San Diego Trash Fee: What City Homeowners Pay and What It Includes

by Trevor Landress

Single-family homeowners in the City of San Diego began paying a trash collection fee on July 1, 2025, after the City Council approved it on a 6 to 3 vote in June 2025. 10News reported that the standard 95-gallon bundle, which includes recycling and organics containers, cost $523.20 in the first year, or $43.60 a month.

The short answer

The fee applies to single-family homes and residential properties of four or fewer units that receive City trash and recycling service.
The standard bundle includes 95-gallon trash, recycling and organics containers.
Smaller trash containers carry a lower fee, and the City's notice sets maximum amounts that rise each July 1 through 2028.
Condos and many multi-family properties pay through HOA fees or rent instead.

Who pays

The City's page on future fees says the potential fees apply to single-family homes and residential complexes of four or fewer units that receive City trash and recycling service. It notes that most multi-family residences already pay for these services through HOA fees, rent or other payments. 10News reported that about 233,000 single-family customers qualify and that this was the first time they had to pay for trash pickup.

A property served by a private hauler would not be charged. The City's notice does not list formal exemptions, and it says financial assistance criteria were still under consideration when it was issued.

What the fee covers

The City's Proposition 218 notice describes bundles that each include one 95-gallon recycling container and one 95-gallon organics container, with a choice of trash container size. Container repair, replacement and delivery are at no additional cost. Trash and organics are collected weekly and recycling every other week, and the notice says weekly recycling collection and curbside pickup of up to two bulky items per year are proposed starting July 1, 2027.

Option 1: 35-gallon trash container.
Option 2: 65-gallon trash container.
Option 3: 95-gallon trash container.

What it costs

10News reported on June 10, 2025 that the Council approved a range of $32 to $44 a month, and that the standard 95-gallon bundle was $523.20 for the first year. The City's notice sets the most it can charge, and the Council can set lower amounts. The maximums in the notice, per month, are:

Bundle	July 1, 2025	July 1, 2026	July 1, 2027	July 1, 2028
Option 1: 35-gallon trash	$36.72	$38.45	$45.66	$47.35
Option 2: 65-gallon trash	$42.88	$45.02	$53.46	$55.23
Option 3: 95-gallon trash	$47.59	$50.03	$59.42	$61.24

Those are ceilings, not what the City necessarily charges. The City's fee was lower than the ceiling in the first year, and I have not confirmed the amounts for the current fiscal year, so check the City's page for the fee on a specific property. The notice also said that for the first fiscal year all customers were charged the Option 3 rate, capped at $571.08 per year, and that customers who chose a smaller bundle would be credited the difference on their next year's bill.

Extra containers

The notice lists extra containers as additional charges. For the first fiscal year, an extra 35-gallon trash container was up to $6.94 a month, an extra recycling container up to $10.57 and an extra organics container up to $13.05. Each property must have at least one trash, one recycling and one organics container.

How the fee is collected

The notice said the charge, if approved for the county tax roll, would first appear on tax bills by October 2025. Confirm with the City how your property is billed. If it appears on the tax bill, it will be part of your yearly cost of ownership, along with the items I list in my property tax guide.

What buyers should do

Ask the seller what bin size the home has and what the fee has been.
Look at the last tax bill for the line item, and ask your agent or the City if you are unsure.
Add the fee to your monthly budget with water, sewer and electricity. I explain the first in my San Diego water rates guide and the last in my SDG&E rate plans guide.
If the home has a private sewer line, read my sewer lateral guide before you close.
In a condo or townhome community, ask what trash service the HOA fee includes.

I am not a City official, and fees change by vote. Confirm everything on the City's pages. My article on the cost of owning a home in La Jolla shows how these costs add up in one neighborhood.

My advice for San Diego buyers and homeowners

Ask the seller for the current bin size and the last tax bill.
Find out whether the City or a private hauler serves the property.
Choose a bin size that matches your household's use, since smaller bundles cost less.
Treat the City's published amounts as ceilings and confirm the current fee.
Put the fee in your budget with water, sewer and electricity.

A note on advice

I am a REALTOR®, not a lender, attorney, tax professional or financial advisor, so this guide is general information. Your lender can tell you what you qualify for, and a CPA or attorney can answer tax and legal questions.

Call or text me at (619) 402-4614 or send me a message.

Call or text (619) 402-4614 Contact Trevor Landress

Related guides

Frequently asked questions

Who pays the City of San Diego trash fee?

Single-family homes and residential properties of four or fewer units that receive City trash and recycling service. Most multi-family properties pay through HOA fees or rent.

How much was the first-year trash fee?

10News reported that the standard 95-gallon bundle cost $523.20 for the first year, or $43.60 a month.

What does the standard bundle include?

It includes 95-gallon trash, recycling and organics containers, with repair, replacement and delivery of containers at no additional cost.

Can I pay less with a smaller bin?

Yes. Smaller trash containers carry a lower fee, and the City's notice said customers who chose a smaller bundle would be credited the difference.

When did the fee start?

Residents began paying on July 1, 2025, after the City Council voted 6 to 3 on June 9, 2025.

About the author

Trevor Landress is a San Diego REALTOR® with Coldwell Banker West (DRE# 02126901). He was born and raised in San Diego and has been licensed since 2021.

Trevor helps homeowners sell, guides first-time buyers through the home buying process and assists investors with their next acquisition. His work includes negotiating offers, analyzing market trends, building pricing strategies and running marketing campaigns for his listings.

He serves clients across San Diego County, from coastal communities like La Jolla, Del Mar and Carlsbad to neighborhoods inland.

Trevor is part of the Campbell Group, a three-generation real estate team, and he and the Campbell Group consistently rank as a top producing team at Coldwell Banker West each month. He writes these guides to help San Diego buyers and sellers navigate an ever-changing market. To talk through your plans, call or text (619) 402-4614 or contact Trevor Landress.

How I help San Diego home buyers

I help buyers sort out their budget, understand their loan options with a lender, search for homes, write and negotiate offers, keep track of inspection and contingency deadlines and stay organized through closing.

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