Gaithersburg, MD Trash & Recycling: Dumpster Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- All non-single-family developments
- Screening requirement
- Screened on all 4 sides
- Truck access area
- Reserved, not counted as parking
- Enclosure setback (if accessory bldg)
- 2 ft (small) / 10 ft (large)
- Section
- § 24-6.6
Summary
Gaithersburg requires every non-residential development's dumpster to be fully screened on all four sides or built into an accessory structure, plus a reserved area for the collection truck that cannot double as a required parking space.
(A)Applicability. The following refuse storage rules shall apply to all developments, except for residences containing single-family units, where refuse is not stored within a refuse structure.(B)Design of refuse storage facilities. Refuse storage facilities shall be designed as follows:(1)Must be entirely screened on all four sides or located within an accessory structure in conformance with section 24-6.4.(2)For exterior refuse storage, adequate area shall be reserved adjacent to the refuse storage area to allow for access of trucks or other vehicles responsible for removing refuse from the site. This area may not be used as a required parking space, but may be used for required loading area.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 52 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
6 of the zoning code, Refuse storage, applies to all developments except single-family residences where solid waste is not kept inside a dedicated refuse structure, meaning it reaches commercial, multifamily, and institutional dumpster and roll-off placement. Subsection (B) sets the design standard in two parts. 4, which caps most accessory buildings at 800 square feet and 15 feet tall and sets a 2-foot or 10-foot setback depending on size. Second, for exterior refuse storage that is not inside a building, the site must reserve adequate area next to the dumpster or enclosure to let collection trucks and other service vehicles get in and out; that reserved access area cannot be counted toward the property's required off-street parking, though it may double as a required loading area under Article 7. 4.
Violations & Fines
An unscreened or improperly sited commercial dumpster is a zoning violation under Chapter 24, enforced through Article 15's municipal infraction process with fines assessed under section 1-7 of the City Code, and the city can order the enclosure corrected or the refuse relocated, with each day left uncorrected treated as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a commercial dumpster in Gaithersburg have to be screened?
Can the area reserved for a garbage truck count as required parking?
Do single-family homes have to screen their trash cans under this rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Gaithersburg
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Dumpster Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Montgomery County handle dumpster rules.