Most cities that require dumpster enclosures spell out what they must look like: how big the inside is, how tall the walls are, how wide the gates open, how thick the pad is and how much room the truck needs in front. Those rules decide most of the cost, so read them before you price the walls. This guide compares three published city standards, then prices enclosures by wall type, bin size and bin count with the EstiCube dumpster enclosure calculator.
The three cities are examples, not national rules, and your city's standard may differ from all of them. The prices are national planning numbers from the calculator, not a quote.
What three city standards require
The table compares New Braunfels, Texas (Sec. 110-58, revised 2018), the City of Lake Wales, Florida's dumpster enclosure design standards (revised 2016) and the City of Boise, Idaho's 2026 Solid Waste Design Standards. A dash means the document does not address the item, not that anything goes.
| Requirement | New Braunfels, TX | Lake Wales, FL | Boise, ID |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interior, one bin | 10 ft deep by 12 ft wide for one 3, 4, 6 or 8 yd dumpster | Walls 11 ft long per side | 16 by 12 ft for one 3, 6 or 8 yd dumpster plus a grease container or up to two 95-gallon carts |
| Interior, two bins | 10 by 24 ft | - | 18 by 12 ft |
| Screen height | At least 7 ft | 6 ft | 6 ft fence or wall, plus a gate |
| Screen materials | Stone, masonry block, wood, or chain link with slats | Block, wood, PVC or chain link | Fence or wall |
| Gates | Required where the opening is in view of the public right-of-way; at least 12 ft wide when open and no narrower than the opening, swing 180 degrees, lock in the open position | At least an 11 ft opening, swinging outward at least 180 degrees | Open at least 120 degrees, with a mechanism to hold them open |
| Pad and apron | 6 in concrete with number 4 bars at 18 in centers for pads and aprons | 6 in concrete pad with number 4 rebar at 24 in centers each way | Reinforced concrete pad with apron, at least 4 in thick |
| Bollards | Not inside the minimum interior dimensions | 6 in steel, number 5 rebar in the center, filled with concrete | Optional; inside the enclosure at least 9 ft back from the gate opening |
| Siting and truck access | Not within 30 ft of a storm drain or in drainage flow areas; access 20 ft wide, 65 ft long and 16 ft high | Landscaping required | 50 ft of unobstructed access in front; 25 ft vertical clearance above and 30 ft in front; no more than 4% slope in the 40 ft in front |
| Permit or plan | Building Department permit with a scaled plat | - | Site submittal with a detailed enclosure drawing |
What the standards mean for the build
Size comes first, because it sets the length of wall, the width of the gates and the area of the pad. New Braunfels sizes every 3 to 8 yd dumpster the same, 10 by 12 ft inside, and adds 12 ft of width for each extra bin. Boise's single enclosure is larger at 16 by 12 ft because it also holds a grease container or carts, with a 16 ft gate opening in its diagram. Lake Wales sets 11 ft walls.
The calculator follows New Braunfels: 12 by 10 ft inside for one 3, 4, 6 or 8 yd bin, 12 ft more width for each extra bin, and a smaller 10 by 8 ft interior for a 2 yd bin, which none of the three standards covers. The gates span the full front, the walls run along the back and both sides, and the pad covers the interior plus the apron. If your city asks for a Boise-style enclosure with room for carts or a grease container, the calculator's interior is too small, so price the larger walls and pad from a contractor quote.
Height and pad are the next two choices. The calculator offers 6 and 8 ft walls, so choose 8 ft where a 7 ft screen is required, as in New Braunfels. It offers a 6 or 8 in reinforced pad, which meets the 6 in of New Braunfels and Lake Wales and Boise's 4 in minimum. None of the three documents sets a single apron length, so the calculator's 10 ft default is an assumption; ask your hauler.
The siting rules can be harder to meet than the enclosure itself. Boise's 50 ft of straight access and New Braunfels' 65 ft access area take up parking and drive aisle, and New Braunfels keeps enclosures 30 ft from storm drains. Settle the location on the site plan before you price anything.
Cost by wall type and height
Wall type is the biggest cost choice. The table prices one 4 yd bin with steel gates, a 6 in pad with a 10 ft apron, 2 bollards and a permit, changing only the wall and its height. CMU block is priced at $40 per square foot of wall face, metal panels at $16, wood board-on-board at $10 and chain link with privacy slats at $7. The default enclosure has 32 ft of wall, 192 sq ft at 6 ft or 256 sq ft at 8 ft.
The other lines stay the same in every row: $2,100 of gates for the 12 ft opening, $2,880 for the 240 sq ft pad and apron, $820 for 2 bollards, $250 for the permit and $750 of mobilization. An 8 in pad instead of 6 in adds $720, and with 8 ft CMU walls the total becomes $17,760.
| Wall (one 4 yd bin) | 6 ft walls | 8 ft walls |
|---|---|---|
| CMU block | $14,480 | $17,040 |
| Metal panels | $9,872 | $10,896 |
| Wood board-on-board | $8,720 | $9,360 |
| Chain link with privacy slats | $8,144 | $8,592 |
Cost by bin size and number of bins
Because the calculator uses one interior for 3 to 8 yd bins, those sizes cost the same, and only a 2 yd bin comes in lower. Each added bin adds 12 ft of back wall, 12 ft of gate and 240 sq ft of pad and apron, but the side walls, bollards, permit and mobilization are shared, so the cost per bin falls.
