Junk removal in El Portal, between the quarterly bulk weeks

01

El Portal's bulk pickup comes four times a year

El Portal is not on Miami-Dade County's garbage route. The Village contracts Coastal Waste and Recycling for trash and bulk, and the county only handles recycling. Bulk runs in week 4 of every quarter. In 2026 that was January 27 to 29, April 28 to 30, July 28 to 30, and October 27 to 29, Tuesday to Thursday. The next one after that is January 26 to 28, 2027.

If you need something gone between those weeks, the Village says to book an extra pickup directly with Coastal, at a grapple-truck rate of $15 a yard paid on the spot.

Even on bulk week, a lot stays behind. The Village flyer says bulk does not take carpet, tires, refrigerators, freezers, hazardous materials or construction materials, and it spells those out: concrete, dirt, rock, gravel, concrete blocks and drywall. Branches have to be cut to 3 feet. Piles need 5 feet of clearance from your cart, mailbox, fence, water meter and parked cars, and can't sit under low limbs or power lines.

So the jobs that call for a hauler here are the obvious ones: an old fridge or freezer, a room of carpet, a cleanout that can't wait three months, or anything from a remodel. Rapid Haul takes all of it in one trip for one flat price.

02

Tear-outs and permits in El Portal

Permits here come from the Village of El Portal Building Department, not the county. Submissions go in as a hard copy dropped off by appointment or through the Village's electronic plan review portal, and inspections run Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10 AM to 2 PM. Village Hall is 305-795-7880.

The Village publishes its own demolition procedure. It lists three types (full, partial and exploratory) and a checklist that includes a signed and sealed survey, demolition plans, utility disconnect letters, 811 locates, a $500 sidewalk bond, and capping sewer and water. One rule stands out: the Village will not accept a partial demolition application without complete plans for the rehab work filed at the same time.

Your GC or you as the owner pull that permit. Rapid Haul does the non-structural tear-out (cabinets, vanities, tile, flooring, drywall) and hauls every piece of it, which matters here because the Village bulk week won't touch construction materials. Room tear-out starts at $750. If your crew did the demo, debris pickups start at $200.

or call (754) 249-1015

03

Small village, single-family homes, old trees

El Portal is about 0.4 square miles, and the county describes its housing as primarily single-family with limited multifamily. The 2020 Census counted 847 housing units. It is a Tree City USA with its own Tree Board, and the Village lists historic and archaeological sites, including the El Portal burial mound in Sherwood Forest.

What that means for a cleanout: you are usually working from a house with a driveway and a swale, not a building with an elevator. The common calls are a garage, a back room, or a whole house after a long time in one family. Dany's crew loads from inside, so nothing has to sit on the swale waiting for the next quarter.

04

How pricing and same-day work for El Portal

Rapid Haul runs out of Hollywood and works Miami-Dade every week. Text a photo to (754) 249-1015 and Dany sends one flat price that covers labor, loading, hauling and disposal. Call early and same-day is often possible. Junk removal is paid after the job.

Starting prices that fit El Portal homes: Furniture Removal from $125, Appliance Removal from $100, Garage Cleanouts from $300, and House Cleanouts from $1,000. Estate cleanouts get a flat price after a photo or a quick look.

or call (754) 249-1015

05

El Portal neighborhoods we serve

All of the Village, including Sherwood Forest and El Jardin, and the streets bordering Miami Shores to the north and Miami to the south and east.