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

13 regulates dumpster placement for any commercial or multifamily property in unincorporated Gwinnett County across five subsections. Subsection A sets location: dumpsters, including the enclosure itself, have to sit in a rear or side yard and are flatly barred from front yards, and the whole structure must be set back at least 5 feet from property lines and any required buffer. Subsection B requires a concrete pad under every dumpster sized to carry the weight of a garbage truck, with a minimum pad size of 10 feet wide by 30 feet long, larger than a single parking space, to keep the collection vehicle's wheels off unreinforced pavement.

Subsection C is the screening rule: any dumpster not stored inside a building must be surrounded by an opaque enclosure at least 6 feet tall, with access through an opaque metal gate, and the enclosure itself has to be built of brick or masonry rather than wood fencing or chain link. Subsection D bars connecting a dumpster to the sanitary sewer or stormwater system and requires every dumpster to have a lid, both aimed at keeping grease, trash liquid, and debris out of the drainage network.

Subsection E carves out a narrower standard for construction: a temporary dumpster used for construction material and debris is exempt from the screening enclosure requirement, but only for 30 days or for as long as an active building permit covers the site; once that window closes, a permanent commercial dumpster on the same property has to meet the full pad, setback, and enclosure standards.