By Chris, Director at Store Fittings Direct. Last updated 19 October 2026.
A bin store (also called a bin shelter, bin shed or bin compound) is a covered, bolt-down enclosure that keeps a business's wheelie bins and Euro bins tidy, dry, out of public view and harder for vandals, fly-tippers and arsonists to get at. With the Simpler Recycling rules now pushing most English workplaces from one or two bins to three or four, plenty of sites are finding their old bin corner is no longer big enough. This guide covers the types, real prices, how to size one properly and the rules you need to know.
Quick answer: Commercial bin stores at Store Fittings Direct start at £1,482.68 ex VAT for a 1m-wide open-fronted steel store and run to around £6,357 ex VAT for a 5m-wide secure store with lockable mesh gates. Lockable stores start at £1,505.57 ex VAT. Since 31 March 2025, workplaces in England with 10 or more full-time-equivalent staff must keep dry recyclables, food waste and general waste separate (micro-firms have until 31 March 2027), which usually means three or four containers. A 240-litre wheelie bin is roughly 580mm wide x 740mm deep x 1,070mm high, an 1,100-litre Euro bin roughly 1,250mm x 1,000mm x 1,400mm, and councils ask for a 150mm gap around each one. Fire services advise keeping bins 6–10 metres from buildings where you can.
Contents
- What is a bin store and why do you need one now?
- Types of bin store
- Bin store prices UK (2026)
- How to size a bin store
- UK rules: recycling, duty of care, building regs and fire safety
- Which bin store suits your site?
- Installation and maintenance
- Why buy bin stores from Store Fittings Direct
- FAQs
What is a bin store and why do you need one now?
At its simplest, a bin store is a roof, a back and two sides that stop rain filling your bins and stop them blowing about. Step up a level and you add lockable gates or doors, so only staff and your waste contractor can get in. Either way it does four jobs:
- Keeps waste under control. Every business has a legal duty of care for its waste, including stopping it escaping (more on that below).
- Cuts fly-tipping and contamination. If the public can lob a bag of rubbish into your recycling bin, your contractor may reject the load or charge you for it.
- Reduces fire risk. Loose bins pushed up against a wall are an easy target for arson.
- Tidies the site. Customers and inspectors notice an overflowing bin corner.
The big change is recycling law. Under Simpler Recycling, most workplaces in England now need separate containers for dry recyclables, food waste and general waste, and paper and card normally has to be collected apart from plastic, metal and glass. In Wales the rules are stricter still. More streams means more bins, and more bins means more floor space. If you have not read it yet, our Simpler Recycling business guide explains the rules in full.
Types of bin store
Commercial bin stores fall into four main groups. The right one depends on how much security you need, how it has to look and what size bins you use.
1. Open-fronted steel bin stores
The budget option. A galvanised steel frame, a curved or flat steel roof and solid side and back panels, with the front left open. Bins are sheltered from rain and wind and screened from the back and sides, and staff can get to them quickly. The trade-off is that anyone can reach them, so they suit staff yards and service areas behind a fence rather than public car parks.
Our Harby Bin Store is 2m deep and comes in widths from 1m to 5m. The Dodford Bin Store is the deeper version at 3m, which is handy if you want to park Euro bins with room to walk round them.
2. Lockable mesh-gated bin stores
Same steel build, but with welded mesh gates across the front that take a padlock. Mesh keeps the contents visible and lets air through, which helps with smells. This is the most popular choice for retail units, pubs, restaurants and offices where the store sits somewhere the public can reach.
Options include the Eaton Bin Store with Mesh Doors (flat roof, 2m deep), the Blencoe Bin Store (curved roof, 2m deep) and the 3m-deep Secure Bin Store Shelter with Mesh Gates.
3. Steel-clad door bin stores
Swap the mesh for solid galvanised steel doors and the bins disappear from view completely. That is better for kerb appeal and stops rubbish being pushed through the front. The flip side is less airflow, so they suit sites where bins are emptied regularly. See the Eaton Bin Store with Doors and the 3m-deep DM2 Secure Bin Shelter with Steel Clad Gates.
4. Timber-clad bin stores
A galvanised steel frame dressed in tanalised timber slats. They look far softer than bare steel, which matters for planning-sensitive sites, schools, hotels, residential blocks and anywhere next to customer seating. The Commercial Wheelie Bin Storage Shelter has a black powder-coated frame, brown-finished timber, a lockable gate and a 10mm polycarbonate roof that lets light in. The larger Eco Timber Bin Store is a 4.1m x 2.1m module that you can join together for bigger compounds.
