Scottsdale's rules are written tighter than most of the East Valley's. Debris does not have to be visible from the street to count, grass tops out at six inches, and a project car has to be out of sight entirely.
Most junk piles fall under one section: 18-9(a)(1), debris. The code defines debris to include furniture, refrigerators and stoves, so the couch that went out to the side yard “for now” is exactly what it means.
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 Scottsdale junk removal page.
The sections that involve a pile
Debris and outdoor storage Section 18-9(a)(1)
The land has to be kept free of blight, garbage, litter and debris. The code's own definition of debris names furniture, cabinets, refrigerators, stoves, sinks and junked vehicles, and litter includes mattresses, bedding, boxes and landscape clippings.
Where we come in: This is the section most junk piles fall under: the couch by the garage, the old fridge in the side yard, the stack of boxes.
Grass, weeds and dead plants Section 18-9(a)(4)
No grass over six inches, no weeds, and no dead, dry or overgrown plant growth. Six inches is as strict as it gets in the East Valley; Mesa's limit is nine.
Where we come in: We haul the dead growth and the cut branches away. We are not landscapers, so the cutting is someone else's job, but the pile afterward is ours.
Litter Section 18-6
Litter and debris have to be kept in a lidded container or inside a building, not on the ground.
Where we come in: If the bins are overflowing because the pile outgrew them, that is a load.
Junked vehicles and project cars Section 18-7(a)
A junked vehicle, or a car or boat under restoration or major repair, has to be stored where it cannot be seen from any point outside the property. A car cover does not count as enclosed.
Where we come in: A vehicle is a tow job, not ours. The parts and junk piled around it usually are.
The city also still posts a 2004 interpretation that spells out outdoor storage: indoor furniture of any kind, mattresses, bedding, boxes, indoor appliances and auto parts left outside are unsightly. The exceptions it lists are patio furniture and grills, and other items in a back yard behind a six-foot solid fence or wall, as long as they are not piling up. Whether inspectors still apply it since Chapter 18 was rewritten in 2014 is not confirmed.
Fines, and how to ask for more time
A formal notice to abate has to give you at least 30 days (section 18-70). It names the inspector, gives a phone number, and estimates what the city would charge to clear it for you. If the city does clear it, you are billed the cost plus 5 percent, and an unpaid bill becomes a lien on the property.
Scottsdale writes down a process for getting more time. Within 10 days of the notice to abate, file a request for a time extension with the city clerk. The fee is $25, and it can be waived for hardship. A hearing officer can grant one extension of up to 90 days if you show a hardship and a reasonable plan to comply (sections 18-104 to 18-106). Miss the 10 days and the hearing is gone.
A citation on residential property is $250 for a first, $500 for a second within two years and $750 for a third or later, per violation, plus surcharges (section 18-65). Fixing it before the hearing still leaves at least $100 on a first citation. Each day counts as a separate violation.
Free help you might qualify for
Scottsdale has more cleanup help than any other East Valley city we checked. Look at these before you pay anyone, us included.
- Neighborhood Cleanup roll-off. A free 30-yard roll-off, dropped off by 5 p.m. Friday and picked up Monday morning, for five households on one street or a whole neighborhood project. It takes bagged trash, mattresses and box springs, broken furniture, bikes and grills, and yard trimmings. It refuses tires, construction debris, dirt, rock, concrete, hazardous liquids and pressurized tanks. Scottsdale residential trash customers only, once every six months per address, first come first served, and hired help cannot use it. If four neighbors are in, do this before you call us.
- Operation Fix It. For income-qualified homeowners living in the home. It covers exterior junk removal, landscape cleanup and help with code enforcement referrals, up to $4,000 per household per year. Apply through the city's Neighborly portal; questions go to (480) 312-8703.
- Tool lending. Landscape tools on a trailer for a group of five households or volunteers, through the same Neighborhood Cleanup page.
- Brush and bulk. The monthly pickup, by area. The pile goes out no sooner than 3 days before the Monday of your week, and the city says your HOA's rules may be stricter. The details are in our Scottsdale brush and bulk 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. Scottsdale Code Enforcement is (480) 312-2546.
Scottsdale code violation questions
How long do I have to fix a Scottsdale code violation?
Scottsdale does not publish a window for its first warnings, so the date on your notice is the one that counts. A formal notice to abate has to give you at least 30 days under section 18-70, and it names the inspector and a phone number.
Can I get more time?
Yes, and Scottsdale writes the process down. File a request for a time extension with the city clerk within 10 days of the notice to abate, with a $25 fee that can be waived for hardship. A hearing officer can grant one extension of up to 90 days if you show a hardship and a reasonable plan. Miss the 10 days and you lose the hearing.
How much is a Scottsdale code violation fine?
On residential property, section 18-65 sets $250 for a first citation, $500 for a second within two years and $750 for a third or later, per violation, plus surcharges. Even if you fix it before the hearing, the court still imposes at least $100 on a first citation.
I rent. Can I be cited, or only the owner?
Both. Section 18-16 presumes the owner controls the land and the occupant controls the home and land they live on, so either one can be cited.
Does a car cover hide a project car?
No. Section 18-7(a) says the vehicle has to be invisible from outside the property and that a cover is not an enclosed area. It has to be stored in an enclosed area.
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 18 of the Scottsdale Revised Code. Programs and bulk rules from the city's Code Enforcement, Neighborhood Cleanup, Operation Fix It and brush and bulk pages the same day. The city does not publish a window for its first warning notices, so none is stated here. Your notice and the inspector named on it are the authority, not this page.