City of San Antonio · Public Works

Putting a dumpster on a San Antonio street

Which permit applies

San Antonio's Public Works Department issues several right-of-way permits. The one that fits a parked roll-off is the Lane/Sidewalk Closure Permit, which the city describes as covering "temporary closures of full or partial areas of a lane(s) and or sidewalk(s)." The city page does not use the word dumpster. Two hauler guides that cover San Antonio point to this same permit for containers, so that is the one to ask about.

Questions go to the right-of-way office at 210-207-6949, or to 3-1-1.

Who can file it

Before any right-of-way permit can be requested, the applicant has to register in the city's online Right of Way Management (RoWM) system. Registration asks for a certificate of insurance and a performance bond. The city offers two bond options: $10,000 for each permit address, or $100,000 that covers unlimited permits for a year.

That set-up is built for contractors, utilities and haulers who file permits often. A homeowner renting one box for a week rarely has it. The easy route is a hauler or general contractor who already holds a RoWM account. Ask each company that quotes you: "Do you pull the San Antonio lane closure permit, and is it in your price?"

What the permit costs

The fee has two parts: a flat application charge, plus a daily charge for each square foot of lane or sidewalk closed. A longer box, or more days, costs more.

We are not printing dollar amounts yet. The city's permit page and an older hauler guide show different rates, and our rule is to publish a figure only when two sources agree. For today's formula, see the city's ROW Permit Types page.

How much street a container takes up

Because the fee scales with area, the footprint matters. Container makers publish slightly different measurements, but they agree on these: roll-offs are about 8 feet wide, and 20, 30 and 40 yard boxes are about 22 feet long.

The permitted area may be larger once the city's traffic control needs are added. Treat these as the floor, not the final number.

Driveway drops skip the permit

A container that sits entirely on private property is not in a lane or on a sidewalk, so the closure permit does not come into it. Measure first. The truck needs a straight run to set the box down, and the box itself is 8 feet wide before you add room for the doors to swing open.

Deed restrictions and HOA rules are private agreements and are separate from city permits. If your neighborhood has them, check before the truck shows up.

Outside San Antonio city limits

This permit covers City of San Antonio streets. Schertz, Converse, Live Oak, Universal City, Helotes, Leon Valley, New Braunfels and the rest set their own rules. Read the suburb notes.