Franklin County, WA Landscaping Rules: Composting (2026)

110 of the Franklin County zoning code permits compost boxes or piles as accessory uses in any residential zoning district in unincorporated Franklin County. The section restricts placement to rear yards only, meaning a compost box or pile cannot sit in a front or side yard even where other accessory structures are allowed there. It must also be located at least five feet from any adjoining property line, and the property owner is required to maintain it so it does not become a nuisance, language that ties directly to the county's general nuisance enforcement standards rather than a separate numeric odor or pest rule.

66's use regulations rather than the health and sanitation title, enforcement runs through the Planning and Building Department as a zoning compliance matter, distinct from the county's Title 8 solid waste and litter provisions that separately regulate garbage handling. The rule was codified by the original 2005 zoning ordinance, Ordinance 7-2005, and has not been separately amended in the sections surrounding it. Residents composting yard waste or food scraps in a backyard bin therefore need only the five-foot setback and rear-yard placement to comply; the code does not impose a permit, size cap or a specific bin design requirement, leaving the nuisance standard as the operative limit on odor, pests or unsightliness.