Gilroy, CA Noise from Specific Sources: HVAC & Mechanical Noise (2026)

Section 30.41.31(b)(1) targets residential noise impacting residential properties, specifically fixed-source outdoor mechanical equipment installed after July 1, 2007, such as pool pumps, spa equipment, air conditioning compressors, or similar apparatus. That equipment cannot exceed sixty (60) dBA measured as Ldn, or seventy (70) dBA measured as L10, at the property line separating it from the neighboring lot, whichever standard applies to the type of reading taken. The definitions in subsection (a) tie "dBA" to the A-weighted amplitude scale on a sound level meter and "L10" to the level exceeded no more than ten percent (10%) of the time, so a brief compressor cycle spike is judged against the L10 standard rather than a single instantaneous peak.

Because the numeric cap applies to equipment "installed after July 1, 2007," a unit already in place before that date sits outside this specific rule, though it can still be reached under the general nuisance standard in § 30.41.20, which lets the planning director require written neighbor consent before approving a project that risks an objectionable noise nuisance. A homeowner installing a new pool pump, spa heater, or A/C condenser near a shared property line should site and, if necessary, acoustically shield the unit before installation rather than after a complaint, since the standard applies regardless of the manufacturer's rated decibel output at the unit itself.