McHenry County, IL Trash & Recycling: Dumpster Rules (2026)

030(F)(1). The enclosure wall must be an opaque masonry wall of stone, stucco or brick, or a wall matching the principal structure, at least six feet in height, or a solid fence of the same height, and the enclosure itself must be gated so the dumpster cannot be viewed or accessed without opening the gate. The materials used for screening, including the enclosure itself, must complement the architecture of the principal structure rather than being a generic stockade fence, and a property owner may extend an existing exterior wall of the principal building to serve as one of the three screening walls, provided that wall still meets the six-foot minimum and matches the building's materials; that extended wall, however, cannot double as the gated opening.

030(B) limits the whole screening requirement to commercial, office, and industrial zoning districts: agricultural and residential uses are expressly exempt and never have to build a dumpster enclosure. 030(C): no occupancy permit is issued for a covered use until the required screening is in place, and if weather delays installation, the owner can post a letter of credit or cash to secure the work and still get occupancy. All landscape and screening elements, including the enclosure, remain subject to periodic inspection and must be kept in good repair by the property owner for the life of the development.