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

Section 8.06.100 of the Redlands Municipal Code specifically targets residential air conditioning and air handling equipment, making it unlawful to operate such equipment in a manner that exceeds the sound levels in Table 1 of section 8.06.070. That table sets the maximum permissible exterior sound level for single-family residential districts at 50 dBA between 10:00 P.M. and 7:00 A.M. and 60 dBA between 7:00 A.M. and 10:00 P.M., with the same limits applying to multi-family residential, public space and institutional uses; commercial property is allowed 60 dBA at night and 65 dBA during the day, and industrial property is capped at 75 dBA at any time.

Section 8.06.070(B) further limits how long a noise can exceed the base standard: no more than thirty minutes an hour at the base level, fifteen minutes an hour at five decibels over, five minutes an hour at ten decibels over, and so on down to a hard ceiling at twenty decibels over the standard. The Noise Control Officer, which is the city's code enforcement division under section 8.06.040, investigates complaints using calibrated sound level meters under the measurement procedures in sections 8.06.050 and 8.06.060, taking readings at the receiving property line or, for interior complaints, at least four feet inside the affected room with windows closed.

A violation of the air conditioning noise limit is prosecutable as either an infraction or a misdemeanor at the city attorney's discretion under section 8.06.140, with each day of continuing violation charged as a separate offense.