Dumpster permits in Mount Pleasant

A dumpster on your driveway or other private property in Mount Pleasant usually needs no permit. On a street, the dumpster permit question goes to whoever owns the road: the Town of Mount Pleasant, SCDOT or Charleston County.⁠¹ For a Town street, the Town’s FAQ sends encroachment permit questions to Dan Landers, Senior Roadway Inspector, at 843-856-3080.⁠²

Street placement may require a permit depending on city or county requirements. Nothing we have verified from the Town names dumpsters. Call before delivery, not after.

When a permit is required, getting it is on you. We do not apply for permits on your behalf.

Skip the permit

Private property is the clean way out. Driveway, yard, job site. Usually no permit and no office to wait on.

Check two things first. If your neighborhood has an HOA or POA, read its rules before you book. And the truck needs room. You are responsible for clear access. The dumpster in your driveway guide covers the setup.

Who handles a dumpster permit in Mount Pleasant

The road decides the office.

• Town street: Town of Mount Pleasant. Its fee schedule lists an Encroachment Permit covering right-of-way and drainage easements.⁠³ Ask the Senior Roadway Inspector whether a dumpster on your street needs one.
• State road: SCDOT. An SCDOT encroachment permit is a request for permission to work in SCDOT-maintained right-of-way.⁠⁴ A route marked S-10-xxx is a state secondary road in Charleston County.⁠⁵ The SCDOT state road dumpster permit page walks through it.
• County road: Charleston County. County Public Works takes encroachment applications for “an encroachment in a public right-of-way or easement.”⁠⁶ Call them and ask whether your road and your dumpster fall under it. The Charleston County dumpster permit page has the details.

To check whether a road is state-maintained, SCDOT points people to its free Street Finder at ris.scdot.org, or to its Customer Service Center at 1-855-GO-SCDOT, Monday through Friday, 8:30am to 5:00pm.⁠⁷ If it is not a state road, ask the inspector whether it is a Town street.

How to apply

You apply, not us. For a Town street:

1. Call first. Dan Landers, Senior Roadway Inspector, 843-856-3080 or [email protected].⁠² Ask whether a dumpster at your address needs the encroachment permit, which form to use, what it costs and how long it takes.
2. If the answer is yes, apply in OPAL. The Town’s permit page lists Encroachment Permits among the application types handled through its OPAL online portal. The Building Inspections Division helps with them at [email protected].⁠⁸
3. Ask about the fee form. The Town also posts an “Encroachment Permit Fee Submittal” form at tompsc.com/Forms.aspx?FID=217. It asks only for Applicant, Phone #, Address and Location of Work, and the page shows no fee amount.⁠⁹ Ask the inspector whether you need it.

The Town’s Public Services Department also has an encroachment permit form, subtitled “Authorization to Work in the Town Drainage Easements.” It requires a separate SCDOT encroachment permit where needed. It requires public liability and property damage insurance, including vehicle coverage, of at least $1,000,000. It is not valid for work that closes a street to traffic.⁠¹⁰

That subtitle names drainage easements, not streets. Ask the inspector whether this form covers a dumpster on the street, and whose policy has to meet the insurance line. If the Town says insurance, a signature or anything else has to come from the dumpster owner, call or text (843) 284-3707 before you apply.

On a state road, SCDOT strongly encourages a preliminary meeting with County or District staff before you apply online through EPPS Next.⁠¹¹ EPPS Classic logins do not carry over, so register a new EPPS Next account.⁠¹²

Nothing we verified gives a processing time. Get your answer before you book delivery. The rental includes 7 days. Extra days are $10 per day.

What it costs

• Town Encroachment Permit: $40. That is the right-of-way and drainage easement line on the Engineering and Development Services fee schedule (as of July 1, 2024).⁠³
• SCDOT encroachment permit: no fee. None for the permit or for its online processing system.⁠⁴
• Charleston County encroachment application: $35.00. The County application requires it.⁠⁶

The Town’s online fee form shows no amount.⁠⁹ Confirm the total with the inspector before you apply.

Our side: $499 flat for a 15-yard dumpster, 7 days, up to 2 tons. Over that, $85 per ton.

Rules once it is on the street

• No street closures. The Public Services Department form is not valid for work that closes a street to traffic.⁠¹⁰ If a dumpster would close your street, ask the inspector what covers it.
• Clear access. The truck has to reach the dumpster at delivery and pickup. That is on you.

Anything else the Town wants, get it from the inspector before delivery. Do not go by City of Charleston rules.

State law has one more line. SC Code § 57-7-210 makes it unlawful to willfully place obstructions on any highway, and defines highway to include the whole right-of-way, including shoulders and parking areas. Violations carry a fine of up to $100 per day, up to 30 days in jail, or both. The statute does not mention dumpsters or permits.⁠¹³

Who to call

• Town of Mount Pleasant, encroachment permit questions: Dan Landers, Senior Roadway Inspector, 843-856-3080, [email protected].⁠²
• Town of Mount Pleasant, OPAL help: Building Inspections Division, [email protected].⁠⁸
• SCDOT Charleston Maintenance: (843) 740-1655, 2401 Maintenance Way, North Charleston, SC 29406.⁠¹⁴
• SCDOT EPPS help: 855-GO-SCDOT (855-467-2368) or 803-737-1200, Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM.⁠¹¹
• Charleston County Public Works: (843) 202-7600, [email protected].⁠¹⁵
• RO RO Rentals (the dumpster): call or text (843) 284-3707.

Next step

Call or text (843) 284-3707 with the address and where you want the dumpster. Driveway or street, say which. Or request a quote online.

Veteran-owned and operated. CAGE 193Y7. SAM UEI WDR4NMF8JJF1. Yard at 105 Barrington Blvd, Goose Creek. We run dumpsters across Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester counties.