The City of Stephenville's landfill is out on County Road 385, and the single most important thing to know before loading a trailer is what kind of site it is. This is a Type IV facility, operating under TCEQ permit MSW-664. In plain terms that means it is permitted to take brush, construction and demolition material, and ordinary rubbish only where that rubbish is free of putrescible and household waste. Bagged kitchen waste and general household refuse do not belong here, and the permit is what stops them, not staff discretion.

Hours move with the seasons, which trips people up. From June through August the site runs 7.30am to 3pm; the rest of the year it is 8.30am to 4pm. Either way the days are Tuesday to Saturday. There is a further catch that no directory carries: the landfill closes in wet conditions, so after heavy rain a call to 254-918-1282 before setting off is time well spent. It also shuts on Independence Day, Thanksgiving and the Friday following it, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

The published rate card, current from 1 October 2024, is refreshingly complete. A minimum charge of $25 covers anything up to 800 pounds, and beyond that the gate charges $65 per ton. Arrive outside normal hours and the minimum rises to $50. A pull off costs $25 each time. Mattresses and bedding are $15 apiece, or $30 for a mattress and box springs together. Tyres are priced by size: $5 for passenger, $15 for truck, $50 for tractor. The site also sells woodchip mulch at $10 the cubic yard, or $20 for a pick-up bed full.

One rule deserves emphasis because it can double your bill without warning. Loads have to be covered, and containment is judged at the gate on arrival. A vehicle whose waste is inadequately contained is charged twice the current rate rather than being turned away, so an untarped trailer becomes an expensive mistake rather than a wasted journey.

Absolutely excluded are hazardous waste, grease trap waste, septic tank pumpings, and everything else the TCEQ bars from Type IV landfills. Payment is by card - Mastercard, Visa, American Express and Discover are all taken, a facility the city added relatively recently.