Guide · Fall 2026
Fall yard cleanup: what gets picked up, and where the rest goes
Leaf season has started. Here's what each town's garbage service takes this fall, where to drop off yard waste yourself, and when it's easier to have Jake's crew haul it.
For Turlock, Ceres, Oakdale, Riverbank and the other towns Jake covers.
What your town picks up this fall
Check this first. If your town's service takes it, it's already paid for.
- Turlock: the City of Turlock's leaf pickup runs from November 2, 2026 to February 5, 2027, zone by zone. Fill your green waste container first. Extra leaves go in loose piles on the street, 18 inches from the curb, with no bags. Piles with wood or branches mixed in are left behind.
- Ceres: Bertolotti's leaf-and-limb curbside pickup runs from October 1 to January 9.
- Oakdale: yard waste goes in the recycling toter, and Gilton doesn't pick up anything left outside the toter.
- Riverbank: the two free bulky pickups don't take yard waste.
- Salida, Empire, Hickman, Knights Ferry and Valley Home: the county bulky pickup program doesn't take yard waste.
Drop it off yourself
Gilton Resource Recovery in Modesto takes yard waste from the public: 800 S. McClure Rd, (209) 527-3781, Mon–Fri 7:30–4, Sat–Sun 7–4:30. Prices from July 1, 2026.
Leaves, grass and trimmings
$45 a load at the flat rate, or $73 a ton with a $45 minimum if your vehicle is weighed. No sod, stumps, large limbs, palm, cactus, banana or yucca in this load.
Stumps and large limbs
$175 a ton with a $120 minimum. Palm, cactus, banana, yucca and sod are $82.50 a ton with a $50 minimum.
Other dumps and transfer stations are in the Stanislaus County dump guide.
When to call Jake
When the pile is bigger than your cart, it's branches and roots the leaf crew won't take, or you're clearing a whole yard before a move. Jake and his crew load it and haul it away, priced by the cubic yard with a $150 minimum. Text a photo for a price. More on yard waste removal.
When calling Jake is the wrong call
If it fits in your green cart or toter, or your town's leaf pickup is running on your street, use that. You're already paying for it.
Checked November 2026 against City of Turlock, Stanislaus County, Gilton Solid Waste and Bertolotti Disposal sources. Dates and fees change, so check with your hauler before you rake or load up.
Every town Jake covers
Text a photo. Get a price.
Send a picture of what needs to go and your address. You'll know the cost before anything starts.