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

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Governing section
§ 102-16, Appendix A Art. IV § 4.6.A.1
Enclosure height
About 6 feet, solid, with a gate
Setback from housing
At least 50 feet from residential zoning or use
Pad requirement
Concrete pad extending 5 feet beyond the gate
Gate opening
12 feet wide
Applies where
Only inside county's primary/secondary transportation corridors
Exemption
Single-family homes not part of a larger development

Summary

Along Carroll County, Georgia's designated highway corridors, the Corridor Development Plan at Carroll County Code § 102-16, Appendix A requires commercial, industrial and multifamily solid-waste collection areas to sit inside a 6-foot solid, gated enclosure set back from residential zoning and the corridor right-of-way.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Carroll County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

A.Screening of utility areas and equipment.1.Solid waste collection areas. Solid waste receptacles, shipping pallets, bundled cardboard and similar waste materials stored for collection shall be enclosed on all sides and screened from public view of adjoining residential properties or any street right-of-way with a 6-foot (plus or minus 8 inches) solid enclosure with a gate and shall be constructed of cedar, redwood, masonry or other compatible building material. The floor of the gated enclosure shall be a concrete pad which shall extend 5 feet beyond the gate and the gate opening itself shall measure 12 feet. Trash enclosures shall be located a minimum of 50 feet from any residential zoning district or use, and the transportation corridor right-of-way, but may otherwise be located within any required building setback area.

Full Breakdown

Carroll County's zoning framework at Chapter 102 defers most dimensional standards to a separate Unified Development Ordinance, but its Corridor Development Plan (Sec. S. S. Highway 78, Interstate 20 and several other listed routes in the unincorporated county. 1 requires solid waste collection areas, meaning dumpsters, shipping pallets, bundled cardboard and similar materials stored for pickup, to be enclosed on all sides and screened from public view of adjoining residential properties or any street right-of-way. The enclosure must be a solid, gated structure roughly 6 feet tall (plus or minus 8 inches), built of cedar, redwood, masonry or other compatible material.

The floor must be a concrete pad extending 5 feet beyond the gate, with a 12-foot gate opening, and the whole enclosure must sit at least 50 feet from any residential zoning district or use and from the transportation corridor right-of-way, though it can otherwise sit inside a required building setback. 4, a single-family residence that is not part of a larger common development plan is exempt from this and the rest of the CDP standards.

Violations & Fines

The Corridor Development Plan's own enforcement clause, section 16.6.F, lets the county pursue any means authorized by state law and county ordinance, including declaratory or injunctive relief, fines, and withholding or revoking development permit approvals, against a project that fails to screen its dumpster or solid waste collection area as Appendix A requires.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Carroll County require a screened enclosure for a business dumpster?
Yes, if the property sits within one of the county's designated primary or secondary transportation corridors along highways like State Route 61, State Route 166 or U.S. 27. Appendix A to the Corridor Development Plan, section 4.6.A.1, requires the dumpster or solid waste collection area to be enclosed on all sides in a solid, gated structure and screened from the road and any residential property.
What materials can a Carroll County dumpster enclosure be built from?
Section 4.6.A.1 lists cedar, redwood, masonry or other compatible building material for the solid, gated enclosure, which must stand about 6 feet tall, plus or minus 8 inches, with a 12-foot gate opening and a concrete pad extending 5 feet beyond the gate.
Does the corridor screening rule apply to a dumpster at my house?
No. Section 16.5.D.4 of the Corridor Development Plan exempts a single-family residence that is not part of a larger common plan of development or sale from the CDP's screening and other standards. The screening requirement targets commercial, industrial and multifamily solid waste collection areas, not an individual homeowner's own trash cart.
What if my Carroll County property isn't near one of the listed highways?
Then the Corridor Development Plan's Appendix A screening standard does not apply by its own terms, since it only governs land in the primary and secondary transportation corridors defined in the ordinance. Development elsewhere in the unincorporated county is reviewed under the county's separate Unified Development Ordinance.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Carroll County

All Carroll County rules

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