After a storm in Collin County, stay clear of downed power lines and call the utility first. Then check your city's brush rules, since most cities only take cut, bundled limbs in set amounts. For piles bigger than the curb will take, Cowboy Site Services loads and hauls storm debris, priced by trailer space.
First things first: stay safe
Before you touch a single branch, walk the yard and look up. Never go near a downed power line or anything touching one. Call your electric utility and keep kids and pets well away.
Leave limbs hanging in trees or resting on the roof alone for now. Start with what's on the ground and easy to reach. Wear gloves and sturdy shoes, because storm debris hides nails, glass and broken fence pickets.
Whose job is the cleanup?
In most cases, the limbs in your yard are yours to clear. Allen's severe weather page puts that on property owners, including homeowners, businesses and HOAs. They're responsible for trees and limbs that fall on their property.
Debris blocking a street is different. Frisco's severe weather resources ask residents to report debris, downed trees or signs blocking streets through the myFRISCO app. Other cities have their own reporting steps, so check your city's page.
Will the city pick up storm limbs?
Usually, yes, but only within its normal brush rules. Those rules are about size, weight and how many bundles go out each week. Storm piles tend to blow right past them.
For example, McKinney's residential trash page says yard-waste limbs must be cut to 4-foot lengths and be no more than 6 inches across. Plano's yard trimmings page limits brush piles to 6 feet long, 4 feet high and 4 feet wide.
Some cities draw a hard line on big wood. Frisco's yard waste page says the city has no program to remove whole or large portions of trees.
Check your own city's brush rules
Every city sets its own limits, so start with your city's guide. Each one covers bundle sizes, bag rules and pickup days:
What if the pile is too big for the curb?
This is where most storm cleanups stall. A single big limb can fill a week's worth of bundles. Cutting, tying and setting it out a little at a time can drag on for weeks.
Allen's severe weather page says storm debris larger than its hauler will collect has to go to the NTMWD Custer Road Transfer Station. That means a truck, a trailer and a lot of loading.
If you'd rather skip all that, a haul-off clears the whole pile at once. No bundling, no weekly limits and no trips to the transfer station.
How a storm debris haul-off works
Our yard debris and brush removal service covers downed limbs, broken fence panels and the general mess a storm leaves behind. We load what's on the ground and haul it off.
Send photos for a quote. Pick a time. We haul it off and sweep up.
Same-day service is available when the schedule allows. Right after a big storm, the calendar fills fast, so send photos early.
What about really big jobs?
Some storm cleanups are more than a trailer and two people can handle by hand. Big brush and clearing jobs sometimes need rented or subcontracted equipment.
When that's the case, we'll quote it with the right gear included. We won't promise same-day on a job that needs a machine. Your photos tell us which kind of job it is.
What does storm cleanup cost?
Haul-offs are priced by how much room the load takes on our 14-foot trailer. A minimum pickup starts at $189, a half trailer load at $515 and a full trailer load at $759.
You'll get an honest estimate from your photos. We confirm a firm quote on site before anything is loaded, and it doesn't change after you say go. You pay at the end, once you're satisfied.
A quick after-the-storm checklist
Work through these in order. It keeps you safe and keeps the cleanup moving.
- Look for downed lines and call the utility if you see one
- Report debris blocking the street the way your city asks
- Take photos of the damage for your own records
- Check your city's brush rules before cutting and bundling
- Split big wood from small brush so it's easy to sort
- Send photos for a haul-off quote if the pile is too big
Get your yard back
We're Veteran-owned, insured and based in McKinney. We serve towns across Collin and Grayson County.
For more on drop-off sites and city programs, see our guide to yard waste and brush disposal in Collin County. When you're ready, send a few photos and we'll take it from there.