How big should a dumpster enclosure be?
For one front-load dumpster, plan at least 10 × 10 ft to 12 × 11 ft inside; for two, 18–24 ft of inside width. Add a 12 ft clear gate per container, 6 in of concrete pad and apron, 22–25 ft of overhead clearance and 40–65 ft of straight truck approach (hauler and city standards, checked 2026-09-29).
Alpine Citadel's standard 8 ft single measures 13 ft 6 in × 12 ft 2 in inside, with one 12 ft clear gate.
How big are commercial dumpsters?
A front-load dumpster is about 78–81 in wide in every size. Depth and height grow with capacity: an 8-yard unit is about 80 in wide, 71 in deep and 88 in tall at the peak. Dimensions vary by manufacturer, so confirm with your hauler.
| Size | Width × depth × height (in) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1.5 yd | 78 × 35 × 46 | Seattle Public Utilities |
| 2 yd | 78 × 44 × 48 | Seattle Public Utilities |
| 3 yd | 80 × 43 × 48 front / 57 rear | Seattle Public Utilities |
| 4 yd | 80 × 54 × 53 front / 63 rear | Seattle Public Utilities |
| 6 yd | 80 × 66 × 50 front / 72 peak | Seattle Public Utilities |
| 8 yd | 80 × 71 × 58 front / 88 peak | Seattle Public Utilities |
| 95/96-gal cart | 28.7 × 28.7 × 45.1 (Escondido) to 29.75 × 35.75 × 43.25 (Lee County FL) | City guidelines |
| 20 / 30 / 40 yd compactor | 14 × 8 × 6 / 20 × 8 × 7 / 22 × 8 × 7.5 ft (L × W × H) | Union City CA (Apr 2024) |
Union City CA notes that front-load bins over 4 yd have no wheels, so they need direct truck access.
What are the minimum inside dimensions?
Hauler and city minimums for a single front-load enclosure run from 10 × 10 ft to 12 × 11 ft; doubles run 18 to 24 ft wide inside (WM's double pad is 25 ft wide). Measure inside any bollards, as Tucson requires.
| Configuration | Minimum inside (W × D) | Source (checked 2026-09-29) |
|---|---|---|
| Single | 12 × 11 ft; 7 ft wall | Republic Services Site Design Standards (Jan 2024) |
| Single | 11 × 10 ft; pad 12 ft 6 in × 20 ft 6 in; wall ≥8 ft | WM Pacific NW "Container Enclosures" |
| Single | 10 × 10 ft per container, inside bollards | Tucson UDC Tech. Std. 8-01.5.2.C |
| Single, 3–8 yd | 12 × 10 ft | New Braunfels TX §110-58 |
| Single + grease bin or 2 carts | 16 × 12 ft | Boise PW Design Standards (Dec 2022) |
| Multi-stream standard | 18 × 10 ft | Union City CA (Apr 2024) |
| Double | 23 × 11 ft | Republic Services |
| Double | 25 ft pad width (two 11 ft bays) | WM Pacific NW |
| Double | 24 × 10 ft | New Braunfels TX |
| Double | 18 × 12 ft; 18 × 16 ft with 4 carts | Boise PW |
| Triple | 36 × 10 ft (New Braunfels); 27 × 12 or 30 × 12 ft (Boise) | As listed |
| Roll-off compactor | 12 × 24 ft, 8 ft wall, 12 ft entrance (Republic); 16 × 29 ft (New Braunfels) | As listed |
How much clearance goes around the container?
Leave space to roll containers out without hitting the walls. Standards call for 6 in to 2.5 ft at the sides, about 2 ft at the rear and 2–3 ft between containers.
| Clearance | Values | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Container to side wall | 2.5 ft; 2 ft 3 in; 1 ft; 6 in | Republic; WM; Union City; Escondido |
| Container to rear wall | 2 ft; 2 ft 3 in | Republic; WM |
| Between containers | 2.5 ft; 2 ft; 3 ft when facing | Republic; Ventura; Union City |
| Walls over 5 ft (Phoenix residential enclosures) | +12 in rear clearance per extra foot of wall, capped at 6 ft | Phoenix City Code 27-19 |
What are Alpine's standard enclosure sizes?
