What is San Diego's Solid Waste Management Fee?

You see “SD Solid Waste Mgmt Fee” on a County property tax bill for a San Diego home and want to know what it covers, how much it is, and whether a sale changes it. The charge pays for residential solid waste service provided by the City of San Diego Environmental Services Department. The City calls it a fee and collects it through the County tax roll.

For a buyer, the key questions are whether the property receives City service and which trash container size is assigned to it. For a seller, the City sources do not explain how the fee is prorated at a sale or handled in escrow. This is general information and not legal advice.

Why is the fee on the property tax bill?

The fee appears there because the City Council authorized its collection through the County tax roll on June 24, 2025.

San Diego voters passed Measure B in 2022, allowing the City Council to approve a Solid Waste Management Fee in June 2025. The fee recovers the cost of services provided to residential properties served by the Environmental Services Department. Before the fee, those services were paid for primarily through the City’s General Fund.

The annual County property tax bill identifies the line item as “SD Solid Waste Mgmt Fee.” For Fiscal Year 2026, the fee for the 95-gallon service level was $523.20, due in two equal installments of $261.60. The first was due by December 10, 2025, and the second by April 10, 2026.

For a separate local rule update, see the San Diego land development code guide.

How much is the City service?

The monthly amount depends on the size of the City-provided trash container assigned to the property.

Effective July 1, 2026, the standard 95-gallon bundle is $44.57 per month. That bundle includes one trash container, one recycling container, and one organics container. The 65-gallon trash bundle is $39.86 per month, while the 35-gallon trash bundle is $33.66 per month. For the two smaller levels, the fee becomes effective when the new container is delivered.

The trash container size sets the service level. Regardless of that size, the fee includes collection from a 95-gallon recycling container and a 95-gallon organic waste recycling container.

The City’s fee calculator shows the available service levels. The City pages do not state an annual Fiscal Year 2027 total, so the monthly figure should not be converted into a claimed County bill amount for a particular parcel.

A San Diego homeowner asked us whether the Solid Waste Management Fee would be included in his property taxes or arrive as a separate bill. He also assumed every residence would pay the same amount. We reviewed the applicable property and service category with him before estimating how the fee would affect his household costs.

What rates did the City approve for later years?

The City Council approved lower Fiscal Year 2028 and Fiscal Year 2029 rates in June 2026.

For the 95-gallon bundle, the previously adopted Fiscal Year 2028 rate of $55 per month was reduced to $38.75, effective July 1, 2027. The previously adopted Fiscal Year 2029 rate of $57.55 was reduced to $39.91, effective July 1, 2028.

The 65-gallon level is scheduled to cost $34.37 beginning July 1, 2027, and $35.43 beginning July 1, 2028. The 35-gallon level is scheduled to cost $28.52 and then $29.43 on those same dates.

According to the City’s Solid Waste Fee Updates page, the reductions resulted from a settlement agreement approved by the City Council. The Fiscal Year 2026 and Fiscal Year 2027 rates were not changed. The lower rates are not retroactive, and refunds are not available for those two fiscal years. The June decision was also covered by La Jolla Community News.

What service comes with the fee?

Regular trash, recycling, and organics pickup continues as normal.

The reduced rates did not lower the City’s cost of providing service. The City is deferring planned upgrades for weekly recycling collection and bulky item pickup until further notice and plans to use General Fund and Recycling Fund money.

Repair, replacement, and delivery of City containers are provided at no separate cost to the customer. The older container fees were repealed effective July 1, 2025.

Starting July 1, 2026, the City no longer collects trash from black bins. A customer must use a City-provided gray trash container. Privately purchased gray containers, black containers, and containers painted gray do not qualify. City containers have unique serial numbers assigned to a specific property.

What should a buyer check after purchasing a home?

The City says it will send a mailer after it receives updated deed ownership information, and a new owner may create a provisional Waste Portal account sooner.

Once the City receives updated deed ownership information from the County, it sends the new property owner instructions for creating a Waste Portal account. The City anticipates that this will happen several weeks after the ownership change. A new owner who wants to request a different container size sooner may create a provisional account.

City residential solid waste service for an eligible property cannot be turned on or off, including for a part-time resident. The City’s sources do not say how the charge is prorated at a sale or in escrow. For separate transaction documents, see the California seller disclosure guide and, when applicable, the California HOA disclosure guide.

Can you change the container size?

A City-served customer may make one service-level change per fiscal year, which runs from July 1 through June 30.

A change can be requested through WastePortal.sandiego.gov or by calling 858-694-7000, the number printed by the Environmental Services Department. When a customer chooses a smaller trash container, the City applies a credit to the next fiscal year’s tax bill, effective from the date the new container is received. Extra containers add an amount to the next year’s bill.

A new residential property may require a different setup process. The City says new residential properties must use its weekly automated trash and recycling collection service, subject to the City Council’s cost-recovery fee, or may be served by a private hauler. The owner can find the Assessor’s Parcel Number and enter the 10-digit APN on the City’s new home setup page to check eligibility.

Which properties must use a private hauler?

According to the City, properties that do not qualify for City collection must use a City-approved private Franchise Hauler.

The ineligible categories include residential properties with five or more residences on one lot, mixed-use and commercial properties, properties on private streets or within gated communities, and properties reached by crossing a private street. Properties with insufficient space for City-issued containers and some complexes may also be ineligible.

An owner who disagrees with the City’s determination can submit an appeal request. If a transition letter sets a deadline and the owner does not move to private service, there may be service interruptions, Notices of Violation, and Administrative Citations. Citations escalate every 14 days. The first is $200, while the fifth is $1,000 plus a $100 reinspection fee.

How do disputes and assistance work?

An owner can dispute an incorrect charge with the Fee Dispute Form, while eligible homeowners may apply separately for financial assistance.

The City gives an anticipated processing time of four to six weeks for a fee dispute. Its trash service FAQ provides the form and instructions.

Financial assistance is available through the Metropolitan Area Advisory Committee on Anti-Poverty of San Diego County, Inc., shortened to MAAC. Applicants must be homeowners whose primary residence receives City trash service. Tenants are not eligible. The Fiscal Year 2027 application deadline is April 30, 2027. Approved assistance may appear as a County tax bill credit or arrive by check or direct deposit.

The City will not request payment, personal account information, or service changes through unsolicited texts or door-to-door visits. Check suspicious requests through sandiego.gov/trash.

The short version

The Solid Waste Management Fee pays for City residential trash, recycling, and organics service. It appears on the County property tax bill as “SD Solid Waste Mgmt Fee.”

As of November 5, 2026, the standard 95-gallon bundle costs $44.57 per month. Lower rates are scheduled to begin July 1, 2027. Container size determines the fee, and only a City-provided gray trash container qualifies for City collection.

A buyer can create a provisional Waste Portal account before the City’s ownership mailer arrives. An owner should confirm that the property qualifies for City service. The City sources do not explain sale prorations or escrow treatment.

For a separate estimate of your property’s value, use the home value tool.