Lake County, FL Landscaping Rules: Composting (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing rule
- Lake County LDR § 10.01.06(A)(5)-(6)
- Manure storage
- Fly-tight bin required, sized to contain manure
- Composting method
- Enclosed bin only, no open piles
- Setback
- 20 ft from all property lines
- Family Garden compost cap
- 100 sq ft, centered on the lot (LDR § 3.01.02)
Summary
Anyone keeping backyard chickens in unincorporated Lake County must keep manure from piling up on bare ground. LDR § 10.01.06(A)(5)-(6) requires a fly-tight bin for uncomposted manure and, separately, allows composting chicken manure only in an enclosed bin, with both types of bin kept at least 20 feet from every property line.
5.No manure shall be allowed to accumulate on the floor of the coop or ground. A fly-tight bin for storage of manure shall be utilized; the size shall be sufficient to contain all accumulations of manure. The fly-tight bin shall be kept at least twenty (20) feet away from all property; and6.Composting of chicken manure shall be allowed in an enclosed bin. The composting bin shall be kept at least twenty (20) feet away from all property lines.B.Chicken coop or fenced enclosure used to house chickens. Any chicken coop or fenced enclosure used to house chickens shall:1.Not be located in the front or side yards; and2.Be set back a minimum of twenty (20) feet from all property lines.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 150).
Full Breakdown
Lake County's backyard chicken standard treats manure management as a core condition of keeping the birds, not an afterthought. 06(A)(5) says no manure may be allowed to accumulate on the floor of the coop or on the ground; instead, a fly-tight bin sized to hold all the manure that accumulates has to be used, and that bin must sit at least 20 feet from all property lines so odor and pests stay off a neighbor's land. Subsection (A)(6) then addresses the composting option directly: composting of chicken manure is allowed, but only in an enclosed bin, and that composting bin also has to be kept at least 20 feet away from all property lines, the same setback used for the manure storage bin and for the chicken coop or fenced enclosure itself.
06 means the Estate Residential (R-2), Medium Residential (R-3), Medium Suburban Residential (R-4), Urban Residential (R-6), Mixed Residential (R-7), and Mixed Home Residential (RM) districts, capped at five hens with slaughtering prohibited. 02(B)(3)(b)(2) bars outdoor storage of farm machinery or pesticide containers on that lot but carves out an exception for composting bins, capping their size at 100 square feet and requiring the bin be centered within the property's boundaries.
Violations & Fines
Letting chicken manure accumulate outside a fly-tight bin, composting it in an open pile rather than an enclosed bin, or placing either bin closer than 20 feet to a property line violates LDR § 10.01.06(A). Because backyard chickens are only a conditional accessory use, code enforcement can require the manure or composting setup be corrected or, for a persistent or unpermitted violation, refer the case to the Code Enforcement Board or a special magistrate, which can order the chickens removed along with imposing fines.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I compost my backyard chickens' manure in an open pile?
How close to my fence line can my chicken manure bin be?
Is there a size limit on compost bins for a vegetable garden that isn't tied to chickens?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lake County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Lake County to another location·View the Florida landscaping rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.