Driveway vs street
Driveway: No city permit is needed for a dumpster placed on the customer's own driveway or other private property; the encroachment permit applies only to public streets/right-of-way. The city has not published dumpster-specific street placement standards (reflective markings, time limits), so placement conditions are set through the encroachment permit process - verify specifics with Public Works.
Street / right-of-way: Yes. Placing a roll-off container on a public street or in the right-of-way is an encroachment under Hanford Municipal Code Ch. 12.04 (Encroachment and Banner Permits) - no person or contractor may make an encroachment without first obtaining a permit from the director. Containers on private property (driveway, yard, private lot) do not require this permit.
Office: City of Hanford Public Works Department (Utilities & Engineering handles encroachment permit requirements), 900 S. 10th Avenue, Hanford, CA 93230. Public Works: (559) 585-2550; the same department (Public Works Director) also issues the Solid Waste Collection Permit for roll-off haulers.
Fee: Regular Encroachment Permit: $50.00; Annual Encroachment Permit: $250.00 (City of Hanford Master Fee Schedule, FY 2024-25, Public Works Department section). An FY 2025-26 schedule exists on the city site; confirm current amounts with Public Works before quoting.
Where debris legally goes
| Facility | Gate fees |
|---|---|
| KWRA Materials Recovery Facility / Transfer Station (Kings Waste & Recycling Authority) 7803 Hanford-Armona Road (at Highway 43), Hanford, CA 93230; phone (559) 583-8829 | KWRA does not publish a gate-fee schedule online. The Hanford Sentinel, covering the City Council's refuse rate increase, reported the tipping fee for trash rose from $58 to $75 per ton; treat that as reported (not facility-published) and confirm current rates at (559) 583-8829. Accepts municipal solid waste, C&D debris, green waste, and auto tires. |
| WM Kettleman Hills Facility About 3 miles southeast of Kettleman City, Kings County, CA (roughly 35 miles southwest of Hanford) | Not published; disposal is arranged through WM, and most Hanford roll-off waste routes through KWRA instead because the city hauler permit requires delivery there |
| Avenal Regional Landfill Avenal, Kings County, CA (southwest Kings County, about 35 miles from Hanford); street address not published in CalRecycle notice - verify before citing | Not published; primarily serves the Avenal area rather than Hanford haulers, who are directed to KWRA |
Local rules worth knowing
- Hauler licensing: Hanford Municipal Code Ch. 13.12 requires anyone collecting, transporting, or disposing of solid waste generated inside city limits - explicitly including roll-off services, landscapers/arborists hauling customer waste, and compactor haulers - to hold a Solid Waste Collection Permit issued by the Public Works Director. The permit covers roll-off bins greater than 3 cubic yards not served by the city.
- Mandatory disposal site: permitted haulers must deliver ALL solid waste collected in Hanford to the KWRA Materials Recovery Facility/Transfer Station at 7803 Hanford-Armona Road and must sign a Use Agreement with KWRA (permit conditions 7-8, tied to Public Resources Code Sec. 41780 diversion goals). This fixes disposal routing and pricing for any dumpster rental operation in the city.
- City-provided containers top out small: the city rents commercial bins of only 1-4 cubic yards (trash) and 96-gallon residential carts, so construction and cleanout jobs needing 10-40 yard roll-offs fall to permitted private haulers - the market this site serves.
- Bulk pickup: the city offers residential bulk-item pickup only on a call-in schedule through Refuse Collection at (559) 585-2550, with no published on-demand allowance or item limits - large cleanouts, remodels, and roofing jobs are the practical dumpster trigger.
- Residential three-cart system (black refuse, blue recycle, green organics): the green 96-gallon cart takes green waste and food waste, part of the city's AB 939 program that diverts roughly 51% of residential refuse; overflow and prohibited items (C&D debris, dirt, concrete) cannot go in city carts.
- C&D diversion: California's CALGreen building code (CBC Title 24, Part 11, Sec. 4.408/5.408) requires diversion of at least 65% of construction and demolition debris on most permitted projects statewide; Hanford's routing of roll-off loads through the KWRA MRF is how mixed C&D loads get processed and documented for diversion. Hanford has not published a separate city C&D ordinance beyond this - verify with the Building Division for project-specific requirements.
- Street placement: an encroachment permit (Regular: $50, FY 2024-25 schedule) from Public Works is required before a roll-off may sit in any public street or right-of-way; driveway placement needs no permit.
Asked constantly
Do I need a permit in Hanford?
Yes. Placing a roll-off container on a public street or in the right-of-way is an encroachment under Hanford Municipal Code Ch. 12.04 (Encroachment and Banner Permits) - no person or contractor may make an encroachment without first obtaining a permit from the director. Containers on private property (driveway, yard, private lot) do not require this permit.
Who handles it?
City of Hanford Public Works Department (Utilities & Engineering handles encroachment permit requirements), 900 S. 10th Avenue, Hanford, CA 93230. Public Works: (559) 585-2550; the same department (Public Works Director) also issues the Solid Waste Collection Permit for roll-off haulers.
What does it cost?
Regular Encroachment Permit: $50.00; Annual Encroachment Permit: $250.00 (City of Hanford Master Fee Schedule, FY 2024-25, Public Works Department section). An FY 2025-26 schedule exists on the city site; confirm current amounts with Public Works before quoting.
Last updated August 2026 · local rules and rates checked for Hanford and nearby cities.