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

Spalding County Zoning Ordinance Section 406 requires screening of 'any service area, loading area, refuse, or storage area' that sits between a principal building and a public street, is visible from that street, and lies within one hundred feet of the right-of-way, whenever the property is zoned commercial or manufacturing (C-1, C-1A, C-1B, C-1C or C-2). That screening standard is defined in Section 407: a durable masonry wall, or a fence combined with a hedge dense enough to form a visual blind compatible with neighboring properties.

The barrier must stand at least six feet tall and no more than eight feet, measured along the common lot line. If a hedge is used with the fence, it must add at least three feet of plantings capable of reaching six feet within two years of planting. Applicants secure the requirement financially: when applying for the building permit, the owner posts a performance bond covering the installation cost and grants Spalding County a recorded easement allowing county crews to enter and complete the screening if the bond is forfeited.

The administrative officer determines whether the completed screening meets the standard, and that decision can be appealed to the board of appeals. Once the screening is installed to the administrative officer's satisfaction within the two-year bond period, the county releases the bond and executes a quitclaim revoking the easement. This screening duty is separate from the dumpster and refuse-area screening required inside overlay districts such as the North Expressway Improvement District, where Section 2211D additionally requires masonry enclosures with self-closing gates around dumpsters in planned commercial developments along U.S. Highway 19/41.