Detritus / Coverage / Missouri / St. Louis
St. Louis
St. Louis won't sell a business a trash contract
Local haulers do the work; we hold the contract, own the problems, and send one bill. St. Louis bars businesses from contracting with the city for waste removal and points them to licensed private haulers, while the Street Department permits any dumpster that blocks part of a street.
Last reviewed October 27, 2026.
Short answer
- The city doesn't provide solid waste services for non-residential uses, and a business or commercial property owner may not contract with the city for waste removal.
- A property owner may contract with a private company licensed to haul and dispose of solid waste in the city, and the Refuse Division keeps a list of them.
- A dumpster that blocks any part of a street, sidewalk, or curb lane needs a Blocking Right of Way permit from the Street Department.
- 14 providers in our provider network have completed jobs in St. Louis.
Licensed haulers, permitted curbs
Because the city won't serve businesses, every St. Louis commercial site runs on a private hauler, and each hauler has to be licensed to haul and dispose of solid waste in the city. We keep your sites on one account and answer for them. When a pickup gets missed, we contact the hauler the same business day.
St. Louis leaves commercial trash entirely to private companies, so the first question on any job is whether the company you're calling holds a city license. The Refuse Division list settles it. The second question is the curb. If the container will touch any part of a street, sidewalk or curb lane, get the Blocking Right of Way permit from the Street Department before the drop. A driveway or lot placement avoids that step, and it's worth walking the site with the driver in mind before you pick a spot. Alleys are tight in older neighborhoods, so measure clearance for the truck and the open tailgate, not just the container.
A single shop with a hauler it trusts needs no help from us. The hauler, broker, and provider network page shows how the models compare, and the Missouri page has state rules.
St. Louis deliveries
Counted here are deliveries to job sites in St. Louis for October 26, 2024 through October 26, 2026, minus anything canceled.
Figures are counts of completed deliveries, providers, and accounts in this window from our records, as of October 2026. Roll-off deliveries are containers delivered. Portable toilet deliveries are units placed, not orders. A company that completed both services is counted in both service rows, so those rows are not a split of the provider total. The counts are not a promise that every address is covered. Front-load service, compactors, and balers are not in these counts. The sanitation figure adds portable toilets and hand-wash units placed. Where a restroom-trailer count is shown, it is units placed.
Business trash is a private-hauler matter
The Refuse Division's rules say the city does not provide solid waste services for non-residential uses, and non-residential uses may not put their waste in city containers. A business may contract with a private company licensed to haul and dispose of solid waste in the city, and the Refuse Division keeps a list of licensed haulers. On a mixed-use property, the owner has to make sure residential tenants use the private hauler's service and not the city's.
Blocking permits for dumpsters
The Street Department's Blocking Right of Way permit covers dumpster placement, moving trucks, and construction closures that block any part of a street, sidewalk, or curb lane. The application needs the location, the dates and hours including setup and teardown, the number of lanes and sidewalks blocked, every meter number in the area, and a traffic control plan with a Mobility and ADA Access plan. Staff check for unpaid city invoices before approving.
- PermitBlocking Right of Way permit, Street Department
- Lead timeTwo weeks for large or long jobs, one week for others
- HoursGenerally weekdays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- SignsNo Parking signs with the permit number, 24 hours before
- MetersEvery meter in the blocked area is rented
- Pick-up1900 Hampton Ave, (314) 647-3111
St. Louis storm days and the building calendar
NWS St. Louis describes the area's climate in plain numbers. Permit counts show apartments surging while houses hold.
- Spring to summer
Thunderstorm days
NWS says thunderstorms normally occur on 40 to 50 days a year, and a few are severe with large hail and damaging winds.
- Winter
Snow
Snowfall averages a little over 18 inches a season, with an inch or less on roughly 5 to 10 days in most years.
- Summer
Heat
Highs of 90 degrees or higher occur on about 35 to 40 days a year, which is hard on crews and on toilets left in the sun.
St. Louis, MO-IL, January to August 2026 against the same months of 2025. Apartment permits are up by about two thirds, so multifamily jobs are on the way.
St. Louis services and hauler sign-up
St. Louis jobs can use dumpster rental, portable toilets, hand-wash stations, and restroom trailers.
For haulers
Licensed to haul or rent toilets in St. Louis? Ask to join the provider network through the vendor form, which costs nothing. Invoices go to accounting@detritus.us, and Bill.com pays them from the processing date. The vendor payment guide covers each step.
Answers
Common questions
Does the City of St. Louis collect trash from businesses?
No. The Refuse Division says the city does not provide solid waste services for non-residential uses, and a business owner may not contract with the city for waste removal.
Who can haul commercial waste in St. Louis?
A private company licensed to haul and dispose of solid waste in the city. The Refuse Division keeps a list of licensed haulers.
When does a St. Louis dumpster need a street permit?
When it blocks any part of a street, sidewalk, or curb lane. The Street Department's Blocking Right of Way permit names dumpster placement, and applications ask for a traffic control plan and every meter number in the blocked area.
Can an approved St. Louis account get payment terms?
Approved accounts can be offered Net 30, 60, or 90, subject to credit review. Nothing on this page is an offer of credit. Terms of use apply to a St. Louis account.
Talk to us
(888) 588-2607
Send the St. Louis sites
Send the St. Louis addresses and the hauler at each site, or call.
Sources
Public sources read October 28, 2026.
- Our own delivery records.
- Residential Refuse Collection Rules, City of St. Louis Refuse Division.
- Apply for a Blocking Right of Way Permit, City of St. Louis Street Department.
- The Climatology of the St. Louis Area, NWS St. Louis.
- Building Permits Survey, U.S. Census Bureau.