A Chandler Notice of Violation comes before any fine. The code tells the city to seek voluntary compliance first, and the notice gives you a re-inspection date and the name of the person at the city to call.
Most junk piles fall under one section: 30-18(D), outside storage. Indoor furniture, appliances, boxes or tarps cannot sit anywhere the street can see them.
Working to a date?
Text a photo of the pile and the date on your notice to (480) 316-1884. You get the full price and a day we can be there. More on our Chandler junk removal page.
How long you have, and what it costs
Chandler is one of the few cities that publishes its process. Per the city's Code Enforcement page:
- An inspector looks about 2 business days after a complaint.
- A Notice of Violation gives you about 2 weeks to correct it.
- After a re-inspection, a Final Notice gives about 10 more days.
- Civil citations follow about 2 to 4 weeks after the Final Notice.
A citation is $250 for a first violation, $500 for a second and $750 for a third within 24 months, plus state surcharges (section 30-11), and each day a violation continues counts separately. Thirty days after a written notice, the city can also clear the property itself and bill you the cost plus 25 percent, which becomes a lien if it goes unpaid (section 30-14).
The sections that involve a pile
Outside storage Section 30-18(D)
No indoor furniture, household items, appliances, equipment, vehicle parts, cardboard, plastic sheeting, tarps or debris in public view or in any unsheltered area of the property. Furniture made for outdoor use is fine.
Where we come in: This is the section most junk piles fall under. If the street can see into the carport, the carport does not hide it.
Rubbish and debris Section 30-18(C)
No piles of rubbish, trash or waste in unsheltered areas when they are a hazard or make the place look blighted. The code names cardboard, boxes, tires, vehicle parts and scrap wood and metal. Trash in proper containers is fine.
Where we come in: We load it, haul it and sweep up after.
Dead landscaping and palm fronds Section 30-18(J), (K)
Dead or badly damaged vegetation has to go, rock landscaping has to stay substantially free of grass and weeds, and excessive dead palm fronds cannot hang below the lowest living frond.
Where we come in: We haul the dead plants, cut fronds and branches away. We are not landscapers, so the cutting is someone else's job, but the pile afterward is ours.
Inoperable vehicles Section 30-19(D), (E)
An inoperable vehicle cannot be visible from a public street or sidewalk. A carport is allowed if the vehicle is under a cover made for vehicles, not a tarp. Home repairs on a vehicle cannot run past 10 days.
Where we come in: A vehicle is a tow job, not ours. Everything stacked around it usually is.
Help you might qualify for
Worth checking before you pay anyone, us included.
- Let's Pull Together. City volunteers help seniors, people with disabilities, veterans and households going through a hardship. They will move unwanted items from a carport or front porch to the curb for bulk pickup, and do mowing, weeding and low trimming. Front yards and alleys only. Apply with the city's Request a Volunteer form.
- Tools on the Go. Free yard tools on loan to Chandler residents, picked up and dropped off on set mornings and afternoons. (480) 782-4362.
- Bulk pickup. Your first four bulk pickups or collection center trash visits each year are free, combined. The pile goes out no more than 24 hours before the pickup date, and online requests get a date 7 to 14 days out, so check that against the date on your notice. The rules are in our Chandler bulk trash guide.
What we do not do
Worth being straight about, because a notice usually lists more than one thing and our Mesa junk removal is only half the answer.
- We haul. We do not build, repair or demolish. A broken fence, peeling paint, a roof or a green pool needs the relevant trade.
- We do not tow. A vehicle needs a tow company and a title.
- We are not the city and this is not legal advice. The date and wording on your notice are what count. Chandler's Code Hotline takes calls and texts at (480) 782-4320.
Chandler code violation questions
How long do I have to fix a Chandler code violation?
Chandler publishes its usual timeline: about two weeks on the first Notice of Violation, then about 10 days on a Final Notice, then civil citations. The date on your notice is the one that counts, and the notice names the person at the city to call with questions.
How much is a Chandler code violation fine?
Under section 30-11 a civil citation is $250 for a first violation, $500 for a second and $750 for a third within 24 months, plus state surcharges. The code also counts each day a violation continues as a separate violation.
Can I sell my house with an open code violation in Chandler?
Not freely. Section 30-6(E) makes it unlawful to sell, transfer or lease the property before it complies, unless the buyer gets a copy of the notice and signs a notarized acceptance of responsibility for it. Clearing the pile first is usually the simpler road.
Does putting it in the carport count?
Not if it can be seen from the street. Section 30-18(D) covers anything in public view, not only what sits in the yard. The one carport exception is an inoperable vehicle under a cover made for vehicles.
When can I put bulk trash out in Chandler?
No more than 24 hours before your scheduled pickup, one of the tightest windows in the East Valley. Online requests get a date 7 to 14 days out, so a pile that goes out early to meet a code deadline can create a second problem.
Can you clear it before my re-inspection date?
Usually, yes. Text a photo of the pile and the date on your notice and you get a price back and a day we can be there. When it is gone we send photos, so you have something to show the inspector.
Code sections read October 29, 2026 from Chapter 30 of the Chandler City Code, the property maintenance ordinance as amended in 2024. Timeline, programs and bulk rules from the city's Code Enforcement, Most Common Violations, neighborhood program and bulk pickup pages the same day. Your notice and the person named on it are the authority, not this page.