Marin County, CA Noise from Specific Sources: Generator Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 6.70.030(5)(b), Marin County Code
- Allowed hours
- 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Mon-Fri only
- Saturday/Sunday
- Equipment use prohibited
- Covered equipment
- Backhoes, generators, jackhammers (named examples)
- Penalty
- Infraction; misdemeanor if order defied
- Enacted
- Ordinance 3431, 2005
Summary
Marin County Code § 6.70.030(5)(b) limits loud noise-generating construction equipment, including backhoes, generators, and jackhammers, to running only between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, on projects permitted by the Community Development Agency. That's a tighter window than the general construction-hours schedule, which allows work later on weekdays and on Saturday.
b.Loud noise-generating construction-related equipment (e.g., backhoes, generators, jackhammers) can be maintained, operated, or serviced at a construction site for permits administered by the community development agency from eight a.m. to five p.m. Monday through Friday only.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 2026 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
030(5) splits construction noise into two tiers. m. m. cutoff on weekdays. 030, public-agency projects, work approved in writing by the Director for sufficient cause, minor low-noise jobs, and conditions set by a discretionary permit's review authority. 040, adopted with the rest of subsection (5) by Ordinance 3431 in 2005: a first violation is an infraction, punishable by fines or administrative or civil action, and refusing an officer's order to shut the equipment down elevates the offense to a misdemeanor with fines, jail time, or both, on top of any stop-work order the building and safety division chooses to issue.
Violations & Fines
Running a generator or similar loud equipment outside the 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-through-Friday window is an infraction under § 6.70.040, enforced by fines or administrative or civil action; ignoring an officer's order to shut it down escalates to a misdemeanor punishable by fines, jail time, or both, and the building and safety division can issue a stop-work order independent of any citation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I run a generator on a Saturday construction site?
Why is generator noise treated differently from general construction noise?
Are there exceptions to the generator-hours rule?
What's the penalty for running equipment outside the allowed hours?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Marin County
California rules heatmap·Compare Marin County to another location·View the California noise from specific sources overview
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