Tigard, OR Noise from Specific Sources: HVAC & Mechanical Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing provision
- Section 6.02.440.B.6
- Equipment covered
- A/C, heating units, heat pumps, refrigeration units, pool and hot tub pumps
- Night limit at a noise-sensitive unit
- 40 dB, 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.
- Day limit at a noise-sensitive unit
- 50 dB, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- No noise-sensitive unit next door
- 60 dB overnight, 75 dB at other times
- Penalty
- Class 1 civil infraction, up to $250 per day
Summary
In the City of Tigard, Oregon, operating air conditioning or heating units, heat pumps, refrigeration units and swimming pool or hot tub pumps is a violation of the Tigard Municipal Code when the sound exceeds the Section 6.02.430 limits, which are 40 dB overnight and 50 dB by day at a neighboring noise-sensitive unit.
It is unlawful for any person to produce, or permit to be produced, sounds which: A. When measured at the boundary of or within a property on which a noise-sensitive unit, not the source of the sound, is located, exceeds: 1. 40 dB at any time between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. the following day, or 2. 50 dB at any time between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. the same day; or ... D. When measured at or within the boundary of or within a property on which no noise-sensitive unit is located, and the noise originates from outside the property, the noise level exceeds: 1. 60 dB at any time between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. of the following day, or 2. 75 dB at any other time; ... B. Except as provided in Section 6.02.450, the following acts are violations of this article if they exceed the noise limits specified in Section 6.02.430: ... 6. Operation of air conditioning or heating units, heat pumps, refrigeration units (including those mounted on vehicles) and swimming pool or hot tub pumps;
Full Breakdown
Section 6.02.440.B.6 of the Tigard Municipal Code names the operation of air conditioning or heating units, heat pumps, refrigeration units (including those mounted on vehicles) and swimming pool or hot tub pumps as acts that violate Article V of Chapter 6.02 when they exceed the noise limits specified in Section 6.02.430. The rule sets no equipment-specific decibel number or setback; the equipment is measured against the general limits like any other sound source.
When the receiving property holds a noise-sensitive unit, Section 6.02.430.A caps sound at 40 dB between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. and 50 dB between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m., measured at the boundary of or within that property. A noise-sensitive unit is any building or portion of a building containing a residence, place of overnight accommodation, church, day care center, hospital, school or nursing care center. Where the receiving property has no noise-sensitive unit, Section 6.02.430.D sets 60 dB between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. and 75 dB at any other time.
Because a compressor or pump runs continuously, the overnight tests matter most. Section 6.02.430.B also makes sound plainly audible inside a neighboring unit between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. unlawful, and Section 6.02.430.C bars sound that is unnecessarily loud inside a unit, meaning it interferes with normal spoken communication or disturbs sleep. Section 6.02.420 says a measurement is not required for enforcement, and readings, if made, must come from a Type I or Type II meter with a trained operator. None of the exceptions in Section 6.02.450 covers residential HVAC or pool equipment in the City of Tigard.
Violations & Fines
A violation is a Class 1 civil infraction under Section 6.01.040.A, with a civil penalty or administrative fee of up to $250 per day under Section 1.16.640.A.1. Each day the equipment runs in violation is a separate infraction under Section 6.01.040.B. Evidence from two persons in different households is required under Section 6.02.470.A for the plainly audible and unnecessarily loud tests, and the city can offer a voluntary compliance agreement under Section 1.16.115.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Tigard limit how loud a heat pump or air conditioner can be?
Are pool pumps and hot tub pumps covered?
Does the city need a sound meter to enforce an HVAC noise complaint?
What is the fine for a noisy compressor in the City of Tigard?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tigard
Compare Tigard to another location·View the Oregon noise from specific sources overview
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