City Guides
Urban Agriculture Resources
Have questions about composting, backyard chickens, or growing food in Grand Rapids? This guide contains resources on composting regulations and permits for greenhouses and backyard animals.
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Give us a call at 311 or 616-456-3000 and we’ll help answer your question.
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Composting in your backyard
Compost is broken down organic material that is used as a soil conditioner and fertilizer for plants. It is considered “gardener’s gold” because of the many benefits it provides for plants and soil. Mixing in compost with garden dirt will improve air flow, water retention, and provide essential nutrients for the plants you grow!
You can create your compost on residential properties if a few simple rules are followed:
- Feedstock materials must be placed in a fully enclosed, rodent-proof, compost bin(s)
- The bin(s) must be tightly covered, except when depositing and removing materials
- The bin(s) must be placed in the rear yard only, not the front or side yards
- The maximum size of the compost bin(s) is 64 cubic feet per property
Using the "pile" method or having exposed materials is not allowed. These materials are not allowed in construction of receptacles:
- burlap
- tarps
- vehicle tires
- wire mesh
- chicken wire
- flexible fencing
Outdoor compost bins are available online and at local home improvement stores.
You can read the full ordinance on composting HERE.
Compost Bin Requirements
You can create your compost on residential properties if a few simple rules are followed:
Feedstock is Rodent-Proof
Feedstock materials (green and brown material) must be placed in a fully enclosed, rodent-proof, compost bin or bins.
Closed and secure
The bin(s) must be tightly covered, except when adding or removing material.
Compost in the backyard only
The bin(s) must be placed in the rear yard only, not the front or side yards.
Maximum size is sixty four cubic feet
The maximum size of the compost bin(s) is 64 cubic feet per property.
Composting 101
Cared-for compost should smell similar to fresh garden soil - not rotten food.
Acceptable Materials
Adding the wrong materials to your compost pile will attract animals or create bad odors. To prevent this, only the following materials should be added to your backyard compost receptacle:
- Fruit and vegetable peelings, cores, stems, trimmings
- Leaves (shredded if possible)
- Egg shells (crushed if possible)
- Coffee grounds
- Paper coffee filters
- Paper napkins without chemicals
- Tea leaves/bags without staples
- Spent flowers and garden clippings
- Houseplant clippings
- Young weeds without seeds
Unacceptable Materials
The following items should NOT be placed in your compost bin:
- Lawn waste
- Cooked foods, leftovers, or spoiled food
- Grease, oils, fats
- Meat, fish, bones
- Dairy products
- Breads
- Domestic animal waste
- Animal litter (cats, rodents, small animals)
- Diseased plants
- Invasive weeds
- Weeds with seeds
- Medical waste
- Chemical cleaning wipes
- Ash
- Dryer lint
- Treated wood
- Non-organic materials:
- Glass, metal, or plastic
- Rocks, concrete, or asphalt
- Cement, ceramic or brick
Controlling Odors
Having the correct balance of “green” (fresh grass clippings, fruit/vegetable peelings, etc.) and “brown” (dry leaves/plants) materials is important for decomposition and odor control. A cared-for compost bin will smell like fresh garden soil and not rotting food.
The green materials have a high nitrogen content that causes the mixture to heat up and break down more quickly. The brown materials soak up the water from the green materials and add space for air to prevent foul odors.
A ratio of 1/3 green to 2/3 brown is a good mix, but you can add more brown material, as needed, to keep your compost fresh.
Backyard Chickens
You can have chickens on your residential property, but they need a permit. Here are some of the rules you need to follow if you have a permit:
- Roosters are prohibited
- No more than six chickens
- Chickens must live in the backyard
- Chickens must be in a fenced-in coop
- Chicken feed should be in rodent proof container
- No butchering of chickens on the property
Do you want to have chickens in your backyard?
