Boca Raton, FL Noise from Specific Sources: HVAC & Mechanical Noise (2026)

Section 10-66(1) makes it unlawful to create excessive and unnecessary loud noise through any noise-creating air conditioner, compressor unit, power fan or blower, or the motor or engine driving it, unless the noise is muffled and deadened by adequate suppression devices to eliminate annoyance to people within range of hearing. Section 10-66(2) goes further for new installations: the location and placement of all new or replacement outdoor air conditioning equipment must be specified by the city manager or designee and shown on the construction plans, and the city manager can require whatever sound abatement or screening is reasonably necessary to prevent the unit from creating excessive noise.

Every such unit installed in the city must carry the manufacturer's certification of its sound rating under Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute or ASHRAE standards, and that rating cannot exceed a level that would push the property past the zone-specific limits in Section 10-72, meaning 55 dBA day/50 dBA night at a residential boundary or 60 dBA day and night at a commercial boundary. The sound-rating data must be submitted to the building division at the time the building permit application is filed, tying HVAC noise compliance directly into the permitting process rather than leaving it to after-the-fact complaints.