Mesa County, CO Trash & Recycling: Dumpster Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- LDC § 8.05.A(2) and (7)
- Placement
- Rear yard first, side yard if infeasible
- Street setback
- At least 20 feet from any public street
- Applies to
- Nonresidential and multi-family developments
- Design requirement
- Designated trash collection area on site plan
Summary
Commercial and multi-family dumpsters in unincorporated Mesa County cannot sit wherever is convenient. Section 8.05.A.2 of the Land Development Code requires outdoor trash collection and compaction areas to be placed in the rear yard, or the side yard if the rear will not work, and keeps them at least 20 feet from any public street, sidewalk or pedestrian walkway.
2. Areas for outdoor storage, trash collection or compaction, loading, or other such uses shall be located in the rear of the lot. If that is not feasible, then the side yard may be used, but in no case shall such areas be located within twenty (20) feet of any public street, public sidewalk, or internal pedestrian walkway.
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7. All developments, including multi-family housing, shall provide a designated trash collection area meeting the requirements of this Section.
Full Breakdown
05, 'Outdoor Storage, Trash Collection and Loading Areas,' applies in every Nonresidential and Multi-Family Residential zoning district in unincorporated Mesa County. 2 sets the placement rule for dumpsters and compaction equipment: these areas belong in the rear of the lot, and only move to the side yard if a rear-yard location is not feasible, but in no case may they sit within twenty feet of a public street, a public sidewalk, or an internal pedestrian walkway. 7 backs that placement rule up with a design mandate: every development, including multi-family housing, must provide a designated trash collection area that meets the section's requirements, so a project cannot simply scatter dumpsters around a site plan without a reviewed, designated location. 3. Single-family residential lots are outside this section's reach; it governs commercial, retail and multi-family sites only.
Violations & Fines
Community Development approves the designated trash collection area location on the site plan before permitting, and Code Compliance Services can cite a completed project that places dumpsters closer than twenty feet to a public street or sidewalk, or that never designated a compliant trash collection area, requiring the enclosure to be relocated or screened to bring the site into compliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far must a dumpster be from the street in unincorporated Mesa County?
Can a dumpster go in the front yard of a Mesa County business?
Does every commercial development in Mesa County need a designated dumpster area?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Mesa County
Compare Mesa County to another location·View the Colorado trash & recycling overview
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