Temple, TX Trash & Recycling: Dumpster Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Citation
- UDC Sec. 7.7.7, Refuse Containers
- Location required
- Rear or side service area, or alley
- Screening trigger
- Within 50 ft of curb or visible from street
- Fence requirement
- Solid wood or masonry, 1 ft taller
- Applies to
- All uses except single- and two-family homes
Summary
Temple requires refuse container storage areas for commercial and multi-family properties to sit in a rear or side service area and be screened by a solid fence when visible from a public street.
A. Refuse container storage areas must be located in a rear or side service area, or alley where available, for all uses other than single-family and two-family dwellings. B. A solid wood or masonry fence must screen from public view refuse container storage areas located within 50 feet of the curb line of a public street or visible from the public street. Such fence must be at least one foot higher than the refuse container on all sides except the side used for servicing the container.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Reformat).
Full Breakdown
Temple's Unified Development Code puts dumpster and roll-off placement under Sec. 7.7.7, Refuse Containers. Storage areas for any use other than single-family or two-family homes must sit in a rear or side service area, or an alley where one exists. If the enclosure sits within 50 feet of a public street's curb line, or is otherwise visible from the street, a solid wood or masonry fence must screen it, built at least a foot taller than the container on every side but the one used to service it. Layout also has to leave the collection truck room to maneuver without backing into traffic.
Violations & Fines
Enclosures that are unscreened, undersized, or block collection-truck access are a Unified Development Code violation, enforceable through Temple's standard code enforcement and site-plan review process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my Temple business need to screen its dumpster?
Where can a commercial dumpster be placed?
Do single-family homes need to screen their trash cans?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Temple
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Temple to another location·View the Texas trash & recycling overview
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Dumpster Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Bell County handle dumpster rules.