Midland, TX Trash & Recycling: Dumpster Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Wall height
- 1 ft above container, max 8 ft
- Screening sides
- Screened on three sides
- Wall material
- Masonry wall required
- Location rule
- Behind building line, outside landscaping
- Applies to
- Nonresidential and multifamily development
Summary
Midland's zoning code requires nonresidential and multifamily dumpsters to be screened on three sides by an eight-foot masonry wall and placed behind the building line, not in required landscaping.
Refuse containers, trash dumpsters/containers, trash compactors, box compactors, and other similar containers shall be screened on three sides with a masonry screening wall that shall be constructed to a minimum height of one foot above the container height, but shall not exceed eight feet in height... (a) Only be allowed as an incidental use; and (b) Only be allowed when located behind the building line established by the structure and not within any required landscaped area.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 1 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Section 11-1-6.01(G) of Midland's zoning ordinance treats trash dumpsters, compactors and similar refuse containers as an accessory use: they must sit behind the building's front line and outside any required landscaped area, and be screened on three sides by a masonry wall built at least one foot taller than the container, capped at eight feet. The standard applies to nonresidential, single-family attached, and multifamily development citywide, and is enforced through the City's site plan review process rather than the solid waste division.
Violations & Fines
Placing or leaving a commercial dumpster unscreened, in a required landscaped area, or in front of the building line violates the zoning site plan standards enforced by the City's development services department.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Midland require a wall around commercial dumpsters?
Can a dumpster sit in a landscaped area in Midland?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Midland
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Midland to another location·View the Texas trash & recycling overview
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