Do You Need a Permit for a Dumpster in Lakeland or Polk County?

You do not need a permit to place a roll-off dumpster on your own driveway or private property anywhere in Polk County. You do need one if the container will sit on a public street, sidewalk or right-of-way. Inside the City of Lakeland that is a Non-Utility Right of Way Permit from Public Works Engineering (863-834-8437); other cities and unincorporated Polk County have their own right-of-way process. The simplest answer is to put it on the driveway.

Private property: no permit

Driveways, side yards, front lawns, job sites and private parking lots are yours to use. The only approvals that might apply are private ones: an HOA that limits how long a container can be visible, or a landlord's consent on a rental. Ask the HOA in writing before delivery; most allow a container for a defined window with notice.

Public right-of-way: permit required

The right-of-way is the strip that includes the street, curb, sidewalk and usually a few feet of grass beyond the sidewalk. If any part of the container is on it, the local government wants a permit so they know who is responsible, that traffic and pedestrians are protected, and that it will be removed on time.

City of Lakeland

Lakeland issues a Non-Utility Right of Way Permit through the Public Works Department, Engineering Division, 228 South Massachusetts Avenue, Lakeland, FL 33801. Contact: Engineering Technician David Stroud, 863-834-8437, david.stroud@lakelandgov.net. Conditions the city attaches include:

• Safety control, including caution signs and signals where traffic standards require them.
• Notice to city departments and utilities 48 hours before starting.
• A copy of the permit kept on site.
• For roll-off containers in on-street parking spaces, the city reserves the right to require removal with 24 hours' notice; if not removed, the city may remove it at the permit holder's expense and withhold future permits of the same kind.

The city's streets and sidewalks code (Chapter 90) is the underlying ordinance. Fees and duration are set at application; call before you book the container so the dates line up.

Other Polk County cities

Winter Haven, Bartow, Auburndale, Haines City, Lake Wales, Mulberry, Lake Alfred and Davenport each handle right-of-way use through their public works or engineering office. The pattern is the same: no permit on private property, an application and a few business days for a street placement. Contact the city hall listed on our city pages — Winter Haven, Bartow, Auburndale, Haines City, Lake Wales, Mulberry — before delivery.

Unincorporated Polk County

Outside city limits, county roads are county right-of-way and the county's roads and drainage staff handle use permits. Rural driveways are almost always long enough that this never comes up; if your only option is the shoulder of a county road, call the county first and us second.

Plant City and Tampa

Plant City and Tampa are in Hillsborough County. Inside those city limits the city issues right-of-way permits; in unincorporated Hillsborough (Brandon, Riverview, Valrico, Seffner) the county does. See Plant City and Tampa.

How to place a container so you never need a permit

1. Measure the driveway. A 20, 30 or 40-yard container needs about 25 × 10 feet on the ground and 60 feet of straight approach for the truck. Most two-car driveways qualify lengthwise.
2. Clear the spot the night before. Vehicles moved, basketball hoop down, gate open.
3. Check overhead. Twenty-two feet of clearance under branches and service drops on the approach; the container rides high on the truck.
4. Tell us where the doors should face. Toward the house or the loading side, not the street.
5. Notify the HOA if you have one. We can send a spec sheet for the board.

We set every container on heavy boards under the wheels and rails so the driveway is not marked. Read more on the sizes page.

Demolition permits are a different thing

A right-of-way permit is about where the container sits. A demolition permit is about the structure coming down, and Polk County requires one for mobile homes, houses and most accessory buildings, with a sewer-cap or septic-abandonment step first. That process is covered in the mobile home demolition guide.