Rochester Hills, MI Noise from Specific Sources: Generator Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing sections
- §§ 70-211 to 70-213, portable generators
- Adopted
- Ord. No. 622, Dec. 7, 2020
- Allowed use
- Only during an actual power outage
- Excluded outage cause
- Nonpayment or illegal wiring disconnection
- Exempt
- Stationary generators; temporary tool/construction use
- Default penalty
- Up to $500 fine or 90 days jail
Summary
Rochester Hills regulates portable generators under Chapter 70, Article IV, Division 4, sections 70-211 through 70-213, after the city council found that unregulated or continuous generator use creates noise and emissions nuisances and fire and health dangers. Outside of a power outage, homes and businesses must draw electricity from the utility grid or an approved solar or wind facility; portable generators may only bridge a genuine outage, not a disconnection for nonpayment or illegal wiring.
(a)Electric power necessary to operate the systems, fixtures, appliances, equipment, and devices in or outside of residential and non-residential premises shall be supplied through connection to publicly or privately owned energy utility company facilities or through a solar or wind alternative energy facility. Portable generators shall not be used for that purpose, nor for purposes of this section are portable generators deemed to be an alternative energy facility, except that during a power outage, a portable generator may be used to supply electric power until power is restored, provided that the power outage is not attributable to disconnection from a public or private energy utility by choice or due to non-payment of utility charges or to illicit, unlawful, unsafe, or otherwise improper connection, wiring, or activity. ... (b)This section does not apply to nor does it prohibit the use, testing, and maintenance of stationary generators for standby power source, nor does it prohibit the temporary use of portable generators for power tools, pumps, compressors, or other equipment for construction, repair, lawn or property maintenance.
Full Breakdown
The city council adopted the portable generator division by Ordinance No. 622 on December 7, 2020, finding in section 70-211 that unregulated or continuous use of portable generators to power residential and non-residential buildings creates noise and emissions nuisances and can present fire and health dangers to occupants. Section 70-212 defines a 'portable generator' as a device that provides temporary electric power and distinguishes it from a stationary generator that is permanently installed with fixed electrical connections for standby power. Section 70-213(a) requires that the electric power needed to run a building's systems, fixtures, appliances, equipment and devices come from the public or private utility grid or a solar or wind alternative energy facility; a portable generator cannot be used for that everyday supply and is not treated as an alternative energy facility.
The section carves out one exception: during an actual power outage, a portable generator may run until power is restored, but only if the outage was not caused by the owner's own choice to disconnect, by nonpayment of utility bills, or by illicit, unlawful or unsafe wiring or connections. Section 70-213(b) exempts stationary standby generators entirely and also exempts temporary use of portable generators to run power tools, pumps, compressors or similar equipment for construction, repair, or lawn and property maintenance, so long as that work otherwise complies with applicable codes and ordinances.
The division has no separate penalty clause, so a violation defaults to the Code's general misdemeanor penalty in section 1-16: up to $500 in fines, 90 days in jail, or both.
Violations & Fines
Because Division 4 sets no fine of its own, a violation of section 70-213 is prosecuted as a misdemeanor under the Code's default penalty, section 1-16: a fine of up to $500, up to 90 days in jail, or both, at the court's discretion, plus costs. Section 1-15 makes each day of noncompliant generator use a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I run a portable generator at my house in Rochester Hills?
Why does Rochester Hills regulate generators at all?
Are contractors allowed to use generators for tools on a job site?
What happens if I violate the generator ordinance?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Rochester Hills
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