Lakeville, MN Landscaping Rules: Composting (2026)

Lakeville City Code section 11-18-7(G) treats compost structures and neatly stacked firewood piles as accessory uses subject to two clear rules: they are limited to rear yards, and they must be set back 10 feet from every property line. Unlike sheds, garages and other accessory structures regulated by the same section, compost bins and firewood piles are expressly exempted from the limits on the number of allowed accessory structures and from the individual and total floor-area caps that otherwise apply to accessory buildings on a lot.

That placement means a compost bin cannot sit in a side yard or front yard, and a homeowner on a corner lot must still keep the required 10-foot buffer from the rear property line and both interior side lines. Because compost structures fall outside the accessory-building count, a household can maintain a compost bin in addition to a shed and a garage without exceeding the one-detached-accessory-building limit set elsewhere in section 11-18-7(A). The provision sits within chapter 18, which governs accessory buildings, structures, uses and equipment across every zoning district, and it applies alongside the general nuisance standards in title 4 that keep odor, pests and unsightly accumulation off neighboring property.

The Zoning Administrator handles complaints about a compost structure's location, and code enforcement can order a bin relocated to the rear yard or moved back to the required 10-foot setback if a neighbor complaint or inspection finds it out of place.