Tulsa Storm Debris Pickup & Tree Damage Guide (2026)

How to use this guide: Every rule below links to the official City, utility, or state page it came from. Rules and fees change, especially after a big storm, so check the linked page before you haul anything to the curb. Last checked: October 22, 2026. Tulsa Tree Guys is a referral service. We are not affiliated with the City of Tulsa, PSO, or any agency named here.

1. Safety first: power lines and hanging limbs

Someone hurt, a fire, or a line sparking near people? Call 911.

Downed wires, a downed pole, or a tree on a power line (PSO customers): call PSO at 833-776-6884 (833-PSO-OUTG) or use PSO’s online safety hazard report. PSO’s instruction is simple: never go near or touch a power line. Spanish-language line: 888-218-3924. If a different utility or co-op serves you, use the outage number on your bill.

Even without wires involved, storm-damaged trees can still move after the wind stops. The International Society of Arboriculture warns that broken limbs hanging overhead and trees resting on other trees or roofs can shift, and that limbs under tension can react unexpectedly when cut or moved. Keep people and pets away from anything hanging, leaning, or loaded, and don’t walk under it to take photos.

2. Reporting outages and City issues

Power outage (PSO): report it online and follow the outage map at psoklahoma.com/outages. PSO’s outage FAQ asks customers to report only safety hazards right after a major storm.
City of Tulsa services (missed greenwaste pickup, scheduling bulky waste, special storm collections): call 311 inside the city limits, or (918) 596-2100 from outside. You can also email [email protected] or use the Tulsa311 app or tulsa311.com. Phone and email are answered Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.; online requests are open around the clock.
Storm help beyond trees: Tulsa County’s storm resources page lists Tulsa Area United Way 211 (918-836-4357) and the American Red Cross (1-800-733-2767).

3. City of Tulsa storm debris pickup rules

Tulsa collects greenwaste (limbs, branches, leaves, grass) on your regular trash day. Here is how the City’s current pages say to set it out:

City of Tulsa greenwaste and limb set-out rules (checked Oct. 22, 2026)
Topic	What the City says
Gray cart	Put yard waste in the gray trash cart if it fits with the lid closed. Never put it in the blue recycling cart.
Bundles	Tie limbs into bundles no bigger than 2 ft across, each under 40 lb. Length: the City’s Greenwaste page says up to 5 ft, but the bulky waste page and City code say 4 ft. Cut to 4 ft or shorter and you meet both.
Bags	Use transparent (clear) bags, each under 40 lb.
Weekly limit	No more than 15 bags and/or bundles a week. A bundle over 40 lb needs a scheduled bulky waste pickup.
Where to put it	At the curb, with about 3 ft between it and other objects. Never under power lines, on water meter cans, or in the street, curb, or gutter.
When	City code says curbside items go out no earlier than 5 p.m. the day before collection and no later than 6 a.m. on collection day.

Too big to bundle: bulky waste pickup

Size: cut limbs, trimmings, and stumps shorter than 6 ft and under 18 in. in diameter.
Fee: starting October 1, 2026, the City charges $20 per 8 cubic yards. It was $10 in the City’s July 2026 notice, so older pages may still show the lower price.
Scheduling: book at least 3 days ahead, online, through the 311 phone menu, or by email to [email protected]. To book online you need your City utility Customer ID and Account number. Pickup happens on your regular collection day, so have the pile out by 5 a.m.
Placement: keep the pile out from under power lines and trees, away from parked cars that would block the truck, off water, gas, phone, and cable boxes, and at least 3 ft from fences and carts.
Cancelling: cancel by noon the day before pickup, or you will still be charged.

Haul it yourself: the City mulch site

City of Tulsa Mulch Site, 2100 N. 145th E. Ave.

Hours: open Monday–Tuesday and Thursday–Sunday, 7:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Closed Wednesdays and City holidays.
Accepted: branches, grass clippings, and leaves.
Not accepted: logs over 24 in. in diameter, root balls, trees with fence or concrete in them, lumber, treated wood, rock, dirt, trash, and building materials. You can’t use chains, ropes, or straps to unload.
Who gets in free: Tulsa residents with a driver’s license, current City utility bill, or community manifest. Free mulch and firewood are available first come, first served.
Unincorporated Tulsa County: residents can use the site with Tulsa County’s manifest form, according to the County’s storm resources page.

After a major storm, the City sometimes runs a special greenwaste collection for a declared damage area. After the March 6, 2026 tornado, for example, affected residents scheduled a pickup through 311. Each event has its own rules, so check cityoftulsa.org/weather and the City press room before you stack anything.

4. Suburbs: Broken Arrow, Jenks, Bixby, Owasso, Sand Springs, Sapulpa

Each city sets its own rules, and some use a private hauler. Here is what each city’s own page says:

