Pismo Beach, CA Noise from Specific Sources: HVAC & Mechanical Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Newer units, property line
- 55 dBA, units installed on or after 1-1-80
- Newer units, neighbor window
- 50 dBA
- Older units, property line
- 60 dBA, units installed before 1-1-80
- Older units, neighbor window
- 55 dBA
- Property line measurement
- Five feet above grade, three feet from any wall
- Window measurement
- Within three feet of window opening
Summary
In the City of Pismo Beach, California, residential air-conditioning or air-handling equipment cannot exceed set sound levels at two measurement points. Units installed on or after 1-1-80 are held to 55 dBA at the neighboring property line and 50 dBA outside the nearest neighboring living area window. Older units get 60 and 55 dBA.
10. Residential Air-Conditioning or Air-Handling Equipment. Operating or permitting the operation of any air-conditioning or air-handling equipment in such a manner as to exceed any of the following sound levels: Units Installed Before 1- Units Installed on or 1-80 After 1-1-80 dBA dBA Measurement Location Any point on neighboring property line, five feet above grade level, no 60 55 closer than three feet from any wall Outside the neighboring living area window nearest the equipment location, not more than three feet 55 50 from the window opening, but at least three feet from any other surface ... ... D. Exemptions from Exterior Noise Standards. The provisions of Section 9.24.060 of this chapter shall not apply to activities covered by the following sections: ... ... 4. Section 9.24.050 B 10, residential air-conditioning or air-handling equipment;
Full Breakdown
Section 9.24.050 B 10 of the Pismo Beach Municipal Code bars operating or permitting the operation of any air-conditioning or air-handling equipment in a way that exceeds a two-by-two table of sound levels. The table splits by installation date and by where the sound is measured.
At any point on the neighboring property line, measured five feet above grade level and no closer than three feet from any wall, units installed before 1-1-80 are limited to 60 dBA and units installed on or after 1-1-80 to 55 dBA. Outside the neighboring living area window nearest the equipment location, measured not more than three feet from the window opening but at least three feet from any other surface, the limits are 55 dBA for older units and 50 dBA for newer ones. The window measurement is the stricter of the two for both vintages. Whoever owns or operates the unit, and whoever permits its operation, is the person the paragraph reaches.
These numbers replace the general exterior limits for this equipment. Section 9.24.090 D lists residential air-conditioning or air-handling equipment among the activities to which the Table 1 exterior noise limits of section 9.24.060 do not apply, so the B 10 table is the measuring standard. The code defines a fixed noise source as a stationary device that creates sound while fixed or motionless, and its examples include air conditioners and refrigeration equipment.
The next paragraph, section 9.24.050 B 9 b, sets a related duty for any motor, machinery or pump, such as swimming pool equipment: it must be sufficiently enclosed or muffled and maintained so as not to create a noise disturbance. Section 9.24.050 A also bars any noise disturbance plainly audible at a distance of fifty feet from the noisemaker, though it does not reach noise that stays within the noisemaker's own premises.
The building official and the police department administer the chapter under section 9.24.030. The noise control office can grant exceptions under section 9.24.100 for up to one hundred eight days on a showing of unreasonable hardship.
Violations & Fines
A violation of Chapter 9.24 is an infraction under section 9.24.110 B, and each hour the violation is permitted to continue is a separate offense. Section 1.20.010 C limits the fine to one hundred dollars for a first violation, two hundred dollars for a second within twelve months, and five hundred dollars for a third or later. An abatement order under section 9.24.110 C can replace a notice of violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How loud can a neighbor's air conditioner be in Pismo Beach?
Where is the air conditioner noise measured?
Do the general exterior noise zone limits apply to air conditioners?
What happens if a unit is too loud?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pismo Beach
California rules heatmap·Compare Pismo Beach to another location·View the California noise from specific sources overview
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