How much does a commercial dumpster enclosure cost?
Complete single CMU (concrete block) enclosures bid at $20,000–30,000 in 2025 public bids. Typical installed cost for an 8 ft Alpine Citadel enclosure, excluding slab and site work, is $15,000–20,000 for a single and $21,000–30,000 for a double, including the engineering package for standard sizes. Program pricing for multi-site rollouts is available on request.
| Benchmark | Figure | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| 8 in grouted, reinforced CMU wall, installed | $18–24/SF national; $14–32/SF regional | Terrapin Construction Group, May 2026, citing RSMeans |
| Complete single enclosure, public bids | $20,000–30,000 | Utica Community Schools MI, Apr 2025 (three bids: $20,000 / $25,170 / $30,000); Town of Gardnerville NV, Jun 2025 ($27,000) |
| CMU walls only, inside that Gardnerville bid | $9,850 | Town of Gardnerville NV, Jun 2025 |
| 12 ft steel gate pair on a CMU enclosure | $4,000–8,000 installed | American Welding, fabricator pricing, 2026 |
| Alpine Citadel single, 8 ft, installed | $15,000–20,000 | Alpine Enclosure Systems, 2026; excludes slab and site work; includes the engineering package for standard sizes |
| Alpine Citadel double, 8 ft, installed | $21,000–30,000 | Alpine Enclosure Systems, 2026; excludes slab and site work; includes the engineering package for standard sizes |
Ranges are typical, not quotations. Your price depends on the site.
What does a CMU block dumpster enclosure cost?
Start with the wall rate, then add everything that isn't wall. At $18–24/SF, the roughly 340 SF of 8 ft wall in a 12 × 12 ft single enclosure costs about $6,100–8,200 before anything else (Alpine calculation from the Terrapin May 2026 rate). A continuous wall footing, a steel gate pair, any stucco or split-face finish and the general contractor's markup come on top.
Public bids show where that lands. In June 2025, the Town of Gardnerville NV bid a complete two-yard enclosure, with its site concrete, asphalt and curb, at $27,000; the CMU walls were $9,850 of it, about 36%. In April 2025, three bidders priced a dumpster enclosure for Utica Community Schools MI at $20,000, $25,170 and $30,000.
What a CMU enclosure includes, trade by trade:
- Concrete: continuous wall footing, plus the pad and apron.
- Masonry: block, reinforcing, grout and cap; cure time before the gates go on.
- Gates: a separate fabricator, typically $4,000–8,000 installed for a 12 ft pair.
- Finish: stucco, paint or split-face block if the building calls for it.
- General contractor: coordination and markup.
What does a structural steel dumpster enclosure cost?
Typical installed cost for an 8 ft Alpine Citadel enclosure, excluding slab and site work, is $15,000–20,000 for a single and $21,000–30,000 for a double, including the engineering package for standard sizes. Program pricing for multi-site rollouts is available on request. Enclosures 6 and 7 ft high cost less than the 8 ft ranges shown.
| Included in the typical installed range | Not included |
|---|---|
| Structural steel posts, captive steel slats and base plates | The concrete slab, pad and apron |
| Engineered 12 ft clear gates, 8 in round gate posts and hardware | Site work and site concrete |
| Anchors | Bollards (optional) |
| Delivery of one kit per enclosure, tagged by bay | Permits |
| Installation by Alpine, typically 1–2 days on a prepared slab | Non-standard engineering (custom heights, high wind, Exposure D, embedded posts, roofs), quoted per project |
| Engineering package for standard sizes: layout, bay schedule and sealed calculations | — |
Prefer your own contractor? Alpine also supplies kits for your contractor to install, with the installation guide and phone support. Supply-only kits are quoted per project.
The ranges reflect the standard trash & recycling enclosure sizes: a single with 13 ft 6 in × 12 ft 2 in inside and a double with 26 ft 2 in × 12 ft 2 in inside. See dumpster enclosure dimensions.
Is steel cheaper than CMU for a dumpster enclosure?