Alpine Citadel comes in three standard 8 ft plans, and the 6 and 7 ft versions use the same plan. Each exceeds the Republic and WM minimum inside dimensions above. Overall dimensions are met within ±1 in, and Alpine custom fabricates any enclosure design when a standard size doesn't fit.
| Alpine size | Inside (W × D) | Outside footprint | Gates | Holds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single | 13 ft 6 in × 12 ft 2 in (162 × 146 in) | 14 ft 2 in × 13 ft 2 in (170 × 158 in) | one 12 ft clear | 1 container |
| Single, wide | 16 ft 8 in × 12 ft 2 in (200 × 146 in) | 17 ft 4 in × 13 ft 2 in (208 × 158 in) | one 12 ft clear | 1 container + carts |
| Double | 26 ft 2 in × 12 ft 2 in (314 × 146 in) | 26 ft 10 in × 13 ft 2 in (322 × 158 in) | two 12 ft clear, shared center post | 2 containers |
Where a jurisdiction prohibits center posts, a double with one wide opening is a custom design. See trash & recycling enclosures.
How wide is the gate opening, and how far do the gates swing?
Plan 12 ft of clear opening per container; Republic nets 11.5 ft after gates and posts. Gates must swing 110°–120° in most standards and 180° in some (New Braunfels TX), so keep the area in front of the enclosure clear for the leaves. Hold-open sockets are typically ¾ in × 1½ in deep, two per leaf (WM). See enclosure gates.
How big should the pad and apron be?
Pads and aprons are commonly 6 in of reinforced concrete, sloped to drain, and rated for the truck. The apron is the slab in front of the gates where the truck stops to service the containers.
| Item | Requirement | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Apron (Albuquerque) | 6 in, 4,000 psi, 6×6-10/10 WWM, rated 57,000 lb | Albuquerque SWMD |
| Apron (Tucson) | 6 in, 3,000 psi, #4 @ 12 in each way; 2% slope away | Tucson UDC 8-01 |
| Apron (Lee County FL) | 8 ft × enclosure width; 20,000 lb axle | Lee County FL Solid Waste |
| Apron (Escondido) | At least 10 × 10 ft, rated for a 20-ton load | Escondido Guidelines (rev 6/2019) |
| Pad (WM) | 10,000 lb single-wheel load; 6 in six-sack concrete or 8 in asphalt | WM Pacific NW |
| Pad slope (Republic) | 0.5–1.0% | Republic Services |
For an Alpine Citadel enclosure on the standard basis, the slab is f′c ≥ 4,000 psi concrete, thickened to 12 in at posts and to 30 × 30 × 12 in at gate posts. The project engineer designs the slab; Alpine provides the base-plate and slab requirements. See engineering.
How much room does the garbage truck need?
Plan 22–25 ft of clear overhead at the service point and 40–65 ft of straight approach.
| Item | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Overhead | 24 ft over a 50 × 13 ft zone (WM); 24 ft (Republic); 25 ft (Tucson, Boise); 22 ft required, 25 ft recommended (Lee County FL) | As listed |
| Straight approach | 40 ft (WM); 50 ft (Boise, Union City); 65 ft truck access (Lee County FL) | As listed |
| Turning | 36 ft inside rear / 50 ft outside front (Tucson); front-load truck 46 ft radius (Lee County FL) | As listed |
| Maximum back-up | 80 ft (Tucson); 50 ft (Escondido) | As listed |
Where do bollards go?
Inside the enclosure, behind the containers, to keep them off the back wall. Republic asks for two per container, 1 ft off the back wall, 4 ft off the sides and 5 ft high; WM details 6 in concrete-filled pipe, 3 ft embedded and 4 ft exposed. Bollards are an Alpine Citadel option.
How do I size an enclosure, step by step?
- List the containers and carts for every waste stream (trash, recycling, grease, compost).
- Get the hauler's standard for gate width, overhead and approach.
- Add clearances around each container (sides, rear, between).
- Add a 12 ft clear gate per container and the gate swing zone.
- Check the city's height, materials, opacity and roof rules (requirements guide).
- Lay out the pad, apron and truck approach.
- Send the plan to Alpine for a layout, bay schedule and engineering package in under one week.
Sources shown on page
Seattle Public Utilities, Dumpster Dimensions · Escondido Dumpster Enclosure Guidelines (rev 6/2019) · Lee County FL Solid Waste Best Design Practices · Union City CA Enclosure Guidelines (Apr 2024) · Republic Services Site Design Standards (2024-01-11) · WM Pacific NW "Container Enclosures" · Tucson UDC Tech. Std. 8-01 · New Braunfels TX §110-58 · Boise PW Solid Waste Design Standards (Dec 2022) · Ventura ES-04 · Phoenix City Code 27-19 · Albuquerque SWMD enclosure specifications.