Mesa County, CO Noise from Specific Sources: HVAC & Mechanical Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- LDC § 8.05.A(3)
- Requirement
- Incorporate HVAC into building/landscape design
- Screening
- Hidden from all property lines
- Decibel limit
- None set for HVAC specifically
- Applies to
- Nonresidential and multi-family sites only
Summary
Mesa County does not set a decibel limit for HVAC units, but it does require them to disappear into the site design. Section 8.05.A.3 of the Land Development Code requires outdoor HVAC equipment on commercial and multi-family sites to be incorporated into the building and landscaping design and screened from every property line.
3. Outdoor storage, HVAC equipment, trash collection, trash compaction, and other service functions shall be incorporated into the overall design of the building and the landscaping plan. Views of these areas shall be screened from visibility from all property lines and separated from pedestrian areas.
Full Breakdown
05, 'Outdoor Storage, Trash Collection and Loading Areas,' applies in every Nonresidential and Multi-Family Residential zoning district in unincorporated Mesa County. 3 groups HVAC equipment with outdoor storage, trash collection, trash compaction and other service functions, and requires all of them to be incorporated into the overall design of the building and the landscaping plan, not bolted on as an afterthought. The same subsection requires that views of these areas, including HVAC condensers and compressors, be screened from visibility from all property lines and kept separated from pedestrian areas, so a rooftop or side-yard unit visible from a sidewalk or an adjoining lot does not meet the standard on sight lines alone.
rule; the HVAC standard is purely a screening and design-integration requirement, reviewed by Community Development on the site plan or landscape plan before a permit issues. 05; the HVAC screening rule applies to commercial, retail and multi-family development only.
Violations & Fines
Community Development checks HVAC screening and design integration at site-plan review, and Code Compliance Services can require retrofitted screening, fencing or landscaping for a completed commercial or multi-family project where mechanical equipment remains visible from a property line or a pedestrian area, holding up final approvals until the screening is installed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Mesa County set a noise limit for HVAC units?
Do homeowners have to screen their AC unit in Mesa County?
Where does HVAC equipment have to be screened from in Mesa County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Mesa County
Compare Mesa County to another location·View the Colorado noise from specific sources overview
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