City of Auburn

Auburn Michigan

Brush Chipping

The City of Auburn’s Department of Public Works (DPW) will be chipping brush once a week in April, May, September and part of October and every other week (opposite of recycle days) in June, July and August, weather permitting. Typically, this service will be performed on Tuesdays, however exceptions may occur in which case it will be delayed 1-2 days. The DPW may also allocate time to chipping brush in the event of tree damage and broken limbs due to extraordinary weather events. 

Brush chipping is a service provided to help clear Auburn City properties of unwanted limbs/debris. Any small debris lying on the ground after pick up is too small and should be properly cleaned up by the homeowner. Any brush left lying in the out lawn for an extended period will be considered a violation of the city’s blight ordinance and will be handled as such. This includes leftover debris and failure to adhere to the following guidelines resulting in brush not being picked up. 

Guidelines:
  • Brush must be set out by 7:30 am on the day of pickup. (DPW drives a set route throughout the City.)
  • Brush piles need to be manageable: Piles should be no more than 4 feet wide by 4 feet high. Piles should be placed in the out lawn (between the sidewalk and the street) in a neat and orderly way, with the cut ends facing the direction of traffic. DPW will not pick up brush piles that are in tangles. 
  • Maximum branch diameter is 6 inches and minimum branch length is 3 feet. This is for the safety of our DPW crew as these branches are fed directly into a chipper. Smaller branches, twigs, sticks, etc. should be bundled together and put out for Waste Management yard waste pickup on Wednesdays.
  • Stumps, root balls, or any other large mass of brush will not be accepted.
  • Brush generated by a hired tree service or from the removal of a whole tree should be taken care of by the hired tree service or the resident.

Blight Ordinance and Brush Chipping Policy

Roadside Leaf Collection

The City of Auburn’s Department of Public Works (DPW) will collect leaves at the roadside once a week beginning at the end of October and continue through the first week of December, weather permitting. This service is provided on a pre-determined schedule, however may be performed at any time during the week.  

Leaf Collection is a service provided to help clear Auburn City properties of unwanted leaves. Any other debris, twigs, grass clippings, etc. should be properly cleaned up by the homeowner through yard waste disposal services. 

Guidelines:
  • Leaves must be set out by 7:00 a.m. on your scheduled pickup day for collection. Please refer to the map below or call City Hall at (989) 662-6761 to identify your section. 
    • Section 1 – North East side of the City – Monday
    • Section 2 – South East side of the City – Tuesday
    • Section 3 – Mid South West section of the City – Wednesday
    • Section 4 – West side of the city – Thursday
  • Leaves should be placed in the grassy out lawn area to help keep our drains clear of debris
  • Keep leaf piles clear of any obstructions (telephone poles, mailboxes, etc.)
  • Keep leaf piles pure. Grass clippings, sticks, rocks, branches and other debris harms our machinery and can cause lengthy delays in the pickup process.
  • Please, do not park vehicles in front of leaf piles on collection day. If a vehicle is blocking the area it may prevent out crew from collecting your leaves. (Leave sufficient space for the truck and machine to approach the leaf pile). 
  • Bagged leaves may be set out for Waste Management to collect on Wednesdays until November 27th.