Pima County, AZ Trash & Recycling: Dumpster Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- Retail stores over 80,000 sq ft near housing
- Trash area setback
- 100 feet from residential property line
- Screening requirement
- Opaque materials, § 18.39.030(C)(3)(d)
- Loading wall height (if required)
- 14 feet on dock side
- Zones covered
- CB-2, CI-1, CI-2 (limited CB-1 exception)
- Max civil penalty
- $750/day individual, $10,000/day corporation
Summary
For a large scale retail establishment (over 80,000 square feet) in unincorporated Pima County next to a residential use, Code § 18.39.030(C)(2)(d) requires a 100-foot setback from the property line for trash collection or compaction areas, and (C)(3)(d) requires those trash containers to be screened from residential view with opaque materials.
2. Setbacks: ... d. For trash collection or compaction, 100-foot setback from property line contiguous to an existing residential use; ... 3. Landscaping and screening: ... d. Permanent outdoor sales displays, trash collection containers and trash compaction shall be screened from adjacent residential view with opaque materials;
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-64: Contains Supplement, with local legislation through Ordinance 2026-9, passed 7-28-2026, current through 7-28-2026).
Full Breakdown
030(C). Subsection (2), the setback list, requires trash collection or compaction areas to sit back at least 100 feet from any property line contiguous to an existing residential use, the same distance required for permanent outdoor sales areas, though less than the 200-foot setback required for a loading area that directly faces housing. ' Where the code separately requires a loading area screening wall under (3)(g), that wall must be fourteen feet high on the dock side, with a two-brick-course cap detail, per the county's commercial design manual.
Because dumpster and trash-compactor noise is also flagged in the noise-plan requirements at (C)(5)(b) as a noise source a developer must model if it can't meet the base standards, a store with poorly placed or unscreened dumpsters near housing can trigger both an enforcement problem and a redesign of its noise mitigation plan. 73.
Violations & Fines
A large retail store whose trash enclosure sits closer than 100 feet to an adjoining residential lot line, or isn't screened with opaque materials as § 18.39.030(C)(3)(d) requires, is in violation of its zoning development standards, enforceable by the chief zoning inspector under § 18.95.030. Civil penalties under § 18.95.040 run up to $750 per day for an individual and $10,000 per day for a corporation until corrected, with appeal rights to the Board of Supervisors and then Superior Court.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far from my house must a big-box store's dumpster sit?
Do trash dumpsters at these stores have to be screened?
Does this dumpster rule apply to a small strip mall?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pima County
Compare Pima County to another location·View the Arizona trash & recycling overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.