This service is for customers who pay the additional fee for vacuum leaf collection service. All other Solid Waste Management Program customers not receiving vacuum leaf service should follow Curbside Yard Waste guidelines.
If you receive services from a PRIVATE collector, contact them directly for information.
The cost of the service is based on the assessed individual property value and billed as a separate item on the real estate tax bill. The current assessed rate is $0.019 per $100 of a home's assessed value. For example, a home assessed at $500,000 will pay $95 per year for vacuum leaf service.
- Look up your street address on the map (Note: The area designation will be a number between one and 10).
- Look for yellow signs in your neighborhood they list the corresponding area (These signs are posted prior to the start of collection).
- For additional information refer to the leaf collection brochure recently mailed to you.
This means that you should have your leaves raked or blown to the curb no later than the day before the posted collection date.
Wait until the next collection in your neighborhood. If you miss the third pick up for your area, you will need to follow your yard waste guidelines.
For guidance on discontinuing your vacuum leaf service, visit Petition Process.
Leaves act as a natural fertilizer, create a winter haven for pollinators, and provide weed suppression and moisture retention. Do not waste this valuable resource!
- Mulch leaves into your lawn with a lawnmower. Use a mulching blade to chop the leaves into fine particles.
- Leave a layer of leaves in wooded areas. Rake or use a leaf blower to form piles of whole leaves a few inches thick. Note that these leaves will take up to a year to break down, so avoid leaving piles on your lawn to prevent killing the grass.
- Set out remaining leaves for vacuum leaf collection.
Leaves are ground into leaf mulch and available at the Disposal Sites.
Report service issues or missed collections using the solid waste feedback form or call 703-802-3322, TTY 711.
The Customer Service Center is open Monday to Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except for County-observed holidays.