Will County, IL Landscaping Rules: Composting (2026)
Key Facts
- Max pile volume
- 5 cubic yards
- Setback from lot lines
- 5 feet minimum
- Setback from neighbor's dwelling (uncontained)
- 30 feet
- Food waste storage
- Rodent-resistant bin required
- Applies to
- Unincorporated Will County only
Summary
Unincorporated Will County allows home composting of yard and food waste as an accessory use, but caps pile size and sets strict setbacks.
(J) Residential composting. (1) The composting of landscape waste (including grass clippings, leaves, and chipped brush) and food waste (including discarded fruits, vegetables, and grains) is an allowed accessory use in residential zoning districts, subject to the regulations of this section... (4) All food waste must be placed within rodent-resistant compost bins. (5) Landscape waste compost piles may not exceed five cubic yards in volume. (6) Landscape waste compost piles must be set back at least five feet from all lot lines.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2025 S-25: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ordinance No. 24-100, passed 4-18-2024 and Res. 23-387, passed 11-16-2023; and State legislation approved through 2024 Pamphlet #2).
Full Breakdown
Composting landscape waste and food waste is an allowed accessory use on residential lots in unincorporated Will County. Only waste grown or generated on-site (plus visitors' food scraps) may go in the pile, food waste must sit in a rodent-resistant bin, and landscape-waste piles are capped at five cubic yards with a 5-foot setback from lot lines (30 feet from neighboring dwellings if not bin-contained). Animal waste is banned from compost except equine waste, which has its own zoning-district and setback rules. This applies only outside Joliet, Bolingbrook, Romeoville, Plainfield and Lockport, which zone under their own municipal codes.
Violations & Fines
No stated fine schedule in this section; zoning violations in unincorporated Will County are generally enforced by the Land Use Department under Chapter 155's general enforcement provisions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I compost food scraps in my Will County backyard?
Is there a size limit on a compost pile?
Does this rule apply inside Joliet or Bolingbrook?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Will County
Compare Will County to another location·View the Illinois landscaping rules overview
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