Moving In: Setting Up Utilities and Finding Your Trash Pickup Day — by Hub City (Austin, Dallas, Atlanta, Savannah, Montgomery, Auburn, Nashville, Phoenix)

Based on each city's, county's and utility's official pages (checked 2026-10-23). Fees and rules change, so check the linked page again before you sign up.

The first week in a new home is busy. This order keeps it simple:

1. Check by address. Water, electricity, gas and trash service are assigned by address. Even with the same mailing city (for example, Duluth), a home outside city limits gets county service. Your leasing office or landlord can tell you fastest.
2. Start water and sewer. This is usually a city utility, and in many cities the trash fee is on the water bill. Sign up 2–3 business days before move-in.
3. Start electricity and gas. In Texas areas served by a delivery company such as Oncor, you pick a retail electric provider yourself (how to choose a Texas electricity plan).
4. Learn your trash day and bulk-trash rules. Use the official app or address lookup, and check whether large items like sofas or mattresses need a booking.

You will usually need a photo ID, your lease and your move-in date, and many utilities ask for a deposit. With no U.S. credit history, ask whether a payment letter from your previous utility is accepted.

Austin and Taylor (Texas)

• Austin: enter your address in My Schedule or the Austin Recycles app for your trash, recycling and compost calendar and reminders. Bulk items and brush are booked on demand for single-family homes up to fourplexes. No bags or boxes; keep items 5 feet from carts, mailboxes and cars. If your pickup day is Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year's Day, or later that same week, it slides one day. The city's utility page lists Texas Gas Service, Atmos Energy, CenterPoint Energy and SiEnergy, so check which serves your address. Requests: Austin 3-1-1.
• Taylor: the city contracts with Waste Connections, and the fee is on your water bill. Trash is weekly; recycling is every other week on the same day (service area map and 2026 recycling calendar). Carts out by 7 a.m. For a bulk item, call Utility Billing (512-352-2066) before your trash day — one item a week. Brush cut to 4 feet or less and tied in bundles of 20 lb or less is picked up weekly. Water is started in person at City Hall (400 Porter St) with a service contract. The city says, "You must select your own electric provider," and points to Power to Choose.

Dallas and Plano (Texas)

• Dallas: brush and bulky items are collected once a month, up to 10 cubic yards (one 20-cubic-yard exception a year), placed just behind the curb. Set them out Thursday to Sunday before your collection week. Holiday changes: Holiday Schedule. Open a water account online through DallasGo, by phone or at City Hall Room 2D South; the deposit is billed on the first bill but is waived in listed cases, such as on-time payments with another utility. Requests: 3-1-1 (214-670-3111).
• Plano: water, sewer and trash start together at the city's Customer & Utility Services (the online form asks for a connect date and driver license number). The city's page bodies did not load for our checks, so we could not confirm the pickup-day tool, bulky-item limits or electric and gas providers from an official page. See New Resident Resources.

Atlanta metro — Duluth and Suwanee (Georgia)

• Duluth: the city contracts with Republic Services (678-963-2873). Carts out by 7 a.m., not before 3 p.m. the day before. Pickup is delayed one day for New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Homes in unincorporated Gwinnett with a Duluth mailing address use the county's assigned hauler — use the county hauler search. The city has a New Resident Guide.
• Suwanee: the city does not collect trash; it lists Republic, Red Oak and Waste Management. For gas, the city explains that Atlanta Gas Light runs the pipes and you choose a certified gas marketer. Newcomer information is in the "Welcome to the Neighborhood" section.

Savannah and Pooler (Georgia)

• Savannah: no booking for bulk items — place them neatly at the curb with your cart by 7 a.m. on trash day; items that take more than 5 minutes to load are charged a fee. The route calendars (PDF) show holiday changes. New water accounts pay a $30 fee, and a deposit is sometimes required. Requests: 311 or the SAV311 app.
• Pooler: the 2026 schedule says "NO BULK PICKUP." Yard waste goes in brown paper bags only, up to 10. Atlantic Waste observes only New Year's Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Renters bring a lease copy, driver license, application and a $150 deposit to City Hall.

Montgomery (Alabama)

• Montgomery: household garbage is collected twice a week (Mon/Thu or Tue/Fri routes), yard trash once a week. For large items, book through 311 (334-625-4636): $25–$150 per truckload, or $25 each for items such as refrigerators and sofas. Free drop-off points for city residents open on the 1st and 3rd Saturday. Water is started with the Water Works Board's online application.

Auburn and LaGrange (Alabama and Georgia)

• LaGrange: electricity, natural gas, water, sewer and sanitation all come from the city utility (Billing & New Service 706-883-2030). Trash and yard waste are picked up on alternating weeks, and there is no curbside recycling. City holidays are marked on the 2026 flyer.
• Auburn: garbage service is set up when you open your water account. Deposits are $35 water + $30 sewer + $30 garbage, plus a $15 fee, and they are waived with a letter from your previous utility showing two years without late charges. Bulky items and yard debris go in one pile within 3 feet of the road, up to 5 cubic yards a week. Holidays: Holiday Schedule. Requests: Auburn FixIt.

Clarksville and Nashville (Tennessee)

• Clarksville: the county's official FAQ says, "The City and County do not have any municipal waste or recycling pick-up services." Hire a private hauler or take trash to a Bi-County convenience center (residency is checked by license plate; new residents may be asked for a utility bill or lease). Water, sewer and gas are Clarksville Gas & Water; electricity is CDE Lightband. Requests: SeeClickFix.
• Nashville: Metro curbside service covers single-family homes up to quadplexes inside the Urban Services District; sign up through hubNashville. Pickup days changed in February 2026, so recheck yours in the app or the Collection Calendar. Large items go to a convenience center; brush collection dates are in the app. Remaining 2026 holidays: Thanksgiving (Nov 26) Thursday routes move to Mon Nov 30; Christmas (Dec 25) Friday routes move to Mon Dec 28. The water start fee is $35 same day or $25 later. Requests: hubNashville (311 or 615-862-5000).

Phoenix and Queen Creek (Arizona)

• Phoenix: trash and recycling are both weekly on the same day. Bulk trash is by appointment, 4 times a year, booked at least 3 business days ahead online or at 602-262-6251, and set out no more than 7 days early. Only Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day change collection (Holiday Schedule). Start water in the ePortal at least 3 business days ahead and trash service is added automatically. A city report says APS and SRP are the only electric utilities in city limits. Requests: myPHX311; newcomers: Moving to Phoenix.
• Queen Creek: starting water also starts Town trash and recycling (San Tan Valley residents contact their HOA). Pay $150 before turn-on ($125 deposit + $25 fee), apply 2 business days ahead; connections Monday to Thursday. Bulk trash is free once a month, booked by noon the business day before, up to 6 cubic yards. The Town's Resident Resources page lists SRP and Southwest Gas.

Related

• Living in the U.S.
• How to choose a Texas electricity plan
• Settling-in checklist
• Austin relocation guide
• Local shop jobs

Fees, deposits, pickup days and rules can change and can differ by address. Before you sign up, confirm on the city's or utility's official page or with your leasing office. "Not confirmed" means we could not confirm it on an official page. Checked 2026-10-23.

Cite this article as: JOBnaru™ — https://jobnaru.com/en/news/move-in-utilities-trash-pickup-by-city