Beaumont runs its municipal landfill at 5895 Lafin Road, and for city households the headline is simple: you can tip for nothing. The catch is narrower than most people assume, so it pays to read the condition before loading the trailer.

The city states that residents showing proof of Beaumont residency — a garbage service utility bill, a driving licence — are not charged for landfill disposal when they haul debris themselves from a single-family residence. The clause that catches people is the next one: you must already be paying the city for garbage disposal to qualify for the free rate. Someone who lives in Beaumont but is not on city collection does not get in free.

The exemption is also limited to single-family homes. Heavy trash generated by any other entity has to be transported to the landfill under the ordinary arrangements, and contractors and businesses pay.

Gate hours published by the city are Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. until 4 p.m., with Saturday running 7 a.m. until 1 in the afternoon. The landfill number is (409) 842-5686. Note that the city's own facility listing describes the site as residential use only, while its solid waste pages describe commercial loads being charged. Those two statements sit uneasily together, so anyone bringing a commercial load should ring first rather than turn up and argue at the scale.

Household hazardous waste is not taken here. The South East Texas Regional Planning Commission runs collection events instead, on (409) 899-8444.

The separate Solid Waste Department office sits nearby at 4955 Lafin Drive, which is a different address from the landfill itself.