It is unlawful to commence or engage in the business of providing containers for commercial service or providing commercial service or construction and demolition debris collection and disposal to properties in the City of Gainesville without an approved and valid franchise issued by the city (City of Gainesville Code of Ordinances, Chapter 27, Article III). Franchises can be exclusive or non-exclusive, and the city reserves the right to grant similar rights or franchises to more than one person or corporation. Additionally, any person collecting, transporting, conveying or processing recovered materials in the city must register with the city as a recovered materials collector and/or food waste collector.
Companies providing commercial garbage collection or transporting services must have an approved franchise agreement to do so within the City of Gainesville. Garbage generally includes all putrescible and non-putrescible waste, including but not limited to: garbage, trash, furniture, and other household goods. Garbage does not include hazardous waste, biomedical waste, or yard waste.
Commercial franchisees providing commercial service shall pay as compensation to the city, for the rights and benefits granted hereunder, a monthly fee of fifteen percent (15%)(PDF, 222KB) of gross revenues from the sale or lease of containers, from garbage and trash collection services, from all disposal billed, from late fees, from bad debt recoveries and from other fees collected from customers, with no deductions except for bad debts actually written off.
The forms below are valid only for applications and payments for the period 10/1/2024 through 9/30/2025.
Commercial Garbage & Trash Collection Franchise Forms:
Garbage/Trash Commercial Services Application Fees
| Franchise Type |
Application Fee |
| Container provision only |
$134.00 |
| Solid Waste (Garbage/Trash) |
$335.25 |
Commercial Services Fees (Monthly Compensation Paid to the City, as of 10/1/2024)
| Franchise Type |
Fee |
| Container Only |
Fifteen percent (15%)(PDF, 222KB) of gross revenues from the sale or lease of containers, all disposal billed, late fees, bad debt recoveries and other fees collected from customers, with no deductions except for bad debts actually written off. |
| Solid Waste (Garbage/Trash) |
Fifteen percent (15%)(PDF, 222KB) of gross revenues from the sale or lease of containers, all revenues from garbage and trash collection services, all disposal billed, late fees, bad debt recoveries and other fees collected from customers, with no deductions except for bad debts actually written off. |
Companies providing commercial construction and demolition debris collection or transporting services must have an approved franchise agreement to do so within the City of Gainesville. Construction and Demolition (C&D) debris generally includes non-water soluble and non-hazardous waste including, but not limited to: steel, glass, brick, concrete, asphalt roofing material, pipe, gypsum wallboard, and lumber, from the construction or destruction of a structure as part of a construction or demolition project or from the renovation of a structure. Mixing construction and demolition debris with other types of solid waste will cause the waste to be classified as other than construction and demolition debris.
Commercial franchisees providing commercial C&D services shall pay as compensation to the city, for the rights and benefits granted hereunder, an annual fee based on the vehicle type and number of wheels. Vehicle wheels include all truck and delivery trailer wheels (any wheels/tires that touch the road when in transit). For example, a dually-wheeled pick-up truck (6 wheels), plus a four-wheeled trailer (4 wheels) would equal ten (10) wheels. Download Counting the Wheels on Your C&D Vehicles(PDF, 519KB) for more information.
The forms below are valid only for applications and payments for the period 10/1/2024 through 9/30/2025.
Commercial C&D Collection Non-exclusive Franchise Forms:
C&D Commercial Services Application Fees
| Franchise Type |
Application Fee |
| C&D |
$335.25 |
C&D Commercial Services Fees (Annual Compensation Paid to the City)
| Vehicle Type |
Annual Fee |
| Each vehicle having ten (10) or more wheels |
$2,010.25 |
| Each vehicle having more than five (5) and fewer than ten (10) wheels |
$1,340.25 |
| Each vehicle having fewer than five (5) wheels |
$670.00 |
- Vehicle wheels include all truck and delivery trailer wheels (but not wheels on the container itself).
- For vehicles added after the start of the fiscal year (October 1st), this fee shall be prorated based on the number of months the franchise is in place for the remainder of that year.
Companies or individuals, including commercial collection franchised haulers, that collect, transport, convey or process recovered materials must have a registration certificate issued from the City of Gainesville. Recovered material includes: metal, paper (cardboard, office paper, etc.), glass, textile, and non-tire rubber materials. Recovered materials source-separated or removed from the solid waste stream have known recycling potential. Recovered materials, as described above, does not include garbage, trash, yard waste, food waste, or construction and demolition debris.
The forms below are valid only for applications and payments for the period starting 10/1/2023.
Registration of Recovered Materials Collectors Forms:
Recovered Materials Collector Application/Registration Fees
Companies or individuals, including a commercial franchisee, that collect, transport, convey or process food waste intended for industrial uses or composting in the city for hire, remuneration, or other consideration must have a registration certificate issued from the City of Gainesville.
The forms below are valid only for applications and payments for the period 10/1/2023 through 9/30/2024.
Registration of Food Waste Collector Forms:
Food Waste Collector Application/Registration Fees