The 2026 Brush Collection Season is Ending Soon

All Madison residents have at least one remaining set-out date for brush collection in 2026.

Once your final collection opportunity for the year passes, scheduled brush pickup for your neighborhood will be over until the start of the brush pickup season in 2027. 

City of Madison residents can also take brush to a drop-off site.

How do you get brush picked up?

When you should set out sticks, branches, and tree limbs for pickup depends on where you live. 

Get the date when you should set out from the brush collection website.

Enter your address into the form, and you will see the date you need.

Put your tree limbs and other brush out for pickup according to the rules on the set out date shown.

Pickup occurs during the work week that follows the set out date. 

Brush Collection Rules

Think of brush as branches and sticks.  It's the woody material you cut from trees, shrubs, and bushes. We take your brush and make wood mulch out of it. 

Brush must measure between 18 inches and 8 feet so crews can collect it safely.

Pile brush on the terrace, or the grass at the edge of the street. Stack brush with the cut ends facing the same direction.

Keep brush at least 5 feet away from trees, cars, utility poles, mailboxes, fire hydrants, and other obstructions.

Do not put brush in the street or on the sidewalk. 

Do not mix brush and yard waste together.  Brush mixed with weeds, grass clippings, and other yard waste will not be picked up. Yard waste collection is a separate service with a different schedule.

Do not put brush in bags, boxes, or other containers.

What do I do with brush after the Streets Division ends curbside collection for 2026 in my neighborhood?

Take brush you create to a Streets Division drop-off sites.

All three city drop-off sites are open year-round and they accept brush. 

Make sure you know the hours, locations, and site restrictions before loading your vehicle.

Drop-off site information is available on our website.

Why does brush collection end so early?

It takes multiple weeks for every neighborhood in Madison to have their final turn for brush pickup. 

By the time every neighborhood receives their last turn, it will be the start of the fall leaf and yard waste season.

Crews collecting brush today are the same people that will be collecting leaves & yard waste when that service begins.  

Brush pickup service needs to end so the people are available to collect leaves and yard waste.

Will the Streets Division do more brush pickup after leaf collection is done?

We cannot make any promises of extra collections.

Once your final set out date has passed for your neighborhood, do not set out brush for pickup again until the next scheduled set out dates in 2027.  

Brush pickup will return in the spring of 2027. The set out dates will be published to the brush website sometime in February or March 2027.

You can take brush to a drop-off site.

Sign up for brush schedule email alerts. If we get an opportunity to do an extra collection round later this year, we will send out a notification to that email group.