Apron length and bollards are the smaller levers. On the default CMU enclosure, no apron gives $13,040 and a 20 ft apron $15,920; no bollards gives $13,660 and 4 bollards $15,300.
| Bins (6 ft walls) | Interior | CMU block | Chain link with slats |
|---|---|---|---|
| One 2 yd | 10 by 8 ft | $11,970 | $6,822 |
| One 3, 4, 6 or 8 yd | 12 by 10 ft | $14,480 | $8,144 |
| Two 3 to 8 yd | 24 by 10 ft | $22,340 ($11,170 per bin) | $13,628 ($6,814 per bin) |
| Three 3 to 8 yd | 36 by 10 ft | $30,200 ($10,067 per bin) | $19,112 ($6,371 per bin) |
| Four 3 to 8 yd | 48 by 10 ft | $38,060 ($9,515 per bin) | $24,596 ($6,149 per bin) |
How one city estimated the cost
The City of Opa-locka, Florida published an impact statement for an ordinance requiring dumpster enclosures at multi-family residences. It is one city's estimate, and it gives these ranges for building an enclosure: $1,550 to $2,350 for a 2 yd dumpster, $2,575 to $3,700 for 4 yd, $3,950 to $5,850 for 6 yd, $6,050 to $8,880 for 8 yd and $9,050 to $15,000 for 16 yd. The statement does not say what the figures include, such as walls, gates, a pad, bollards or a permit, or what size the enclosures are.
The calculator's default is well above that range, and it is not known what Opa-locka's figures include. The calculator's closest match is the walls and gates of a chain link enclosure with no pad, bollards, permit or mobilization: $2,842 for a 2 yd bin, a little above Opa-locka's 2 yd range, and $3,444 for a 3 to 8 yd bin, inside its 4 yd range. The same walls and gates in CMU are $7,990 and $9,780. Opa-locka's figures also rise with every bin size, while the calculator keeps one interior for 3 to 8 yd bins, as New Braunfels does. Use the city figure as a sense of scale, not as a price to match.
Run your numbers with the Dumpster Enclosure Cost Calculator
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Open the Dumpster enclosure calculatorFrequently asked questions
What are standard dumpster enclosure dimensions?
There is no national standard. New Braunfels, Texas requires 10 ft deep by 12 ft wide inside for one 3, 4, 6 or 8 yd dumpster and 10 by 24 ft for two. Lake Wales, Florida asks for 11 ft walls per side, and Boise, Idaho for 16 by 12 ft for one dumpster plus a grease container or two carts. Check your city's standard.
How tall does a dumpster enclosure wall need to be?
Lake Wales, Florida and Boise, Idaho ask for 6 ft, and New Braunfels, Texas for a screen at least 7 ft high. In the calculator, raising a one-bin CMU enclosure from 6 to 8 ft takes it from $14,480 to $17,040.
How wide do dumpster enclosure gates need to be?
New Braunfels, Texas requires gates at least 12 ft wide when open that swing 180 degrees and lock open. Lake Wales, Florida asks for at least an 11 ft opening swinging outward at least 180 degrees, and Boise, Idaho for gates that open at least 120 degrees with a hold-open mechanism. The calculator prices steel gates at $175 per foot of opening, $2,100 for 12 ft.
Does a dumpster enclosure need a concrete pad?
All three city standards compared here require one. New Braunfels, Texas and Lake Wales, Florida require 6 in of reinforced concrete, and Boise, Idaho at least 4 in with an apron. The calculator prices a 6 in pad and 10 ft apron for one bin, 240 sq ft, at $2,880, or $3,600 at 8 in.
How much does a dumpster enclosure cost?
In the EstiCube calculator, one 4 yd bin with 6 ft CMU walls, steel gates, a 6 in pad with a 10 ft apron, 2 bollards and a permit comes to $14,480. Wood walls bring it to $8,720 and chain link with slats to $8,144. Two bins in CMU cost $22,340.
Where do bollards go in a dumpster enclosure?
Boise, Idaho allows bollards inside the enclosure to protect the back wall if they are at least 9 ft back from the gate opening, and New Braunfels, Texas says they may not sit inside the minimum interior dimensions. Lake Wales, Florida specifies 6 in steel bollards filled with concrete. The calculator prices 2 at $410 each.
Sources
- Sec. 110-58. Container pads and enclosures for commercial containers (interior size, screen, gates, pads, siting) — City of New Braunfels, Texas
- Dumpster Enclosure Design Standards (walls, gate, pad and bollards) — City of Lake Wales, Florida
- Solid Waste Design Standards 2026 (enclosure sizes, gates, pad, bollards, truck access) — City of Boise, Idaho
- Impact Statement: Legislation Requiring Dumpster Enclosures for Multi-Family Residences (cost estimates by dumpster size) — City of Opa-locka, Florida
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