Kirkwood, MO Landscaping Rules: Composting (2026)

Kirkwood Code of Ordinances § 10-6 sets detailed backyard composting standards. Piles or bins cannot exceed five feet in height, and the allowed footprint scales with lot size: 100 square feet on lots of 7,500 square feet or less, 200 square feet up to 15,000 square feet, 250 square feet up to 25,000 square feet, 300 square feet up to one acre, and 400 square feet on lots over an acre. Unless the adjoining owner gives written permission, a pile must stay at least five feet from the rear or side property line, at least 20 feet from any neighboring home, patio, pool, or similar structure, and at least five feet behind the front building setback line.

Piles cannot sit in a drainage swale or creek, or within five feet of a utility pole, transformer, power pedestal, or communication equipment, and must be maintained to prevent rodent and pest harborage and unpleasant odors. Section 10-6(b) limits ingredients to yard and food-prep scraps such as grass clippings, leaves, garden residue, coffee grounds, and eggshells, while barring food scraps, meat, dairy, fatty foods, manure, animal carcasses, diseased plants, treated lumber, and weeds gone to seed. Composting is for private use only: no sale, purchase, or barter of compost material or finished humus is allowed, and the property owner or person in charge is responsible for keeping the pile in compliance.