You can apply for a backyard chicken permit if your property meets certain size requirements
Backyard Chicken Requirements
Cared-for compost should smell similar to fresh garden soil - not rotten food.
Watering
Watering a new tree is the most important thing you can do. The best way to water is to make sure the soil is saturated with at least 15 gallons of water. We recommend watering your tree 1-3 times a week for the first 3 years. Here are some helpful tips on watering:
- You should water May through October.
- Soil should be moist, not soaked. Overwatering can damage your tree.
- If it rains 1 inch or more in a week, you don't need to water that week.
- Water slowly so the water can penetrate the soil.
Weeding
Weeds are fast growing and fast moving. They tend to compete for water, space and nutrients. Street trees live in very small spaces that only provide limited amount of nutrients. Having as little competition as possible helps your tree stay healthy. Here are some helpful tips on weeding:
- Weed your tree site in early fall before the plant dries out and seeds disperse.
- Wear gloves to remove the weed's entire root system.
- Dispose of weeds in City yard waste bags.
- Watch out for poison ivy and hazardous trash in the soil.
Mulching
- 2 to 4 inches of mulch is best.
- Do not add soil to the tree base, as it can smother roots and cause trunk rotting.
- Make sure the trunk of the tree doesn't get covered by mulch. 1 to 2 inches of mulch-free area around the base of the of the tree is best.
Ornamental Planting Around the Tree
Planting flowers or plants around a tree is a great way to add color to your neighborhood. However, flowers shouldn't be planted within the first three years of the tree planting and should be kept at least one foot away from the trunk. Here are some helpful tips on ornamental planting:
- Choose flowers that are "drought tolerant" and don't require much watering. We recommend daffodils, lilies of the valley, or tulips.
- Use small plants and bulbs to reduce competition and tree root damage.
- Don't add any more than two inches of new soil when planting flowers.
- Don't plant flowers that compete for water and nutrients, such as bamboo, ivy, vines, or shrubs.
Backyard Chickens
Composting is a practical science and introduction
Overview
Have questions about composting, backyard chickens, or growing food in the city? Check out this guide on urban agriculture in Grand Rapids.
Did we miss something? Give us a call at 311 or 616-456-3000 and we’ll help answer your question.
Composting
You can compost on residential properties if a few simple rules are followed:
- Materials must be placed in a fully enclosed compost bin
- The bin(s) must be tightly covered, except when depositing and removing materials
- The bin(s) must be placed in the rear yard only
- The maximum size of the compost bin is 64 cubic feet
Using the "pile" method or having exposed materials is not allowed. These materials are not allowed in construction of receptacles: burlap, tarps, vehicle tires, wire mesh, chicken wire, and flexible fencing. Compost bins (also called compost digesters) are available online and at local home improvement stores.
What is compost?
Compost is decomposed organic material used as a soil conditioner and fertilizer, also known as humus. Compost is known as “gardener’s gold” because it improves soil structure, retains water, encourages root growth, aerates soil, and releases nutrients slowly.
Benefits of Composting
- Composting recycles kitchen and yard waste (approx. 30% of household waste)
- Reduces landfill waste
- Reduces use of chemical fertilizers that harm the environment
Acceptable Materials
Adding the wrong materials to your compost pile will attract animals or create bad odors. To prevent this, only the following materials should be added to your backyard compost receptacle:
- Fruit and vegetable peelings
- Lettuce leaves
- Egg shells
- Coffee grounds, tea leaves/bags
- Grass and hedge trimmings
- Leaves (shredded if possible)
- Spent flowers and garden clippings
- Young weeds without seeds
The following items should NOT be placed in a compost bin:
- Cooked foods
- Grease, oils, fats
- Meat, fish, bones
- Dairy products, breads
- Animal waste, cat litter
- Diseased plants
- Invasive weeds, weeds with seeds entrepreneurial
Controlling Odor
Having the correct balance of “green” (fresh grass clippings, fruit/vegetable peelings, etc.) and “brown” (dry leaves/plants) materials is important for decomposition and odor control. The green materials have a high nitrogen content that causes the mixture to heat up and decompose more quickly. Turning or mixing the materials accelerates the rate of decomposition. A ratio of 1/3 green to 2/3 brown is a good mix.
