Evanston, IL Noise from Specific Sources: HVAC & Mechanical Noise (2026)

The limit lives in the Mechanical Code, Title 4, Chapter 7, which Evanston adopted from the 2021 International Mechanical Code under its home-rule authority (Section 4-7-1) with local amendments spelled out in Section 4-7-2. Under the new Section 313 that amendment adds, noise levels for equipment and appliances shall not exceed 55 dBA SPL, decibels, A-weighted, sound pressure level, as averaged over any 15-minute period, measured at the property line between the adjacent structures if a property line separates the parcels. That standard covers condensers, heat pumps, rooftop units, and other fixed mechanical equipment and appliances regulated under the Chapter; the only carve-out written into the amendment is for emergency back-up generators, which are exempt outright.

4, Violation Penalties, is deleted and replaced by a cross-reference to Section 4-2-4, Penalty for Violations, the same fine schedule used across Title 4's building regulations. Anyone planning or installing HVAC work also has to comply with the Chapter's separate contractor-registration rule (Section 4-7-3), unless they are a single-family owner-occupant doing their own work and filing the required owner-installer affidavit.