Spokane Valley, WA Landscaping Rules: Composting (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit needed
- No, if properly maintained
- Governing clause
- SVMC § 7.05.040(D)(2)(c)
- Fire-hazard exclusion
- SVMC § 7.05.040(E)
- First nuisance penalty
- $500
- Chronic nuisance penalty
- $2,500
- Enforcement process
- Chapter 17.100 notice and order
Summary
Spokane Valley does not license or restrict backyard compost bins, but a pile must stay properly maintained or code enforcement can cite it as a garbage or fire nuisance. SVMC § 7.05.040(D)(2)(c) excludes only "properly maintained residential compost piles" from the accumulation-of-matter nuisance ban, and § 7.05.040(E) gives the same pass from the fire-hazard nuisance rule.
Garbage, Recyclables, Compost, and Infestations. ... Creating or maintaining any accumulation of matter, including but not limited to foodstuffs or dead vegetation (excluding properly maintained residential compost piles).
Full Breakdown
05 SVMC lists public nuisances, and two clauses speak directly to compost. Subsection (D)(2)(c) bars "creating or maintaining any accumulation of matter, including but not limited to foodstuffs or dead vegetation," then carves out "properly maintained residential compost piles" from that ban. Subsection (E) does the same for the fire-hazard nuisance rule, excluding "properly maintained compost piles" from the list of combustible accumulations the fire marshal can act on. Neither clause defines "properly maintained" with a numeric standard such as a bin size, turning frequency, or setback, so the determination is left to code enforcement and the fire marshal on a case-by-case basis when a neighbor complains.
040. 250 if the pile isn't fixed. 045, which carries its own penalty tier. There is no separate composting permit, bin-material standard, or setback requirement anywhere in Title 7 or the development code excerpts reviewed here.
Violations & Fines
An unmaintained pile is enforced like any other nuisance under Chapter 17.100 SVMC: code enforcement issues a notice and order, and civil penalties under § 17.100.250 run $500 for a first violation, $1,000 for a second within three years, and $2,000 for each later violation in that window. A pile causing a repeated neighborhood problem can be declared a chronic nuisance under § 7.05.045, carrying a $2,500 penalty.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Spokane Valley require a permit for a backyard compost pile?
What happens if my compost pile isn't maintained?
Does the fire hazard rule also exempt compost?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Spokane Valley
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