A garbage can storage shed solves two backyard headaches at once: the row of bins crowding your driveway, and the raccoons that treat trash night like a buffet. Leave a 96-gallon cart in the open and it is both an eyesore and an open invitation. An enclosure hides the cans, holds the odor in, and locks critters out. Size trips most people up. A standard 96-gallon cart runs about 27 inches wide and 35 inches deep, so plan around one to three carts plus a few inches of clearance each. Get the footprint right and the rest, material, latch, and ventilation, falls into place. Here is how to pick the size and type that fit your cans and your yard.
TL;DR: A garbage can storage shed hides your bins, cuts odor, and keeps raccoons out. Size to your carts first: a 96-gallon cart is about 27 inches wide and 35 inches deep (Recology), so one cart needs roughly 3 feet of width, two need about 5 feet, and three need 7 to 8 feet.
Three things push people to buy a garbage can storage shed: curb appeal, critters, and odor. Raccoons are the loud one. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife says raccoons will pry open any unsecured lid, and the fix is to secure the lid or keep the cans in a shed or garage. An enclosure does both.
Left in the open, outdoor trash bins drag down the whole yard. They are the first thing guests see. An outdoor garbage can enclosure tucks them out of sight and gives the side yard a tidy, finished look, which is also the one detail an HOA loves to ticket you over.
Then there is the smell. A closed, vented structure keeps odor from drifting toward the patio or the neighbors, which by mid-July is the difference between a usable side yard and a no-go zone. The wildlife agency’s advice doubles as design advice: store cans behind a latch, set them at the curb the morning of pickup, and raccoons lose interest fast.
Size the shed to the carts, not the gallon number on the lid. A 96-gallon cart measures about 35 inches long, 27 inches wide, and 44 inches tall, while a 64-gallon cart is closer to 24 inches wide. Add a few inches on each side so you can lift the lid and roll the cart in. Measure, then shop.
Width is everything here. Those figures come straight from municipal haulers like Recology. One 96-gallon cart needs an interior around 30 inches wide and 36 inches deep, which most makers sell as a roughly 3-foot enclosure. Two carts side by side want about 54 inches of clear width, so look for a shed near 5 feet wide. That 5-by-3-foot size is the most common two-can footprint sold. Three carts, or two carts plus a recycling bin, push you to 7 or 8 feet. Height counts too: a tall cart with the lid raised can clear 50 inches, so a roof or lid that opens beats a fixed low top.
| Carts to store | Clear interior width | Look for a shed about |
|---|---|---|
| 1 cart (96-gallon) | ~30 in | 3 ft wide x 3 ft deep |
| 2 carts | ~54 in | 5 ft wide x 3 ft deep |
| 3 carts (or 2 + recycling) | ~80 in | 7 to 8 ft wide x 3 ft deep |
For most yards, resin (HDPE plastic) is the pick. It will not rust like metal or rot like wood, and it shrugs off sun and rain with little upkeep. Resin is the easy default. Wood looks the best and suits a front-of-house spot. Metal costs the least and locks up tight, but it is the one material that rusts.
Resin sheds, the horizontal models from brands like Duramax and Lifetime, hit the sweet spot: weather-resistant, easy to assemble, and priced in the middle. They are what we steer most buyers toward for trash and recycling. Wood enclosures, usually cedar, are the lookers; a cedar kit blends into a fence line better than any plastic box. The catch is upkeep. Plan to seal or stain it every couple of years, or it grays and the base rail rots. Metal sheds, galvanized steel, are the budget play and the most compact for two cans. They latch tight and resist critters well. Rust is the trade-off, mostly at cut edges and the floor, so they suit a dry, covered spot. If you are weighing the same three materials for a larger build, the plastic vs wood vs metal comparison tracks how each holds up over a decade.
| Material | Cost | Durability | Look |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resin (HDPE) | Mid-range | No rust or rot, UV-stable, low upkeep | Clean and modern, fewer colors |
| Wood (cedar) | Highest | Strong if sealed every 2-3 years, can rot at the base | Best, blends with fences |
| Metal (galvanized steel) | Lowest | Sturdy and secure, can rust at edges | Utilitarian |
Past size and material, four features decide whether the shed actually works, and a raccoon-proof latch is first. An unsecured lid gets opened. The door needs a latch or lock a paw cannot flip, ideally over a floor so nothing digs underneath. After that, it comes down to ventilation, door access, and bag clearance.
Ventilation keeps a closed box from trapping odor and moisture; look for built-in vents or a gap under the roof line so the cans dry and the smell escapes. Door access decides your trash-day mood: double doors or a lift-up lid let you roll a cart straight in and out, while a single narrow door means you lift and shuffle every week. Bag clearance ties back to that 44-inch cart height, since with the lid up you need real headroom to drop a bag without crouching. None of it is exotic. It is the same checklist behind choosing any storage shed, just sized for cans instead of mowers.
Most enclosures hold one to three carts, depending on width. A 3-foot model fits one 96-gallon cart, a common 5-by-3-foot model holds two side by side, and a 7 to 8 foot model holds three (or two carts plus a recycling bin). Measure your carts first, since a 96-gallon cart is about 27 inches wide.
Latch or lock the door, and pick a model with a floor so nothing digs under. Washington’s wildlife agency notes that raccoons open any unsecured lid, so a latched enclosure is the reliable fix. Keeping the can lids on inside adds a second barrier.
Less than open bins, as long as the shed is vented. A closed enclosure contains odor, but it needs airflow so trapped smell and moisture can escape. Choose one with vents or a roof gap, keep the can lids on inside, and the smell stays manageable between pickups.
About 5 feet wide and 3 feet deep. Two 96-gallon carts need roughly 54 inches of clear interior width plus clearance, which lands at the standard 5-by-3-foot footprint. Add a recycling bin and you will want closer to 7 feet.
Get the size right and a garbage can storage shed pays you back every week: no bins in the driveway, no dawn raccoon cleanup, no smell drifting to the patio. The size is the whole game. For most yards, a weather-resistant resin model in the 3 to 5 foot range is the easy call. Match it to your carts, then browse our resin and plastic storage sheds to find one that fits the space.
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