Bin store prices UK (2026)
All prices below are Store Fittings Direct list prices excluding VAT, checked on 19 October 2026. The website shows both ex VAT and inc VAT prices, and all of these bin stores carry free delivery.
| Bin store | Type | Depth | Widths | From (ex VAT) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harby Bin Store | Open-fronted steel | 2m | 1m–5m | £1,482.68 |
| Eaton with Mesh Doors | Lockable mesh | 2m | 1m–5m | £1,505.57 |
| Dodford Bin Store | Open-fronted steel | 3m | 1m–5m | £1,566.17 |
| Eaton with Doors | Lockable steel-clad | 2m | 1m–5m | £1,640.24 |
| Blencoe Bin Store | Lockable mesh | 2m | 1m–5m | £1,990.37 |
| Secure Bin Store, Mesh Gates (DM1) | Lockable mesh | 3m | 1m–5m | £2,084.64 |
| Commercial Wheelie Bin Storage Shelter | Timber-clad, lockable | 1.45m | 2m | £2,194.51 |
| DM2 Secure Bin Shelter | Lockable steel-clad | 3m | 1m–5m | £2,212.57 |
| Eco Timber Bin Store | Timber-clad, open | 2.1m | 4.1m module | £2,423.84 |
What bigger stores cost. Price climbs with width. A 3m-wide Harby is £2,349.93, a 3m Eaton with mesh doors is £3,117.53 and a 3m Blencoe is £3,583.48. At the top end, a 5m DM1 with mesh gates is £6,357.61 and a 5m DM2 with steel-clad gates is £6,073.55 (all ex VAT).
Don't forget the bins. If you are adding streams, budget for the containers too: a 240-litre wheelie bin is £77.26, a 360-litre wheelie bin £107.67 and an 1,100-litre flat-top Euro bin from £408.12, all ex VAT and available in different colours so staff can tell the streams apart. The full range is in our wheelie bins and stores collection.
How to size a bin store
Step 1: count your containers
Ask your waste contractor what containers they will collect for each stream and how often. Under Simpler Recycling a typical business ends up with general waste, mixed dry recycling (plastic, metal, glass), paper and card, and food waste. That is four containers before you add a spare for busy weeks.
Step 2: check bin footprints
Sizes vary slightly by manufacturer, so treat these as guide figures taken from council specifications (Croydon, Test Valley, Hertsmere and Fareham councils):
| Bin size | Width | Depth | Height (lid shut) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 240 litre (2 wheels) | c. 580mm | 720–740mm | c. 1,070mm |
| 360 litre (2 wheels) | c. 610mm | c. 880mm | c. 1,100mm |
| 660 litre (4 wheels) | 1,200–1,260mm | 710–720mm | 1,300–1,310mm |
| 1,100 litre (4 wheels) | 1,200–1,260mm | 960–1,000mm | 1,350–1,400mm |
Step 3: add working space
Council design guides from Fareham and Southampton both ask for a 150mm clear gap between and around containers so they can be pulled out and cleaned. Doors should open outwards and the opening must be wider than your widest bin.
Step 4: check the lid height
This one catches people out. Fareham's guidance gives a lid-open height of about 1,800mm for a 240-litre bin and about 2,350mm for an 1,100-litre Euro bin. Our standard steel stores have clear heights of around 2.1–2.2m (for example 2,096mm on the Blencoe and 2,190mm on the Eaton), so 240 and 360-litre bins open fully inside, but you will normally wheel an 1,100-litre bin forward to open the lid all the way.
Worked examples
- Small shop or café, four 240-litre bins: 4 x 580mm plus five 150mm gaps = about 3.07m. A 4m-wide, 2m-deep store gives comfortable room; a 3m store is too tight once you allow for the frame.
- Restaurant or supermarket, two 1,100-litre bins plus two 240-litre bins: 2 x 1,260mm + 2 x 580mm + six 150mm gaps = about 4.6m. Go for a 5m-wide store, and consider 3m-deep models like the Dodford or DM1 so there is room to manoeuvre Euro bins.
- Office with three 360-litre bins: 3 x 610mm + four 150mm gaps = about 2.4m, so a 3m-wide store works.
UK rules: recycling, duty of care, building regs and fire safety
There is no single "bin store regulation", but several rules decide what you need.
Simpler Recycling (England)
According to GOV.UK guidance, the workplace rules came into force on 31 March 2025. Workplaces must separate dry recyclables, food waste and residual waste before collection. Micro-firms with fewer than 10 full-time-equivalent employees (counted across the whole business, not per site) have until 31 March 2027, a date also confirmed by councils such as Rushcliffe Borough Council. The Environment Agency can issue compliance notices, and ignoring one is an offence.
Workplace Recycling Regulations (Wales)
Wales went first. Since 6 April 2024, Welsh workplaces have had to separate food; paper and card; glass; metal, plastic and cartons; unsold textiles; and unsold small electricals. That is potentially more streams than in England, so bin stores need to be wider.
Your waste duty of care
Under section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, every business must take reasonable steps to stop its waste escaping its control. North Tyneside Council puts it plainly: waste must be stored "safely and securely in suitable containers and/or places that will prevent unauthorised access", and breaching the duty of care is an offence. A lockable bin store is one of the simplest ways to show you are taking those steps.
