Edmonds, WA Noise from Specific Sources: Generator Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Exemption section
- ECC 5.30.100(A)(9)
- Outage use
- Fully exempt during actual power outage
- Testing hours limit
- Cross-references ECC 5.30.110(B)
- Allowed testing window
- Weekdays 7am-6pm, Sat 10am-6pm
- Excluded days
- Sundays and federal holidays
Summary
Edmonds exempts emergency generator noise from its general noise ordinance while running during an actual power outage, but confines routine manufacturer-required testing to construction hours under ECC 5.30.100(A)(9) and ECC 5.30.110(B).
9. Sounds created by emergency generators when: a. Operating as necessary for their intended purpose during periods when there is no electrical service available from the primary supplier due to natural disaster or power outage; b. Conducting periodic testing, as required by the manufacturer. Testing shall be limited to the hours allowed for construction in ECC 5.30.110(B).
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 4444, passed August 3, 2026).
Full Breakdown
100(A) lists sounds exempt from those limits at all times. Subsection (A)(9) covers emergency generators specifically: they are exempt when operating as necessary for their intended purpose during periods when there is no electrical service available from the primary supplier due to natural disaster or power outage, under (A)(9)(a). 110(B). on Saturdays, excluding Sundays and federal holidays entirely. 050(A). 120(C). 150.
Violations & Fines
Generator noise outside the outage exemption and outside the ECC 5.30.110(B) testing window (weekdays 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Saturdays 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., no Sundays or federal holidays) is subject to the chapter's standard sound-level limits and penalty schedule: $100.00 first offense, $250.00 second offense within a year, and a misdemeanor up to $1,000 and 90 days in jail on a third offense (ECC 5.30.150).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I run a home emergency generator during a power outage in Edmonds?
When can I test my generator without violating the noise code?
What if I need to test a generator outside those hours?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Edmonds
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