Stockton, CA Trash & Recycling: Dumpster Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Single-unit/duplex/triplex area
- 8.5 ft x 6.5 ft minimum
- 4-6 unit multi-family
- 24 sq ft total (refuse+recycling)
- Setback from doors/windows
- 20 ft minimum
- Multi-unit access distance
- Within 250 ft of a doorway
- Screening
- Masonry walls, 3+ sides
Summary
Stockton requires refuse and recycling storage areas sized by unit count or building square footage, screened on at least three sides with masonry walls, and kept out of front yards, street-side yards, parking spaces and within 20 feet of neighboring doors or windows.
§ 16.36.130. Solid waste/recyclable materials storage. This section provides standards for the provision of solid waste (refuse) and recyclable material storage areas in compliance with State law (California Solid Waste Reuse and Recycling Access Act, Public Resources Code Sections 42900 through 42911) and Chapter 8.04 of the Municipal Code... A. Residential Projects. 1. Single-Unit, Duplexes, and Triplexes. Single-unit, duplexes, and triplexes shall be provided a refuse and recyclable materials storage area that is at least eight and one-half (8.5) feet wide by six and one-half (6.5) feet deep and not visible from the public right-of-way... C. Location Requirements... 5. Storage areas shall not be closer than 20 feet from doors or operable windows of adjacent structures.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4970744; v11 updated 2026-07-07).
Full Breakdown
04. 5 feet deep, kept out of view from the public right-of-way. Multi-unit projects with four or more units scale up under Table 3-2, from 24 total square feet for 4-6 units to 768 square feet for 176-200 units, with every additional 25 dwellings adding 100 more square feet split between refuse and recycling. Nonresidential buildings scale under Table 3-3, from 24 square feet for buildings up to 5,000 square feet to 384 square feet for 75,001-100,000 square feet, with every additional 25,000 square feet adding 96 more square feet.
Location rules under subsection C bar storage areas from required front yards, street-side yards, parking spaces and landscaped or open-space areas; multi-unit storage must sit within 250 feet of an access doorway, driveways must give collection vehicles unobstructed clearance, and storage areas cannot sit closer than 20 feet to a door or operable window on an adjacent structure. Design standards under subsection D require a concrete pad and apron inside the fenced or walled enclosure, ADA accessibility, and screening from view on at least three sides using solid masonry walls, metal gates and landscaping, with overhead trellises where needed, all subject to Director approval. Waste bins also cannot occupy required parking spaces or intrude into required access driveways.
Violations & Fines
Placing a dumpster or trash enclosure in a required front or street-side yard, in a parking space, or within 20 feet of a neighboring door or window, or building an enclosure without the required screening and concrete pad, is a Development Code violation subject to City code enforcement and can be ordered relocated, screened or reconstructed to comply.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can a dumpster be placed on a Stockton commercial property?
Does a Stockton trash enclosure need to be screened?
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Stockton
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