Used IBC totes in Pembroke Pines, Florida

What the sources say about Pembroke Pines

I-75, Florida's Turnpike, Pines Boulevard and Flamingo Road are its major routes, and it covers 34.76 square miles.

More background on Pembroke Pines

ZIP codes and neighbors

33024, 33025, 33026, 33027, 33028, 33029. Nearest: Miramar (143,242), Davie (112,052), Hollywood (159,073).

What that means for totes

Our reading: a large suburb sends mostly household and small-business requests. A neat pad, screens and straps cover most of what a yard needs.

Check HOA rules about visible tanks before you buy.

A city of charter schools, malls and subdivisions is overwhelmingly residential. Our reading: most Pembroke Pines requests will be for a single tote beside a house, so the HOA rules, the downspout and the pad are the details to settle first.

Before you buy in Pembroke Pines, read your association's rules and ask about a rain barrel exception. Florida allows rain barrels in many places, but the details vary, and an approved photo of the setup makes later complaints easier to settle.

Our reading: the common case in a big suburb is one tote beside one house, so the details that decide the outcome are small. Where does the downspout land, is there a level pad, and does the tote sit in the shade? Direct sun grows algae in a translucent tote within weeks, so a cage tote under a shaded eave is usually the better position, and a dark cover over the opening keeps light and insects out.

Where an association objects to a visible tote, a fence panel or planting on the street side is usually the compromise; the rules differ by community, so read yours first.

If you are not sure a tote fits the setback, measure the planned spot with a tape before sending the form; a cage tote needs about four feet square of clear ground.