Burleson, TX Noise from Specific Sources: HVAC & Mechanical Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Exemption
- § 34-191(e)(1): normal building conditioning, ventilation and property maintenance
- Scope of exemption
- Exempt from the requirements of the noise section
- Rooftop screening
- § 36-12(d): shield from view on all sides
- Screening distance
- 200 feet from the subject property line, at six feet above grade
- Penalty outside exemption
- Fine up to $2,000.00 for each event or violation
Summary
In the City of Burleson, Texas, § 34-191(e)(1) exempts noise generated due to normal building conditioning, ventilation and property maintenance from the noise article. Air conditioners and ventilation equipment in normal operation are therefore outside the decibel limits, though § 36-12(d) separately requires screening of mechanical equipment from view.
(e) Exemptions.The following acts and sounds shall be exempt from the requirements of this section: (1) Noise generated due to normal building conditioning, ventilation and property maintenance.
Full Breakdown
Burleson handles HVAC noise by exemption rather than by a dedicated equipment limit. Subsection (e) of § 34-191 lists acts and sounds exempt from the requirements of the noise section, and paragraph (1) covers noise generated due to normal building conditioning, ventilation and property maintenance. Normal operation of a home or business air conditioner, furnace or ventilation fan in the City of Burleson is not measured against the presumptive decibel limits in subsection (c), which run from 70 dBA by day and 60 dBA at night next to residential districts to 85 dBA and 75 dBA in the industrial district.
The exemption is tied to the word normal. The code does not define normal operation, and the same section still prohibits unreasonable noise in § 34-191(d)(1) in such a manner, or with such volume, intensity, vibration or duration, as to disturb a reasonable person of ordinary sensibilities. Whether a failing compressor or a unit with a loud, persistent defect still falls inside the exemption is not answered by the printed text.
A different chapter deals with how HVAC equipment looks, not how it sounds. Section 36-12(d) of the fencing and screening chapter requires nonresidential screening of mechanical equipment: rooftop equipment must be completely shielded from view on all sides, the screen must shield the equipment from adjacent properties for a distance of 200 feet from the subject property line at a point six feet above grade, and mechanical equipment on the ground must be screened with landscaping or hard screening materials such as wood, brick or an equivalent building material. Rooftop screened areas are capped at 25 percent of the roof area before a parapet wall is required. Those provisions do not mention noise, and they do not apply to exhaust fans, vents or drains.
Complaints about noise from mechanical equipment are enforced by the city manager's designee, code officers and police officers, and a citizen witness can file a sworn statement under § 34-191(f).
Violations & Fines
Normal HVAC operation is exempt, so no fine attaches to it under § 34-191(e)(1). Noise outside that exemption is punishable under § 34-191(h) by a fine of not more than $2,000.00 for each event or violation, with each day a separate offense, and the City of Burleson can pursue abatement as a nuisance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are air conditioners covered by the Burleson noise ordinance?
Does Burleson require screening for rooftop HVAC units?
Can a neighbor still complain about a loud HVAC unit in Burleson?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Burleson
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Burleson to another location·View the Texas noise from specific sources overview
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