by lane. Drivers get access notes, Open in maps, and a container-number check when they finish a stop.
Last checked October 2026. See a rule that changed? Tell us at support@dumptracker.com.
Bring a real week: the addresses, the cans, the drivers. We'll set it up on a call and you'll see your day plan before we hang up.