You can read the full ordinance on composting HERE.
Backyard Chickens
You can have chickens on your residential property, but they need a permit. Here are some of the rules you need to follow if you have a permit:
- Roosters are prohibited
- Chickens must live in the backyard
- Chickens must be in a fenced-in coop
- No more than six chickens
- Chicken feed should be in rodent proof container
- No butchering of chickens on the property
Do you want to have chickens in your backyard? You can apply for a backyard chicken permit if your property meets certain size requirements
Apply for a Backyard Chicken Permit
Coop and Yard Requirements
Your property must meet the following requirements to be eligible for a chicken permit:
- Be at least 3,800 square feet (0.087 acres) in area
- Not include more than 2 dwelling units
Chickens must be kept in a fenced-in coop or chicken house that is:
- Located in the rear yard of the property
- Uses less than 50% of the of the rear yard
- Coop must be under 8 feet tall
- Coop must be less than 6 square feet per chicken
- Only one coop for keeping chickens
- Coop and yard must be 10 feet away from all property lines
You can look up your property size on the City Assessors Property Search. Once you find your property, scroll down to the Land Information section. You'll find the total acres listed. If you can't find your property size, give us a call at the number listed in the Contact Us section. We'll look it up for you.
Number of Chickens
The total number of chickens allowed is dependent on your property size:
- No more than four (4) chickens are allowed to be kept on a single-family or two-family lots 3,800-5,000 square feet
- No more than six (6) chickens are allowed to be kept on a single-family or two-family lots 5,000 square feet or larger
Roosters
Roosters are prohibited, regardless of the age or maturity of the bird.
Being a Good Neighbor
If you are applying for a Backyard Chicken permit, check with your adjacent neighbors before submitting your application. Share your reasons for wanting chickens and your plans to minimize noise, odor, and disturbance. If any of your neighbors object, the City can't issue you a Backyard Chicken Permit.
Keep in mind that together, you and your neighbors form a strong community. Working together to proactively avoid issues or to resolve an issue can create a stronger block & neighborhood.
Do you think someone has chickens without a permit?
Report a complaint about Backyard Chickens
You can read the full ordinance on backyard chickens HERE.
Beekeeping
You can keep bees within city limits as long as they are contained in a hive or box and your property is large enough to follow requirements of where hives can be located.
Beehives should be located:
- More than 150 feet from any residence, hospital, medical facility, school, church, office building, store, hotel, apartment house, rooming house or any place of habitation and
- At least 150 feet from the edge of the beekeeper’s own lot or property line
Beehives are also required to have a flyaway barrier:
- Any person raising bees within the City needs to have a hedge, shrubbery, or solid fencing around each box or hive that is at least six (6) feet tall. We require this so that bees have a high flight path above the head of an average human being when exiting and entering their hives.
You can read the full ordinance on beekeeping HERE.
Community Gardens
We do not keep an updated list of community gardens. For possible gardens in your area, please contact your neighborhood association. The internet may also have some resources that could assist in locating a garden near you.
Looking for your Neighborhood Association? You can find out how to contact your Neighborhood Association using the Community Research Institute's interactive map.
Growing in Front Yards & Parkways
Front Yards
You can grow native or edible plants in your front yard as long as guidelines are followed to prevent blocking clear vision areas around sidewalks and driveways. It is important to maintain clear vision areas in specific locations for the safety of pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers.
Clear Vision Areas
A clear vision area is typically the triangular area at the intersection of two streets, or a street and a driveway.
Street Corners. For streets, it is measured as twenty (20) feet along each lot line starting at the intersection of the lot lines, and connected by a straight line to form a triangular area.
