Dumpster permits in Louisville: when you need one and how it works

Dumpster Rentals Louisville is an independent referral service, not a dumpster company. Calls and form requests go to an independent local roll-off provider that quotes the job, drops off the container and hauls it away.

Driveway or street: the line that matters

A container on your own driveway, yard or job site is on private property. Louisville Metro’s right-of-way rules cover the public right-of-way: streets, parking lanes and sidewalks. So the first question is simple: will the container fit on your property? If it will, a street permit is generally not part of the job, though you should still check any homeowners association or lease rules. If it will not, read on.

Louisville Metro’s Dumpster/Pod Permit

Louisville Metro Public Works & Assets issues a Dumpster/Pod Permit for containers placed in the public right-of-way. Its Right-of-Way Guide describes it this way: “Dumpster and Pod Permits are granted to allow placement of either a dumpster or pod within the Public Right-of-Way, generally in a parking lane. Placement of dumpsters or pods on Sidewalks will not be permitted.”

What the application asks for

The guide lists, at a minimum, the information the online application asks for:

• The applicant and any designated contact information.
• The start and end date for placement and use of the right-of-way.
• The type of container requested: pod or dumpster.

Public Works lists the permit on its Right of Way Permits and Licenses page and takes applications through the Metro Business Portal.

Rules while the container is out

• Display the permit. “The permit must be on site and clearly displayed at all times.” The guide says a missing copy is grounds for removal and possible fines.
• Make it visible. Containers in the right-of-way “shall be required to have reflective material or other secondary traffic control devices.”
• Traffic control. “Traffic control plans may be required at the discretion of LMPWA.”
• Safety. The permittee “is responsible for public safety at all times during the duration of the permit.”

Who applies: you or the provider?

Practice varies. Some roll-off providers apply for the permit as part of the job; others expect the customer to apply, since the start and end dates and the contact on the permit are the customer’s. Ask the provider on the first call, and if you apply yourself, match the dates on the permit to the delivery and pickup dates you agree.

Small cities inside Jefferson County

Louisville and Jefferson County share one consolidated government, Louisville Metro, but several small cities inside the county keep their own city governments, among them St. Matthews and Jeffersontown. If the container will sit on a street in one of them, check with that city’s hall as well as with Metro before the drop.

Across the river and to the south

Indiana cities set their own rules. In New Albany, dumpster permits for city streets go before the City’s Board of Public Works and Safety; recent minutes show approvals of about two weeks at a time, with cones or reflective tape requested so the container is visible at night. See dumpster rental in New Albany. For Jeffersonville, check with the City of Jeffersonville. In Bullitt County, check with the City of Shepherdsville or the county; see Shepherdsville dumpster rental.

Placing a street container well

1. Choose a legal parking spot close to the house, never on the sidewalk.
2. Keep driveways, hydrants and crosswalks clear.
3. Put the permit where it can be seen from the street.
4. Make sure the reflective material or other devices are in place before dark.
5. Keep debris inside the container and off the street.

Questions people ask