Fort Worth garbage rates are going up for homes with city trash service. In a September 29, 2026 release, the City of Fort Worth said the monthly charge is now set by cart size: $16.50 for a 32-gallon garbage cart, $23.40 for a 64-gallon cart and $30.90 for a 96-gallon cart, billed on the water bill (City of Fort Worth).
Photo: The skyline of Fort Worth, Texas. Neuwieser, 2011-07-23. CC BY-SA 2.0 · Source. Resized for web.
The garbage rates and a higher Environmental Protection Fee are among the fee and rate changes City Council approved for fiscal year 2027. The city’s fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30 (City of Fort Worth). Water and wastewater rates rise separately on January 1, 2027.
The new monthly rates
| Charge | Who pays | Monthly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Garbage, 32-gallon cart | Residents with an active water account | $16.50 per cart |
| Garbage, 64-gallon cart | Residents with an active water account | $23.40 per cart |
| Garbage, 96-gallon cart | Residents with an active water account | $30.90 per cart |
| Environmental Protection Fee | Single-family home | $2.50 |
| Environmental Protection Fee | Duplex | $3.33 |
| Environmental Protection Fee | Multi-family, more than two units | $2.50 per unit |
The city’s Environmental Protection Fee page still lists $2.25 a month for single-family homes and for each unit in a multi-family complex, the rate before this change (City of Fort Worth).
What the charges pay for
The city says the garbage rate covers garbage, recycling, yard waste and bulk waste collection, plus access to its four Drop-Off Stations and the Environmental Collection Center for household hazardous waste. It appears on the water bill as Sanitation/Solid Waste Fees. Waste Management provides the city’s curbside garbage and recycling service (City of Fort Worth).
The Environmental Protection Fee pays for illegal dumping and illegal campsite cleanups, litter control, street sweeping and contracted litter abatement crews. It appears on the water bill as Environmental Protection Fees.
What residents can do
Nothing has to be done to keep service: the charges are added to the monthly water bill. Because the garbage rate depends on cart size, a household that fills less than its cart can ask for a smaller one. Fort Worth lets residents change their garbage cart size once a year at no charge, by calling 817-392-1234. Pickup days, the free blue recycling cart and the $3 charge for each loose bag beside a cart are unchanged; the Fort Worth trash pickup page has the full schedule, bulk weeks and drop-off sites.
What this is not
These are the city’s residential rates. Commercial garbage rates are based on 96-gallon carts and depend on how often they are collected, and apartment complexes and businesses that use a private hauler under the city’s Grant of Privilege pay that hauler. Suburbs around Fort Worth that run or contract their own collection set their own rates.
