North Charleston, SC Trash & Recycling: Dumpster Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Unit limit
- One dumpster, one toilet per parcel
- New construction limit
- 270 days within 364-day period
- Repair/remodel limit
- 90 days within 364-day period
- Waiver
- One extra 90-day hardship waiver
- Citation
- City Code § 9-67(7)
Summary
In single-family residential areas, North Charleston limits construction dumpsters and portable toilets to one each per parcel, capping how long they can sit before code enforcement calls it a nuisance.
(7)Construction related dumpsters, portable toilets, and other externally visible items that are present in single family residential areas in excessive numbers or for excessive amounts of time:(a)The presence of more than one dumpster and one portable toilet on a parcel shall constitute a nuisance in single family residential settings;(b)Time limits:(i)New construction—The presence of such items for more than two hundred and seventy (270) days in a rolling three hundred and sixty-four (364) day period shall constitute a nuisance.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 75).
Full Breakdown
Section 9-67(7) of the nuisance ordinance caps construction-related dumpsters and portable toilets in single-family residential settings at one of each per parcel; more than that is automatically a nuisance. Time limits also apply: new construction can keep such items for up to 270 days within a rolling 364-day period, while repair or remodeling projects are capped at 90 days in the same rolling year. The director of code enforcement may grant one additional 90-day administrative waiver for documented hardship such as storm or fire damage, with further extensions decided by the public safety and housing committee as variances.
Violations & Fines
More than one dumpster or portable toilet, or keeping them past the 270-day (new construction) or 90-day (repair) rolling-year limit, is a declared nuisance and a misdemeanor under the city's abatement process.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many dumpsters can I keep on a residential lot during construction?
How long can a dumpster stay on-site?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in North Charleston
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Dumpster Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Charleston County handle dumpster rules.