Building Regulations and council design guides
For housing, Approved Document H (part H6) says residents should not carry refuse more than 30m to a store, and stores should be within 25m of the collection point, as LABC explains. Council guides for commercial and communal stores add practical detail: Southampton's says slopes should be no steeper than 1:12, there should be no steps for bins over 250 litres, and stores need hard, drained floors, permanent ventilation and lighting. Always check your own council's guide before you build.
Fire safety
Fire services consistently warn that bins next to buildings are an arson risk. Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue advises keeping wheelie bins at least 6 metres from buildings (8 metres for larger bins) or in a secure compound away from the building. Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue's arson checklist goes further at 10 metres from buildings and boundaries. Advice differs, so let your fire risk assessment decide where the store goes.
Which bin store suits your site?
Shops, cafés, pubs and restaurants
Food waste attracts pests and smells, and rear yards are often reachable from the street. A lockable mesh-gated store such as the Eaton or Blencoe gives security with airflow. If the store faces customers or a beer garden, the timber-clad Commercial Wheelie Bin Storage Shelter looks far tidier. Pair it with litter and cigarette bins out front.
Supermarkets, warehouses and industrial units
Euro bins, high volumes and lorries. Go for 3m-deep stores (Dodford, DM1 or DM2) so bins can be moved without scraping the frame, and protect the store from reversing vehicles with yellow galvanised steel bollards (from £70.37 ex VAT). Our bollards buying guide covers spacing.
Schools, NHS sites and councils
Security and safeguarding come first, so pick solid or mesh doors that lock. Timber-clad designs blend in near playgrounds and entrances. Many sites order bin stores alongside cycle shelters and smoking shelters in a matching finish; see our cycle shelter cost guide and smoking shelter compliance guide.
Flats, HMOs and managed estates
Managing agents need stores sized for every flat's recycling streams, within the carry distances above, with doors that stay open during collection. Modular steel stores that extend in 1m bays make it easy to add capacity later.
Installation and maintenance
Our steel bin stores are delivered for self-assembly and bolt down as standard, so most sites use their own maintenance team or a local contractor. Get these basics right:
- Base: a level, hard, impervious surface such as a concrete slab, with drainage so washing-out water does not pool.
- Access: a smooth, step-free route to the collection point, with a dropped kerb if bins cross a pavement.
- Lighting: staff will use it on winter evenings, so make sure the store and route are lit.
- Labels: colour-coded bins and clear signs cut contamination and rejected loads.
- Maintenance: wash the floor regularly, check fixings and hinges every few months, and treat timber cladding as the supplier advises. Galvanised steel needs very little attention.
Planning a wider outdoor upgrade? Read our guides to outdoor shelters for workplaces, choosing waste bins for business and grit bins for winter, or browse all street furniture.
Why buy bin stores from Store Fittings Direct
- A wide range in one place: open-fronted, mesh-gated, steel-clad and timber-clad stores, plus the bins to go in them, in our bin stores and general shelters collection and the wider shelters range.
- Clear pricing: every price is shown ex VAT and inc VAT, so you can budget properly.
- Free delivery on over 90% of our products, including every bin store listed above.
- Over 30 years' experience supplying retailers, the NHS, councils, warehouses and construction firms.
- ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certified and a SEDEX member.
- Every Google review is five stars.
- Straight advice: not sure what size you need? Call 0116 318 4182 and tell us your bins and space.
FAQs
How much does a commercial bin store cost?
At Store Fittings Direct, a 1m-wide open-fronted steel bin store starts at £1,482.68 ex VAT, lockable stores start at £1,505.57 ex VAT, and 5m-wide secure stores cost around £4,700 to £6,400 ex VAT depending on the door type.
What size bin store do I need for four 240-litre wheelie bins?
Four 240-litre bins need about 3.1m of width once you allow a 150mm gap between and around each bin, so a 4m-wide, 2m-deep store is the sensible choice.
Does Simpler Recycling mean I need a bin store?
The law does not require a bin store, but it does require separate containers for dry recyclables, food waste and general waste, and your duty of care means waste must be stored securely. A bin store is the easiest way to keep extra bins tidy, secure and uncontaminated.
How far should bins be kept from a building?
Fire service advice varies: Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue says at least 6 metres (8 metres for larger bins), while Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue says 10 metres from buildings and boundaries. Follow your fire risk assessment and secure bins so they cannot be moved against the building.
How big is an 1,100-litre Euro bin?
Roughly 1,200–1,260mm wide, 960–1,000mm deep and 1,350–1,400mm high with the lid shut, and around 2,350mm with the lid open, according to Fareham Borough Council's guidance.
Do bin stores need planning permission?
It depends on the site, the size and position of the store, and local rules such as conservation areas. Check with your local planning authority before ordering, especially on new developments with bin storage conditions.
Should I choose mesh gates or solid doors?
Mesh gates let air through, cut smells and let you see inside; solid steel-clad doors hide the bins completely and stop rubbish being pushed through. Both lock with a padlock.