Broken Arrow: on your service day you can set out up to 20 clear bags (30 gallons or smaller) and/or tied 1x4 bundles of green waste for free. Anything larger needs a bulky pickup, which costs $20 per cubic yard (2-yard minimum, 8-yard maximum) and is often booked up to two weeks out. Solid Waste & Recycling: 918-259-6570.
Jenks: collection is handled by American Waste Control. Anything outside your cart has to be scheduled by calling American Waste at 918-582-1147 before 2 p.m. at least one day before your collection day.
Bixby: residents can drop leaves, grass, and limbs free at the Tulsa mulch site (2100 N. 145th E. Ave.) with a driver’s license or Bixby utility bill. Use the north gate marked “City”; the south gate is a private contractor. Questions: City of Bixby, 918-366-4430. Bixby’s page says Tulsa, Broken Arrow, and Jenks residents can use the site free too.
Owasso: the 2026 yard waste collection season runs March 30–December 31. Tie brush in bundles no longer than 4 ft and no more than 2 ft in diameter, and put them in your red polycart or a City-issued clear bag. Public Works: 918-272-4959.
Sand Springs: tie brush and limbs in bundles under 4 ft long, with limbs no thicker than 4 in. and each bundle no heavier than 35 lb. You can set up to 8 beside or on top of your polykart. The City also holds a free monthly Chipper Day, usually the first Saturday, for city-limits residents who bring their utility bill. City of Sand Springs: 918-246-2588.
Sapulpa: a December 2024 City notice says that under Waste Management’s policy since August 1, 2024, everything must fit inside the container, including leaves. After the May 2025 storms, local news reported the City would not open a limb drop-off site. We couldn’t find a current official limb-pickup rule, so call the City at 918-224-3040 before you set anything out.

5. What you can handle yourself, and when to call a pro

Usually fine to do yourself (no wires nearby, nothing hanging overhead):

Photograph everything first (see section 6).
Pick up small branches and twigs that are already on the ground.
Rake and bag leaves in clear bags, and tie small limbs into bundles that meet your city’s size rules.
Keep debris off sidewalks and out of the street, gutter, and storm drains.

Call a professional when the work matches what the International Society of Arboriculture lists as dangerous for homeowners:

Anything touching or near power lines. Call the utility first.
Limbs or trunks lying on the house, garage, fence, car, or another tree.
Broken limbs still hanging in the canopy, or wood that is bent, twisted, or under tension.
Work off a ladder or at height, or a chainsaw job beyond small ground-level limbs.
Uprooted or leaning trees, or ones with split trunks or heaved soil around the roots.

The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry recommends talking to a certified arborist before deciding what to do, because many trees that look lost can actually be saved.

6. Insurance photo tips

The Oklahoma Insurance Department (OID) recommends these steps:

Take photos or video of the damage before you move debris or damaged belongings, and keep a written list of what was lost.
Call your agent or insurance company to start the claim.
Make temporary repairs to stop further damage, such as tarping, and keep the receipts. Hold off on permanent repairs until the insurer has reviewed the damage.
Get repair estimates from trusted local contractors to share with the adjuster.

On coverage, OID’s storm guidance says:

A tree that lands on your house because of a covered peril is generally covered, including removing it from the roof.
A tree that falls only in your yard, damaging nothing, is typically cleaned up at your own expense.
Damage from a neighbor’s tree usually goes through your own insurer unless the neighbor was negligent.
A tree on your car is an auto-policy claim.

OID consumer assistance: 800-522-0071, or the Tulsa office at 918-295-3700.

Practical photo habits (general tips, not legal or insurance advice):

Take a wide shot showing the whole tree and the house, then close-ups of every point of contact.
Shoot each side of the house and the roofline, if you can do it safely from the ground.
Include something for scale, like a person standing well back or a tape measure on the ground.
Leave your phone’s date stamp on, and back the photos up to the cloud the same day.
Keep every receipt, estimate, and invoice in one folder.

Your policy wording is what decides coverage, so ask your agent.

Storm debris FAQ

Does the City of Tulsa pick up storm tree debris?

Yes. Greenwaste goes out on your regular trash day: in the gray cart if it fits, or as up to 15 clear bags and/or tied bundles, each under 40 lb. Limbs too big to bundle need a scheduled bulky waste pickup, which costs $20 per 8 cubic yards starting October 1, 2026. After big storms the City sometimes adds special collections, which are announced through 311 and the City’s website.

How long can tree limb bundles be in Tulsa?

The City’s pages don’t agree. The Greenwaste page allows up to 5 ft long and 2 ft across, while the bulky waste page and City code say 4 ft by 2 ft. Every bundle must be under 40 lb. Cut to 4 ft or shorter to meet both. Pieces too big to bundle go to bulky waste and must be shorter than 6 ft and under 18 in. in diameter.

Who do I call about a tree on a power line in Tulsa?

If anyone is in danger, call 911. For PSO customers, report downed lines and trees on lines to PSO at 833-776-6884 (833-PSO-OUTG) or through PSO’s online safety hazard report. Never go near or touch a power line, and don’t let anyone cut wood that is touching one.

Will homeowners insurance pay to remove a fallen tree?

It depends on your policy. The Oklahoma Insurance Department says a tree that falls on your house from a covered peril is generally covered, including removal from the roof. A tree that falls only in the yard and damages nothing is typically your own expense. Photograph everything before cleanup and ask your agent.

Sources

All checked October 22, 2026.

Tulsa Storm Tree Debris Guide: Safety, Pickup Rules & Cleanup Checklist

1. Safety first: power lines and hanging limbs

2. Reporting outages and City issues

3. City of Tulsa storm debris pickup rules

Too big to bundle: bulky waste pickup

Haul it yourself: the City mulch site

4. Suburbs: Broken Arrow, Jenks, Bixby, Owasso, Sand Springs, Sapulpa

5. What you can handle yourself, and when to call a pro

6. Insurance photo tips

Storm debris FAQ

Sources

Printable storm tree debris checklist

Right away

Before you clean up

Setting debris out (City of Tulsa)

Suburbs

Need a hand with storm-damaged trees?