Where to take brush, logs and stumps in Howard County

Key takeaways

• Alpha Ridge (2350 Marriottsville Rd) takes brush, shrubs, logs, stumps, leaves and untreated lumber.
• Commercial and rental-trailer loads pay $40/ton for clean wood and yard trim, plus a 2.45% card fee.
• Hours: Mon–Sat, 8am–4pm for residents and 8am–3:30pm for commercial customers. Closed Sundays.
• Curbside: bundles up to 18 in across and 4 ft long, 40 lb max, limbs under 4 in. No plastic bags.
• A level 7x14 of brush weighs only about 900 lb, so the scale fee is often under $20.

What does Alpha Ridge take, and what does it cost?

The Wood Waste Area takes clean wood: brush, logs, stumps, leaves and untreated lumber. Rental trailer loads pay $40 a ton.

Hours are Monday–Saturday, 8am–4pm for residents and 8am–3:30pm for commercial customers. The site is closed Sundays and on New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Since May 1, 2026, card payments carry a 2.45% fee. Commercial users need a $40/year permit. Residents hauling their own waste in a rental vehicle can apply for a special exception. The driver needs a Maryland license with a Howard County address, and staff must approve the form. Alpha Ridge takes Howard County waste only.

Landfill fees, hours and rules are set by each county or site and can change without notice. We don't control them; call the site before you go. Call 410-313-6444, or see our Howard County dump guide.

What can go curbside instead?

Small limbs and bundled brush can go out with yard trim collection, but logs and stumps can't.

• Bundles up to 18 inches across and 4 feet long, tied with string or twine.
• Limbs under 4 inches in diameter and 4 feet long.
• 40 lb maximum per bundle, can or paper bag.
• No plastic bags, no root balls, and no dirt, rocks or wire mixed in.
• Out by 6am on collection day, within 5 feet of the road.

During yard trim season, yard trim isn't collected as trash, and holiday weeks shift collection a day. Logs over 4 inches and 4 feet aren't collected curbside, and stumps and logs aren't taken as bulk pickup either. Those go to Alpha Ridge. For leaf season, see our fall cleanup guide.

How much brush fits in a trailer, and what will it weigh?

A lot of volume and very little weight. Brush runs about 127 lb per cubic yard.

Those are examples for loose brush. You pay on actual scale weight. Add a few logs to a load of brush and the scale weight climbs fast, because solid wood is many times denser than loose brush. Budget for it, or haul logs separately. Pack brush tight to get more into a trip. Cut it to length, lay butt ends toward the front, stomp it down, and tarp and strap it. Don't stack brush above the sides. It catches wind and sheds branches on the highway.

Logs and stumps are a different story. They're dense, and stumps carry dirt. Watch the payload: 6,800 lb on the 6x12 and 9,820 lb on the 7x14. Load logs low and over the axles, lengthwise, and strap them so they can't roll into the gate. Keep big rounds to what two people can lift safely. Nothing should need to be rolled up a ramp.

What about stumps and big logs?

Alpha Ridge takes them. Knock the dirt off first, and know that neighboring counties are stricter.

Soil packed in a root ball adds weight you pay for. Howard also says it won't take soil from commercial loads, so a stump that's half dirt can get turned away. Shake and hose stumps clean before loading.

Across the line, rules differ. Anne Arundel's Millersville site charges $200/ton for stumps. Carroll's Northern Landfill refuses stumps. If your tree came down outside Howard, it has to go to that county's site, not Alpha Ridge.

Big logs are often easier to give away as firewood than to haul. For storm jobs, see hauling downed limbs after a storm.

What changes for contractors and out-of-county jobs?

Contractors need a commercial permit and pay commercial rates, and Alpha Ridge takes only Howard County waste.

• Permit. Commercial vehicles need a nontransferable Alpha Ridge permit, $40 a year, renewed each June. No permit, no entry.
• Rate. Clean wood and yard trim are $40/ton for commercial loads, with no free allowance.
• Hours. Commercial customers have until 3:30pm, Monday–Saturday. Arrive early on spring and storm-season Saturdays.
• Special exception. The residents' rental-vehicle form excludes contractor waste and construction debris. Landscapers can't use it.
• Origin. No out-of-county waste. A job in Severn or Glen Burnie goes to Anne Arundel's site. See our Anne Arundel dump guide.

Landscaping crews that run brush most weeks should look at a contractor account: the 7x14 weekly rate on account is $549 ($581.94 with tax), and 3+ units get 10% off. Contractors pay before each rental with a card on file. There are no net terms.

Can you dump it for me?

Yes. Bring the trailer back loaded and we'll take it to the scale.

Return It Loaded costs the county scale price plus $49 ($51.94 with tax). It helps when you finish on a Saturday afternoon after the 3:30pm commercial cutoff, or on a Sunday when no county site is open. You can return 24/7. After our 6pm close there's a $25 late drop-off fee ($26.50 with tax), and a trailer not back by 7am the next morning is charged another day.

The 6x12 is the usual brush trailer: $119 a day ($126.14 with tax). Alpha Ridge sits in Marriottsville, on Marriottsville Road.

Questions

Sources

• Howard County: Alpha Ridge user fees and charges (FY27, clean wood/yard trim)
• Howard County: Wood Waste Area (hours, plastic-free, commercial permit)
• Howard County: Residents' Convenience Center guide (logs, stumps, untreated lumber accepted)
• Howard County: Alpha Ridge commercial customers (Brush & Branches category, 2.45% card fee)
• Howard County: special exception for residents using rental vehicles
• Howard County: yard waste brochure (curbside bundle rules)
• Howard County: curbside guide (stumps and logs not taken as bulk)
• Howard County: HoCoGro (mulch price)