Santa Cruz County, CA Noise from Specific Sources: HVAC & Mechanical Noise (2026)

060 targets any "intruding noise source" that is a residential air-conditioning unit, or a commercial air-conditioning or other mechanical unit sited within 100 feet of a building or place regularly used for sleeping, when the unit runs more or less continually or during most hours. Measured at any neighboring property line, the A-weighted exterior noise level cannot exceed 60 dB for units installed before the noise chapter's effective date and 55 dB for units installed after it. The code also sets a maximum interior noise level of 45 dB inside nearby residences, so the county looks at what a neighbor actually hears indoors, not just at the lot line.

The section doubles as a design standard: when the county permits or reviews building plans that include air conditioning or mechanical equipment, those units must be located away from rooms used for sleeping, and the design must incorporate sound-attenuating measures where feasible, or mitigation such as sound-rated windows for the affected sleeping rooms, subject to approval by the Building Official. 15, Noise Planning, adopted by Ordinance 5308 in 2019. 110, the chapter is administered by the Planning Department for land-use and permit decisions, with enforcement of permit-related noise violations handled primarily by the Planning Department, assisted by the County of Santa Cruz Sheriff's Office, particularly outside standard office hours. 10 (the Zoning Ordinance) and Titles 18 and 19 SCCC.