Reno, NV Noise from Specific Sources: HVAC & Mechanical Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Daytime limit
- 65 dB at residential line, 7a-10p
- Nighttime limit
- 49 dB at residential line, 10p-7a
- Applies to
- nonresidential sites within 300 ft of homes
- Construction exemption
- 6 a.m.-7 p.m. exempt
- Citation
- RMC § 18.04.1407
Summary
Reno caps noise from HVAC units and other mechanical equipment on nonresidential sites at 65 dB daytime and 49 dB nighttime, measured at the adjacent residential property line, under RMC § 18.04.1407.
(2)Permissible Noise Levela.Nighttime Noise Level Noise levels shall not exceed 49 db leq or 49 db for a single event occurring on a re-occurring basis at a residentially zoned property line between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.b.Daytime Noise Level Noise levels shall not exceed 65 db leq or 65 db for a single event on a reoccurring basis at a residentially zoned property line.1.Noise associated with temporary construction activity is exempt from the standards from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.2.Airport airplane operations are exempt from these standards.(b)Exclusions for Existing Higher Ambient Noise Levels Where existing ambient noise levels already exceed the standards of this article as of the effective date of this Title, the subject source may not increase existing levels. Editor's note— Ord. No. 6692, § 1(Exh. A), adopted January 8, 2025, repealed the former § 18.04.1407, and renumbered §§ 18.04.1408—18.04.1413, as §§ 18.04.1407—18.04.1412 as set out herein. The former § 18.04.1407 pertained to spillover lighting and derived from original source code.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Administrative Code: Supplement 64 | Land Development Code: Supplement 5 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Reno Municipal Code § 18.04.1407, in the Residential Adjacency article governing nonresidential development within 300 feet of residential zoning, sets sound limits measured at the residential property line: 65 dB Leq (or for a single recurring event) from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., dropping to 49 dB from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. This covers rooftop condensers, generators, and other mechanical equipment on adjacent commercial or mixed-use sites. Temporary construction noise is exempt from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., and airport operations are exempt outright. Where ambient noise already exceeds these levels, the source may not push levels higher.
Violations & Fines
Violations run through Reno's administrative code-enforcement process under RMC Ch. 1.05: the Administrator can issue notices of violation, administrative citations, or a stop-work order until excess equipment noise is corrected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Reno regulate noise from rooftop AC and HVAC units?
Does this limit apply to a homeowner's own AC unit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Reno
Compare Reno to another location·View the Nevada noise from specific sources overview
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