Dubuque, IA Landscaping Rules: Composting (2026)
Key Facts
- Max height
- 5 feet
- Max area
- 75 square feet
- Setback from neighbor's house
- 20 feet minimum
- Setback from property line
- 3 feet minimum
- Setback from wood structures
- 5 feet (fences, bins excepted)
- Banned materials
- Bones, meat, fat, grease, oil, raw manure
Summary
Dubuque only treats a backyard compost pile as legal, not a public nuisance, if it stays under 5 feet tall and 75 square feet, sits screened from the street, and keeps a 20-foot gap from a neighbor's house and 3 feet from the property line under City Code § 6-4-2.
COMPOST PILE: ... A collection of yard waste and kitchen food wastes, but specifically excluding bones, meat, fat, grease, oil, raw dog or cat manure, which collection in nonmanufactured composting units is screened from the street view, is located in a confined area, is no taller than five feet (5') high and no larger than seventy five (75) square feet in area, is located more than twenty feet (20') from any habitable structure on adjoining property and at least three feet (3') from a property boundary line, is located more than five feet (5') from any wood structure, excluding fences and compost containers, is not located in a natural drainageway and is not located in the area between any building and the street right-of-way and is collected for reuse as a soil amendment and is maintained free of noxious odors. ... ... 2. A compost pile located or maintained in compliance with this chapter;
Full Breakdown
City Code § 6-4-2 defines a 'compost pile' with a full set of size, setback, and screening conditions that a pile must meet to count as a lawful compost pile rather than an accumulation the nuisance chapter can act against. A qualifying pile is limited to yard waste and kitchen food wastes, and specifically may not contain bones, meat, fat, grease, oil, or raw dog or cat manure. It must sit in a nonmanufactured composting unit that is screened from street view, be no taller than 5 feet and no larger than 75 square feet, sit more than 20 feet from any habitable structure on an adjoining property, at least 3 feet from a property boundary line, and more than 5 feet from any wood structure other than a fence or compost container.
It cannot sit in a natural drainageway or in the strip between a building and the street right-of-way, and it must be kept free of noxious odors and be collected for reuse as a soil amendment. Section 6-4-3(A)(2) then ties the definition directly to enforcement: the nuisance chapter lists 'accumulations' of yard and solid waste as a public nuisance, but carves out 'a compost pile located or maintained in compliance with this chapter' as an exception. A pile that misses any one of the size, setback, or screening conditions loses that exception and becomes an unlawful accumulation under § 6-4-3(A).
Violations & Fines
A compost pile that exceeds 5 feet in height or 75 square feet in area, sits closer than 20 feet to a neighbor's habitable structure or 3 feet to the property line, or is left unscreened, visible from the street, or foul-smelling, drops out of the § 6-4-2 definition and becomes a public nuisance under § 6-4-3(A) that the City Manager can order abated, with abatement costs assessed against the property under § 6-4-5.
Frequently Asked Questions
How big can a compost pile be in Dubuque?
How far from my neighbor's house does my compost pile need to be?
Can I put meat scraps in my Dubuque compost pile?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Dubuque
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