For a single enclosure, Alpine's typical installed range ($15,000–20,000) sits at or below the 2025 public bids for complete CMU enclosures ($20,000–30,000), before counting schedule. For a double, the first-cost difference is smaller, and the case for steel rests on schedule, trades and footing rather than price. Either way, compare complete scopes.
| Alpine Citadel | CMU block enclosure | |
|---|---|---|
| Single, installed | $15,000–20,000 (8 ft, excluding slab and site work; engineering package included for standard sizes) | $20,000–30,000 complete (2025 public bids) |
| Double, installed | $21,000–30,000 (8 ft, excluding slab and site work; engineering package included for standard sizes) | No verified public bid; build up walls, two gate pairs ($8,000–16,000), footing and finish |
| Gates | Engineered steel gates on 8 in round posts, included | Separate steel gate pair, $4,000–8,000 installed |
| Footing | Base plates on the slab; no continuous wall footing | Continuous wall footing |
| Trades on site | One install crew | Concrete, mason, gate fabricator |
| Time on site | Typically 1–2 days on a prepared slab | Footing, block, grout, cap and cure, then gates |
The full comparison, including approvals, is on the CMU alternative page.
What drives the cost of a steel enclosure?
- Height: 6 and 7 ft enclosures cost less than 8 ft; custom heights to 10 ft cost more.
- Size and layout: perimeter length, number of bays, angles, notches and interior partitions.
- Gates: number and width; 12 ft and 16 ft clear gates are standard, 20 ft clear gates are custom.
- Site engineering: wind speed, exposure, risk category and anchor type set post and anchor sizes.
- Options: covered or steel-roofed enclosures, bollards, pedestrian gates, spaced slats or perforated panels, full hot-dip galvanized posts.
- Volume: program pricing for multi-site rollouts.
Why does schedule matter to cost?
Time on site is money for the general contractor and downtime for the business. A CMU enclosure runs through footing, block, grout, cap and cure before the gates can go on, and cold weather adds steps: below 40 °F, grouted masonry must be protected for 48 hours (CMHA TEK 03-01C, 2023). An Alpine Citadel enclosure installs in typically 1–2 days on a prepared slab with one crew.
How do I compare two enclosure quotes?
Put both quotes on the same scope before comparing totals. Line them up item by item:
- Walls: material, height and finish, including any stucco or split-face.
- Foundation: continuous wall footing, or base plates on the slab; who designs and pours it.
- Gates: clear width, number, gate posts and hardware (latch, cane bolts, hold-opens).
- Engineering: sealed calculations for your site's wind speed and exposure, if the permit needs them (included in Alpine's price for standard sizes).
- Installation: crew, days on site and who hangs the gates.
- Exclusions: slab, apron, bollards, permits and site work.
A quote that leaves out gates, footing or engineering will look cheaper than it is.
How do I get an accurate price?
Send the site plan or prototype detail, the site address and the hauler's requirements. Alpine returns a layout, bay schedule and engineering package in under one week, engineered to ASCE 7-22 for the site, with sealed calculations available in all 50 states. Alpine custom fabricates any enclosure design (custom fabrication), so the quote is for your layout, not a catalog size. For many sites, see national programs.
Sources shown on page
- Terrapin Construction Group, "CMU block wall construction cost per square foot, 2026" (2026-05-05, citing RSMeans) — terrapincg.com/news/cmu-block-wall-construction-cost-per-square-foot-2026
- Utica Community Schools MI, bid tabulation (2025-04-01) — aewinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0209-2825-Bid-Tab.pdf
- Town of Gardnerville NV, site improvements bid handout (2025-06-23) — townofgardnerville.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Item-10-handout.pdf
- American Welding, "How much does a dumpster enclosure gate cost" (2026) — americanwelding.us
- CMHA TEK 03-01C, cold-weather masonry construction (2023)
Cost ranges are typical, not quotations. Alpine Enclosure Systems is a division of Alpine International Trading Co.