Troy, MI Landscaping Rules: Composting (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- City Code Ch. 16, § 2.19
- Max bin size
- 3 ft x 3 ft x 3 ft
- Bins per parcel
- 3 maximum
- Setback from lot line
- 3 feet minimum
- Setback from neighbor's dwelling
- 15 feet minimum
- Location
- Rear yard only, no easements
Summary
Troy lets residents compost yard waste at home under City Code Chapter 16, Section 2.19, so long as bins stay small, screened and away from lot lines. No meat, dairy, fats, cooked food or plastics may go in the pile, and each parcel is capped at three bins.
2.19 Composting.
The restrictions of Chapter 39, Section 39.90.03; Chapter 88, Section 9.13; Chapter 48, Section 6.101(5), and Section 6.107 shall not be deemed to prohibit composting on private property.
The construction and maintenance of yard waste composting bins/piles shall be permitted subject to the following conditions:
(2) The contents of compost bins/piles shall not include meats, bones, fish, dairy products, vegetable or animal fats, cooked foods, carnivorous animal manure, plastics, synthetics, or other non-biodegradable material.
(3) Compost bins/piles are not permitted in drainage or utility easements.
(4) Compost bins/piles are permitted in rear yards, a minimum of three (3) feet from any lot line and fifteen (15) feet from any dwelling located on adjacent property.
(5) Composting bins/piles are limited in size to a maximum of 3 feet x 3 feet in area and 3 feet in height. Each parcel is limited to a maximum of three (3) bins/piles.
Full Breakdown
107), and instead sets six conditions for lawful yard-waste composting. Bins or piles may hold biodegradable material accepted by composting authorities such as the Michigan Department of Natural Resources or the Southeastern Oakland County Resource Recovery Authority (SOCRRA), but meats, bones, fish, dairy products, vegetable or animal fats, cooked foods, carnivorous animal manure, plastics and synthetics are barred outright. Compost is prohibited in drainage or utility easements entirely. Where it is allowed, it must sit in the rear yard, at least 3 feet from any lot line and at least 15 feet from any dwelling on an adjacent property.
Size is capped at 3 feet by 3 feet in area and 3 feet in height, with a hard limit of three bins or piles per parcel, a limit added by the December 17, 2001 revision. The same 2001 revision requires that composting be maintained so it does not produce offensive, unwholesome or nauseous odor reaching neighboring property, and bars it from becoming an active attraction or refuge for rodents; adjoining residential properties must have adequate screening to keep the bins out of view. These standards sit in Chapter 16, the Municipal Solid Waste and Recycling chapter, right after the City's refuse-hauler and collection-vehicle rules.
Violations & Fines
A pile that exceeds the 3-by-3-by-3 size cap, sits closer than 3 feet to a lot line or 15 feet to a neighbor's dwelling, holds banned material like meat or plastic, or draws rodents and odor complaints is a Code violation the City can order corrected; unscreened bins visible from adjoining residential yards are cited under the same section. Chapter 16 does not list a fixed fine schedule for composting specifically, so enforcement runs through the City's general Code Enforcement process for solid-waste violations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I compost meat or dairy scraps in Troy?
How big can my compost bin be in Troy?
Where on my property can I put a compost pile?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Troy
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