Driveways. For driveways, it is measured as ten (10) feet along the lot line and the driveway starting at the intersection of the lot line and the closest edge of the driveway, and connected by a straight line to form a triangular area.
Any planted vegetation in these areas should be less than 30 inches to maintain clear sight lines.
Garden Structures in Front Yards
You can have arbors, trellises, pergolas and similar garden structures in your front yard as long as:
- Structures comply with clear vision requirements
- Structures are at least three (3) feet from front and side lot lines
- Structures are shorter than six (6) feet tall
Parkways
Growing in the parkway or right-of-way (the area between the sidewalk and the street curb) is allowed as long as the guidelines above are followed to keep clear vision areas around sidewalks and driveways.
Any planted vegetation in these areas should be less than 30 inches to maintain clear sight lines. Keep in mind that you should keep a ten (10) foot radius around fire hydrants and utility poles.
Garden Structures in Parkways
No structures (arbors, trellises, etc.) are allowed in the parkway.
Trees in Parkways
Trees in the parkway are planted and maintained by the City. Looking for tips on how to care for your street tree?
Would you like to plant a tree in a parkway or public space?
Lead in Soil
While some lead naturally occurs in soil, soil around your home can also become contaminated with lead and lead dust from other sources. Learn more about the dangers of lead and prevention tips HERE.
We do not provide testing for soil samples.
Greenhouses
Greenhouses are an accessory structure. They are allowed with a permit on residential property if a few simple rules are followed:
- Must be located in the side yard or rear yard
- Materials must be durable and long-lasting. The structure cannot be built with tubes, canvas, plastic film, or similar exterior materials.
Zoning Permit
A zoning permit is required for all accessory structures.You can find this permit on the Planning Department page under "Forms and Applications."
You can learn more by reading our Zoning FAQs for Accessory Structures.
Have questions on building or locating a greenhouse on your residential property? Contact our Development Center.
Yard Maintenance
Curbside Yard Waste Collection
Your curbside yard waste collection is the same day as your regular waste collection. Yard waste is collected between early April through mid - December. We offer several options for curbside collection.
Yard Waste Cart – The cart is $30 to order. Each time you would like your cart emptied, attach a yellow Yard Waste Tag to the cart. Each tag is $6.50.
Yard Waste Paper Bag – You can use a yard waste paper bag for leaves, grass clippings and small twigs. Bags are $2.75 each or come in packs of 5 for $13.75. Items in the yard waste paper bag can't weigh more than 30 pounds.
Yard Waste Bulk Tag – You can use a purple yard waste bulk tag for bundles of larger twigs or branches. You may also attach this tag to a non-city paper yard waste bag. These tags cost $3.75 each. Bundled branches and twigs shouldn’t be more than 4 feet long or 2 inches in diameter.
You can buy City yard waste cart tags, paper bags, and purple bulk tags at City Hall. You can also buy them at select supermarkets. For a complete list of sellers near you, call 311 or 616-456-3000.
Yard Waste Materials
Yard Waste includes:
- Grass clippings
- Leaves
- Brush
- Twigs (less than two inches in diameter)
- Garden Plants
Yard Waste does not include:
- Sod
- Dirt
- Stones
- Broken concrete
- Trees
- Tree limbs
- Logs
- Railroad Tires
- Stumps
- Animal feces and dead animals
Request Yard Waste Services
Do you have yards waste needs? Click below to request yard waste services:
Drop-Off Site
The City of Grand Rapids offers a drop-off site for residential yard waste. You can drop-off leaves, brush, and tree branches at 2001 Butterworth SW. April through mid-December, this site is open Monday through Saturday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This is offered to Grand Rapids residents only, so bring ID for proof of residence. Yard waste must be loose or in a paper bag. Plastic bags are not allowed.
Not sure if your yard waste is eligible for drop off? Call 311 or 616-456-3000 to make sure.
