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Junk removal in Madison and every Dane County community
Junk RemovalMadison, Wisconsin

Local historic district, 1985

Junk Removal in University Heights, Madison

Updated

University Heights in short

In Census Tract 9.02, at the center of the district, 75.8% of 2,782 households rent (Madison: 54%), 65.5% moved in since 2020 and the median home was built in 1964. Demolitions and exterior changes here need Landmarks Commission approval; clearing contents does not. Madison collects large items free by work order for homes on city recycling, except buildings of more than 8 units.
Call (608) 999-9363Full price table
2,782
households in Census Tract 9.02
75.8%
rent their home (Madison 54%)
1964
median year built (Madison 1980)
58.8%
in buildings of 5+ units (Madison 43.6%)

History and housing

What University Heights is

  • The University Heights Company platted this 106-acre neighborhood in 1893. Its curving streets made it the first Madison neighborhood not laid out on a grid. source
  • It has houses by Keck & Keck, George W. Maher, Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright alongside Madison's own leading architects, and became the third local historic district in 1985. source
  • Its 397 contributing structures were built from 1894 to 1965, many by prominent university faculty, and the district was Madison's first elite residential suburb. source
Boundary
Roughly bounded by Regent, Allen and Lathrop Streets and Kendall Avenue
Period of significance
1893 to 1928
Local historic district
1985
National Register
December 17, 1982
ZIP at its mapped center
53726

Styles the sources name: Queen Anne, Prairie, Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival, Arts and Crafts.

A street of 19th-century brick and sandstone houses with a wrought iron fence in autumn
Illustrative photo, not this district.

The local numbers

Who lives here, and how long they stay

University Heights is a renter's area. 75.8% of its 2,782 households rent, against 54% across Madison, and 58.8% of housing units are in buildings of five or more units. The bigger buildings among them lost city large item pickup on January 1, 2025, when the Streets Division stopped serving properties of more than 8 units. See what changed.

The median home was built in 1964 (Madison: 1980); 68.9% predate 1980 and 21.6% were built in 2000 or later.

Turnover is high: 65.5% of households moved in during 2020 or later, against 38.8% in Madison.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 5-year (2020-2024), Census Tract 9.02, the tract at the district's mapped center point (Census Geocoder). Tracts and district boundaries do not match exactly.

Households by year moved in: University Heights vs Madison2020 or later: University Heights 65.5%, Madison 38.8%; 2010 to 2019: University Heights 18.6%, Madison 36.2%; 2000 to 2009: University Heights 3.6%, Madison 12.6%; 1990 to 1999: University Heights 8.4%, Madison 6.1%; 1989 or earlier: University Heights 3.9%, Madison 6.3%University HeightsMadisonMoved in 2020 or later65.5%38.8%Moved in 2010 to 201918.6%36.2%Moved in 2000 to 20093.6%12.6%Moved in 1990 to 19998.4%6.1%Moved in 1989 or earlier3.9%6.3%
Share of occupied homes by the year the current household moved in. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 5-year (2020-2024), table B25038.

Rules that apply

Clearing out a home in University Heights

As a City of Madison local historic district, University Heights is under the Landmarks Commission: exterior alterations, new construction and demolitions need a Certificate of Approval, applied for before the building permit. Taking furniture and household contents out is not on that list. Tearing down a garage, shed, deck or porch as part of a cleanout is. See historic district cleanouts.

For homes the city collects recycling from, large items are free: file a Large Item Work Order, put things out on the Sunday you picked, off the street and sidewalk, with appliances separated from furniture and lumber. If a private hauler empties your recycling, expect $35 per large appliance and $15 per microwave or grill; electronics at the curb draw a $30 charge.

Self-haul options: the three city drop-off sites (residents only, one pickup-bed load a day) and the Dane County Landfill on Maahic Way ($15.03 up to 500 pounds in 2026).

Nearby historic districts

Districts sharing this ZIP code or census tract. Full list of Madison's National Register districts on Wikipedia.

Common questions

University Heights junk removal questions

Do I need approval to tear down a garage in University Heights?

Yes. University Heights Historic District is a City of Madison local historic district, and the Landmarks Commission must approve demolitions, exterior alterations and new construction through a Certificate of Approval before you apply for a building permit.

How many households rent in University Heights?

75.8% of 2,782 households in Census Tract 9.02 rent, per the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates, against 54% across Madison.

What does junk removal cost here?

National cost guides put a single bulky item at $60 to $150, a half truckload at $200 to $400 and a full truckload at $400 to $800. Madison's own large item pickup is free for homes on city recycling, by work order.

Clearing something out in University Heights?

Tell us the address and what needs to go. A local crew replies with a price before anything is loaded, and handles the stairs, the sorting and the recycling.

Call (608) 999-9363See 2026 Prices