Tuscaloosa, AL Landscaping Rules: Composting (2026)

The City of Tuscaloosa's Code of Ordinances does not contain a composting ordinance that bans or specifically regulates backyard composting, so residents may compost yard and food waste on their own property. The applicable constraints are general health, sanitation, and nuisance provisions. Sec. 13-5 prohibits maintaining conditions that provide a 'rat harborage,' which a poorly managed compost pile (especially one containing meat or food scraps) could create. The mosquito-control sections (Sec. 13-9 through 13-12) require treating water collections and prohibit conditions that breed mosquitoes, so compost should not be allowed to hold standing water. Sec. 13-67, the unlawful-growth-of-vegetation section, reaches overgrown vegetation and accumulations of downed trees and limbs that harbor pests or constitute a public nuisance, meaning brush and yard-waste piles must be kept from becoming pest harborage. The city's solid waste and litter rules also require keeping premises free of litter (Sec. 13-62) and managing landscaping/yard debris (Sec. 16-101 addresses removal of debris from landscaping). In short, composting itself is unregulated and lawful, but a compost or brush pile that attracts rats, breeds mosquitoes, or becomes a nuisance can be cited under the existing health and nuisance ordinances. No code section sets compost bin size, setbacks, or a permit, so none is cited.