Barrow County, GA Trash & Recycling: Dumpster Rules (2026)

Sec. 89-133(g) of the Unified Development Code sets dumpster enclosure standards for all new nonresidential construction and alterations in commercial zoning districts. Dumpsters and similar receptacles cannot sit where they are visible from the street or from adjacent residential property, generally pushing them to the rear or side of the building. They must be screened on every side by opaque materials, including the access gate, and that screening must be compatible with the principal building's design and materials. Every dumpster or receptacle must rest on a concrete pad, or an equivalent surface, built to the size and strength needed to carry the weight of service vehicles.

Dumpsters cannot be located within a buffer zone required elsewhere in the Development Code. Community commercial (C-2) district development is held to an even sharper standard: Sec. 89-134(b)(5) requires all refuse and designated recycling collection facilities there to be completely enclosed, screened by a fence or wall, with an opaque gate at least six feet high. Together these sections make Planning and Community Development the reviewing authority for dumpster and roll-off placement on any commercial site plan in the unincorporated county, well before a certificate of occupancy is issued.