Davis, CA Trash & Recycling: Dumpster Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Container types
- Carts, bins, roll-off boxes, compactors
- Compatibility standard
- Must fit hauler's collection equipment
- Placement standard
- Accessible and zoning-compliant
- Cover requirement
- Lidded at all times, up to 6 yards
- First-violation fine
- $100
Summary
Commercial dumpsters, bin-type containers and roll-off boxes in Davis must be structurally compatible with the contract hauler's collection equipment under Municipal Code Section 32.01.040(b)(3), and Section 32.01.050(b) requires that they sit somewhere easily accessible for the hauler and consistent with the property's zoning. Covered containers up to six cubic yards must stay lidded at all times.
Special bulk-volume, drop-box or roll-off containers of sanitary design, adequate in capacity and structurally designed so as to be compatible with the collection equipment used for waste collection in the city. ... All other occupancies, including commercial businesses. Acceptable containers for gray container waste, source separated green container waste, source separated dark blue container waste, and source separated non-organic recyclables, as specified in Section 32.01.040 from all other occupancies shall be placed such that they are easily accessible for collection in accordance with the contract with the contract hauler, and in conformity with applicable zoning restrictions.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4915048; v22 updated 2026-05-19).
Full Breakdown
040(b) lists the container types a commercial generator may use: city-supplied thirty- to one hundred-gallon wheeled carts, bin-type containers sized and designed to be compatible with the hauler's collection equipment, special bulk-volume, drop-box or roll-off containers of sanitary design that are likewise compatible with that equipment, and compaction containers approved case by case by the public works director. All containers supplied by the contract hauler remain the hauler's property, and every container must meet the color and labeling rules of Title 14, Division 3, Chapter 12 of the California Code of Regulations.
050(b) governs where these containers sit: for commercial businesses and all other occupancies besides individually serviced residences, containers must be placed so they are easily accessible for collection under the contract with the hauler and in conformity with applicable zoning restrictions. Subsection (d) requires any container six cubic yards or smaller to stay covered with a lid or other cover that keeps out water and pests at all times, opened only to load, unload or clean it, and subsection (e) bars filling a container beyond the point where its cover can be tightly secured. 02.
Violations & Fines
Placement or maintenance violations under Sections 32.01.040 and 32.01.050 are enforced through Section 32.01.125. The code compliance administrator issues a notice of violation with sixty days to correct it; an uncorrected violation is an infraction carrying a one hundred dollar fine the first time, two hundred dollars for a second violation within six months, and five hundred dollars for a third or later violation within a year, or the city may proceed by administrative citation under Article 1.02.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my roll-off dumpster in Davis have to meet a specific standard?
Where can I place a commercial dumpster on my property?
Do dumpsters have to stay covered in Davis?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Davis
California rules heatmap·Compare Davis to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview
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