Piscataway, NJ Noise from Specific Sources: Generator Noise (2026)

Added February 9, 2021 by Ordinance No. 2021-05, Section 21-627 groups auxiliary power generators with air-conditioning units, compressors and pool pumps as regulated outdoor mechanical equipment, then carves generators out of the general 10-foot setback and mandatory-screening rule in subsections (b) and (c) and gives them their own standard in subsection (e). A residential generator must be located only in a side or rear yard, never a front yard, and set back a minimum of 2 feet from any property line abutting a residential zone or residential use.

It must comply with both the Noise Control Act of 1971 (N.J.S.A. 13:16-1 et seq.) and the New Jersey Noise Control Regulations at N.J.A.C. 7:29, the same statewide sound limits that govern every other piece of outdoor mechanical equipment in the section. It must also be screened, either by evergreen plantings equal in height to the generator or by fencing or another enclosure of that same height. Subsection (d) still requires a Zoning Officer permit before a new generator goes in on a residential lot, so the 2-foot setback and screening are checked at the permit stage, before the unit is wired in, rather than after a neighbor complains about noise.